Disclaimer: The content provided below is for informational purposes only and does not substitute legal advice.
Last updated April, 2026
Oregon employee handbook overview
To create your Oregon employee handbook, it is important to include both state-specific and federal policies. Regardless of whether your workers are all located in Oregon or just a few, you will need to provide an Oregon-specific handbook to guarantee that they understand the policies and rights granted to them by their state.
Oregon - 2026 Updates
Companies with employees in Oregon should provide their employees with the updated paid family and medical leave policy, as well as other important updates, effective January 1, 2026. These policies are available now
What should be included in a Oregon employee handbook?
Every handbook should include Federal, State, and (if applicable) City-specific policies. Below are Oregon-specific policies that should be included in your handbook.
- Oregon Equal Employment Opportunity Policy: Employers with one or more employees may not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, age (18 and older), disability, or genetic information.
- Oregon Equal Pay Policy: Employers may not pay employees differently based on a protected class for work of comparable character. Employers may not screen job applicants based on salary history or seek salary history from a current or prospective employee.
- Oregon Military Leave Policy: Employers must grant leave to employees called to military service and may not discriminate against employees based on service in a uniformed service.
- Oregon Sick Leave Policy: Oregon employers are required to provide employees with sick at a rate of 1 hour of sick time for every 30 hours you work up to 40 hours per year. If the company has 10 or more employees, the leave is paid. For employers with less than 10 employees, the leave is protected but unpaid.
- Paid Leave Oregon: Started in 2023, Paid Leave Oregon provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave per benefit year for family, medical, or safe leave, and in some situations, an additional two weeks for pregnancy or childbirth complications.
- Oregon Whistleblower Policy: Employers may not retaliate against employees who report violations of law, health or safety risks, or mismanagement of public funds.
- Oregon Family Leave Act: Employers with 25 or more employees are required to provide unpaid leave for employees to care for themselves and family members during qualifying circumstances like the birth of a child, serious health conditions, bereavement, and other reasons.
- Oregon Final Paycheck Policy: Employers are required to provide the employee with their final paycheck based on the timeline of when they would receive it had they remained employed. Rules for employees who have left the workplace in different ways must be provided.
- Oregon Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking Leave Policy: Employers with six or more employees must provide reasonable leave for victims to seek legal proceedings, medical treatment, counseling, or safety planning.
- Oregon Jury Duty Policy: Employers are required to provide employees with unpaid leave for jury duty summons.
- Oregon Victim Leave Policy: Employers with 6 or more employees are required to provide leave for employees who have been, or whose family or household members have been a crime victim , or a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
- Oregon Meal and Rest Periods Policy: Employers must provide a meal period for all shifts longer than 6 hours, and different break times depending on the length of the shift.
- Oregon Lactation Accommodations Policy: Reasonable accommodations must be provided for nursing mothers .
- Oregon Record-Keeping Requirements Policy: Employers are required to keep their employee records for at least 60 days after the date of their departure from the company. Rules regarding employers retaining an employee’s personnel records post-termination must be provided.
- Oregon Bone Marrow Donation Policy: Employers are required to provide employees with leave to donate bone marrow to another person.
- Oregon Hazardous Condition Reporting Policy: Companies may not retaliate against an employee for reporting a hazardous condition.
Federal Policies
Don’t forget about the federal policies
There are policies that should be included in every handbook to comply with US labor and employment law. Many states require additional provisions. However, this list includes core federal requirements and best practices applicable to most businesses.
Core federal policies
- Equal Employment Opportunity and Anti-Discrimination Policy Show me!
- Anti-Harassment and Complaint Procedure Show me!
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Policy Show me!
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) & Reasonable Accommodation Policy
- Military Service Leave (USERRA)
- Wage and Hour Compliance Policy (FSLA)
- At-Will Employment Notice Show me!
