SALEM, Ore. - Last week the Oregon State House unanimously passed Senate Bill 726, the Oregon Workplace Fairness Act. SB 726 is a strong step forward to protect working people from sexual harassment and discrimination on the job.
“This legislation helps level the playing field between working people and employers by putting more tools into the hands of the worker,” said Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain. “It’s a step forward in protecting ALL workers in Oregon from the horrors of sexual harassment and discrimination on the job. Oregon’s unions are proud to have been such a critical part of passing this important piece of legislation.” The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk for her signature, after passing the State House with a unanimous vote on May 30th
SB 726 does the following:
Extends the statute of limitations for both BOLI complaints and civil actions to five years, from the date the incident took place;
States that when an employer has made a good faith determination that the act of discrimination or harassment took place and was committed by someone with the authority to hire and fire employees that the employer may void any contractual severance that was previously agreed to;
Instructs the Bureau of Labor and Industries to create model policies and procedures relating to discrimination and harassment; States that employers must make them available to workers upon hire and allegations of discrimination;
States that an employer may not request a non-disclosure or no-rehire agreement when an aggrieved worker faces discrimination or harassment.
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