Oregon
Overview
Please review the information below as well as the information on the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity page and then return to the workplace harassment prevention course tab.
Harassment and discrimination based on a protected characteristic are prohibited under both federal and state law. The federal government and most state governments have agencies that help employers and employees understand these legal requirements and ensure compliance with the laws.
Protected Characteristics
Harassment or discrimination based on any protected characteristic set forth below is prohibited under state law in Oregon.
Oregon
race (including physical characteristics historically associated with race, such as natural hair, hair texture, hair type and protective hairstyles (which may include hair color or manner of wearing hair such as braids, regardless of whether the braids are created with extensions or styled with adornments, locs and twists))
color
national origin (including ancestry)
sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding/lactation, and related conditions)
gender identity
sexual orientation
age (18 or older)
disability
genetic information
marital status (including domestic partnership)
- family relationship
- status as a victim of domestic violence
- uniformed service member status
- previous assertion of a claim or right under workers’ compensation law
- credit history information
- previously filing for unemployment
- tobacco use in non-working hours
religion
expunged juvenile record
association with a protected class
previously filing a complaint
giving testimony
assisting in any discrimination proceeding
opposing an unlawful practice under state anti-discrimination law
Applicable Laws
Oregon
The primary state law prohibiting employment discrimination, including harassment, is Or. Rev. Stat. Ch 659A.
Filing a Claim in Oregon
An employment discrimination or harassment claim may be filed with the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries, and/or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, depending on the employer’s size and the protected characteristic on which the claim is based. More information on federal law prohibiting employment discrimination and harassment is available on the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity page.
Retaliation Prohibited
Employer retaliation against an employee who files a discrimination or harassment complaint or is involved in the complaint process is unlawful.
The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only.
It does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.