- Polices if you employ federal contractors (Pay Transparency Policy, Whistleblower Protection, Drug-free Workplace Policy)
Highly recommended policies
- Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
- Code of Conduct Policy
- Nursing Parents Policy
- Conflict of Interest and Business Ethics
- Disciplinary Procedures
- Use of Company Property
- Employee Classification and Pay Practices
- Health and Safety Policy
- Confidential Company Information
- Open Door Policy
- Receipt of Non-Harassment Policy
- Use of Communication and Computer Systems
- Workplace Searches and Inspections
Additional policies to include
- Industry-specific policies
- Sick Leave, Vacation Leave, PTO policy
- Company Vehicles Policy
- Punctuality and Attendance
- Benefits
- Working Schedule
- Employment Records
- Smoking
- Overtime
- Performance Reviews
- Social Media Policy
- Remote Work Policy
- Introductory Period Policy
- References
- Hiring Relatives and Significant Others
- Business Expense Reimbursement
Get all recommended policies from the free handbook builder.
Poster Requirements
Understanding labor law poster requirements can be a bit like trying to decode a complex puzzle. You need to comply with both state and federal requirements.
Why Should I Care About Displaying Posters?
You might be wondering why it's so important to display these posters in the first place. State and Federal laws mandate that employers must have up-to-date labor law posters conspicuously displayed for their employees. Failing to do so not only results in steep fines (up to $35,000 in federal fines and additional state fines) but also exposes you to real liability.
Consider this scenario: if an employee decides to bring a lawsuit against your company, and you don't have the required posters or they are outdated, you could face even more significant problems:
Statute of Limitations: Normally, there's a limited window within which an employee can file a lawsuit against you. However, if you didn't inform your employees of their rights through proper poster display, a court might decide that the statute of limitations doesn't apply.
Operating in Bad Faith: Courts may determine that you were intentionally withholding information from your employees, which could lead to a finding that you were operating in bad faith. This can substantially increase your liability.
What Are the Requirements for Displaying Labor Law Posters?
Labor law posters must be displayed at every physical location where you have employees, and they need to be conspicuously displayed for all to see.
- If you have a hybrid workplace with both in-person and remote employees, you'll need physical posters at your facilities and electronic distribution to your off-site workers.
- For fully remote companies, you can distribute posters electronically by sharing a permanent link to the appropriate posters.
- Some posters also need to be visible to job applicants, such as FMLA, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Employee Polygraph Protection posters, as per the guidance provided by the Department of Labor.
What Labor Law Posters Do I Need to Display?
You'll need both Federal and State labor law posters for each state where you have employees. The good news is that all the posters you need are provided for free by the federal government and state departments of labor. You've probably seen those convenient "all-in-one" laminated posters, but if you prefer, everything you need is also available as a free, printable document from the Oregon Department of Labor.
Federal Poster Requirements
Determining which federal posters you're required to display can be influenced by various factors, including your industry, the size of your company, benefits you provide and union affiliation.
The good news is that there's a handy tool to help you understand precisely which federal posters your company needs. You can use the Federal Poster Advisor tool to determine your specific federal poster requirements.
Oregon Labor Law Poster Requirements
You can refer to the Oregon Department of Labor for free, printable posters.
Download Oregon labor law posters here
How to create an Oregon Employee Handbook
An employee handbook isn't just a formality, it's the foundation of a well-run company. But getting it right means more than putting words on paper. Your handbook needs to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, and it needs to stay current as those laws change.
When it comes to building a legally sound, state-specific handbook, most companies face the same tough choice: hire an attorney to draft one from scratch, or try to do it yourself. The first option is expensive and time-consuming. The second is risky, especially if you're relying on generic, one-size-fits-all templates found online.
That's where Handbooks.io comes in.
Handbooks.io is an employee handbook builder trusted by many companies to create polished, fully compliant handbooks, without the legal fees or guesswork. Answer a short survey about your company, and a tailored handbook is generated in no time. It's everything you need to create, maintain, and distribute a professional employee handbook, all in one place. Let’s build this thing!
Get started on building your handbook
Creating a new handbook only takes a few minutes. And it’s easy. You can get started by answering a few interactive questions about your company. A few examples:
- How many employees do you have?
- Do you have employees in multiple states?
- Do you have an introductory period for new employees?
- Do you offer paid holidays?
- What is your payroll schedule?