Oregon Expands on Pregnancy Accommodation Law

Effective on January 1, 2020, employers in Oregon with 6 or more employees, must provide reasonable accommodations to employees and job applicants who have limitations due to pregnancy, unless doing so would impose a hardship.

Examples of reasonable accommodation include (Per the bill):

·         Acquisition or modification of equipment or devices,

·         More frequent or longer break periods or periodic rest,

·         Assistance with manual labor,

·         Modification of work schedules or assignments.

The new law expands on what is currently provided under existing law and the Oregon civil rights code.  Additionally, the law expands on pregnancy related discrimination and will now make it illegal for an employer to deny employment to an applicant based upon the need to make reasonable accommodation due to pregnancy, inquiring about accommodation, requesting or using accommodation, or by requiring an employee to accept unnecessary reasonable accommodation.  Under the law, employers are now required to provide new employees a written notification of the Employer Accommodation for Pregnancy Act within 180 days of the effective date.  An employee who informs an employer of a pregnancy must be provided written notification of the accommodation within 10 days.

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