Oregon Expands Reasons for Safe Leave

Oregon has enacted legislation (House Bill 4156), which expands Oregon anti-stalking laws and adds covered reasons for employees to use safe leave. House Bill 4156 takes effect on July 1, 2024.

The details

Background

Existing Oregon  law makes it a crime to cause someone reasonable apprehension about their personal safety by knowingly alarming or coercing that person through repeated and unwanted contact. The term “repeated and unwanted contact” was generally defined to include only instances of direct physical presence or unwanted communications. 

Existing Oregon  law also  requires  employers to provide paid or unpaid safe leave for when employees experience reasonable apprehension about their own personal safety resulting from an individual knowingly alarming or coercing them through repeated and unwanted contact (stalking).  

House Bill 4156

House Bill 4156 amends the definition of repeated or unwanted “contact” to include misappropriating a victim’s personal identification; disclosing intimate or sexual images of someone without their consent; using electronic means to monitor or interfere with a victim’s communications or activities; or causing others to harass, humiliate or injure the victim by disclosing names, images or personal information. See the text of the law for further details.

The amended definition indirectly expands an employee’s leave rights under OR laws that provide a right to leave due to the employee being a victm of stalking.  This includes the Paid Leave Oregon program.  In addition,  Oregon law seperately requires that employers with  at least six employees provide employees with reasonable unpaid leave from work to address safety matters related to stalking.

Next steps

Oregon employers should review their safe leave polices and procedures and train supervisors to help ensure compliance with House Bill 4156 by July 1, 2024.