Severance Pay Laws in Oregon
Oregon has no state-level mini-WARN, so the federal WARN Act is the only statutory layoff-notice floor — sixty days of advance notice for mass layoffs of fifty or more employees at employers with one hundred or more total workers. There is no state-level severance pay mandate. What sets Oregon apart is its aggressive wage enforcement and its strict non-compete framework.
Final wages in Oregon are governed by ORS §652.140, which requires payment of all earned wages on the day of an involuntary termination or by the next business day if termination occurs after business hours. Voluntary resignations with at least 48 hours of notice are paid on the last day of work; without notice, within five days. Accrued vacation is wages if payable under company policy. The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) enforces the statute and may recover penalty wages of up to thirty days plus attorney's fees under §652.150 for willful nonpayment.
On non-competes, ORS §653.295 limits employee non-competes to those employees who earn more than a statutory annual gross salary threshold (currently around $107,000 indexed) and meet additional procedural requirements: the non-compete must be in writing, the employee must have at least two weeks of advance notice before signing, and the maximum duration is twelve months. Customer non-solicits are similarly restricted. Courts void non-compliant clauses.
On discrimination, the Oregon Fair Employment Practices Act (ORS chapter 659A) applies to all employers regardless of size and provides broad protections across federal Title VII categories plus state-specific protections for sexual orientation, gender identity, family responsibility, and credit history. BOLI administers state-level claims with a parallel private right of action that provides uncapped compensatory damages.
Oregon's economy is anchored by technology (Intel, Nike), forestry, manufacturing, healthcare (Providence, OHSU), and agriculture. Tech employers, particularly Intel's Hillsboro operations, have produced sophisticated corporate-template severance practices that materially exceed the state's legal floor for senior engineers and managers.
How Much Severance Are Oregon Workers Owed?
Oregon employees in tech, healthcare, and finance typically receive two to four weeks of severance per year of service for individual contributors, with Intel and other large tech employers running higher. Forestry and agriculture come in closer to the modeled midpoint.
Industry Benchmarks for Oregon
In Oregon, Portland-Hillsboro tech pays above the modeled midpoint; forestry and agriculture come in closer to it.
Major industries
- · Technology
- · Forestry
- · Manufacturing
- · Healthcare
- · Agriculture
Major cities
- · Portland
- · Salem
- · Eugene
- · Hillsboro
- · Bend
Frequently Asked Questions — Oregon Severance
When is my final paycheck due in Oregon?+
Under ORS §652.140, an involuntary termination triggers payment on the day of termination (or by the next business day if termination occurs after business hours). Voluntary resignations with at least 48 hours of notice are paid on the last day of work; without notice, within five days. Penalty wages of up to thirty days plus attorney's fees are available under §652.150 for willful nonpayment.
Are non-competes enforceable in Oregon?+
Subject to ORS §653.295, non-competes are limited to employees earning more than a statutory annual gross salary threshold (currently around $107,000, indexed). The clause must be in writing, the employee must receive at least two weeks of advance notice before signing, and the maximum duration is twelve months. Courts void non-compliant clauses.
Does Oregon require employers to pay severance?+
No. Oregon has no state severance pay mandate. The federal WARN Act provides the only notice floor. Severance is contractual.
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