Update on Paid Sick & Minimum wage bills

Associated Oregon Industries
Oregon’s largest business advocate

In the ongoing battle over the paid sick leave mandate (SB 454 and HB 2005), a new plan has surfaced in the Senate. Although a bill draft has not been made available yet, the Senate’s intention is that the bill would apply to employers of 25 or more workers, with the caveat that local governments could extend the law to smaller employers. Most other requirements of SB 454 are expected to be moved into the new bill, including the requirement that leave accumulate at a rate of one-hour per 30 hours worked, and that workers be able to take leave after 90 days of employment.

In an unrelated twist, the proposal would also lift the statewide preemption on local minimum wage increases. This change to minimum wage law is entirely unrelated to the issue of paid sick leave, and is being included purely to encourage otherwise opposed legislators to support the paid sick leave bill.

The new bill is expected to be public next week, and will likely have a hearing in the Senate Rules Committee in early June.

To view the above mentioned bills, you may go to the Oregon State Legislature website.


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