Retaliation Against Oregon Employees

Oregon employers may not terminate or demote employees in retaliation for engaging in protected activities. “Protected activities,” include many things, a few of which follow.

Oregon law protects whistleblowers, that is, people who honestly believe that their employer is breaking some law, and they report it.

Oregon has a general law that protects employees from termination or discrimination because they opposed any unlawful activity or helped a coworker do so. Here’s some more information on what it takes to “oppose” an unlawful practice.

Oregon and federal law also protect against retaliation for specific things, too. There are too many to list, but here’s a sampling of wrongful termination reasons:

• Termination in retaliation for reporting nursing home abuse or neglect.
• Termination in retaliation for complaining about not being paid overtime wages or other wages.
• Termination in retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim.
• Termination in retaliation for resisting sexual harassment.
• Termination in retaliation for using your rights to medical leave or parental leave.

Also, Oregon protects employees against fulfilling their societal duties. So, employers may not fire you in retaliation for things like serving on jury duty or refusing to help your boss do something illegal.

If you think an Oregon employer wrongfully terminated you in retaliation for engaging in protected activity and you’d like to talk with an Oregon attorney, then please feel free to call me at 503-665-4234.