Under Oregon’s recent pregnancy accommodation law, House Bill 2341, Oregon employers with six or more employees must provide “reasonable accommodations” to employees (and applicants) for certain pregnancy-related conditions. Reasonable accommodations include providing longer breaks, schedule modifications, extra equipment, or assistance with manual labor, among other things.
An employer does not have to provide an accommodation which would be an “undue hardship” in that it would require significant difficulty or expense, taking into account the same factors that apply under Oregon disability discrimination law. The law also restricts employers’ ability to require employees to take medical leave when an alternative reasonable accommodation is available.
In addition, employers must give written notice of this law to all employees by June 29, 2020. This must include posting written notices, and should also include appropriate provisions in employee handbooks. BOLI has created a template for the written notice that employers may use. Employers should consult with a lawyer about compliance.