Oregon Overtime Laws

Guide to Oregon Overtime Laws

If you are a worker in Oregon, it's important to know about OR overtime laws. Most, but not all, workers are covered by Oregon overtime laws, and there are several circumstances under which you may be owed overtime. This guide will give you a basic overview of OR overtime laws so you can understand whether your employer has been violating the law. If you need to get legal advice about your particular situation, or need more in depth information about Oregon overtime laws, you may want to talk to an employment attorney in your area.

Current Overtime Rates

Overtime must be paid at a rate of the employee's average hourly wage plus an additional fifty percent. This “time and a half” rule applies whether it is an employee's first hour of overtime or their fortieth. Double time is not required by any OR overtime laws, although some union contracts or employee agreements may specify doubled wages for hours worked in excess of some number per week, or during holidays.

For minimum wage employees, the current minimum overtime rate according to Oregon overtime laws is $13.20 per hour, one and a half times the minimum wage of $8.80. Workers may be required to work any amount of overtime according to OR overtime laws, except for nurses, who may only be required to work a 40 hour week.

Who Is Eligible for Overtime?

While most workers are covered by Oregon overtime laws, some types of employees are considered exempt. Most “white collar” workers in administrative, professional, or executive careers are exempted from OR overtime laws. Additionally, fishermen, commissioned outside salespeople, and those who earn more than $27.63 per hour and work in the computer industry are not covered by Oregon overtime laws.

When Must Overtime Be Paid?

Overtime must be paid according to OR overtime laws any time you work more than 40 hours in a single seven-day workweek. In manufacturing facilities (such as factories), canneries, and hospitals, hours worked in excess of 10 per day must also be compensated at the overtime rate. In all other industries, overtime is only required for hours in excess of 40 per week—even a shift that lasted an entire day would potentially not be eligible for overtime.

No Oregon overtime laws limit the amount of overtime that an employee can be forced to work in most industries. However, if you are a manufacturing employee, OR overtime laws forbid more than 13 hours of work in any 24 hour period.

Violations of Oregon Overtime Laws

Many employers violate OR overtime laws either intentionally or inadvertently. One of the most common violations of Oregon overtime laws is when employers try to give employees “comp time” rather than paying overtime. This is not a legal practice. Neither is averaging an employee's hours over a two-week pay period in order to avoid overtime payment. OR overtime laws allow employees to file a complaint about unpaid overtime without fear of retaliation from their employer.