The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) announced yesterday the release of its 2024 State of the Worker Report, offering an overview of the conditions facing Oregon workers and the ongoing efforts to protect their rights. The report provides a sobering look at the challenges BOLI faces due to decades of underinvestment, which have left its enforcement capabilities stretched thin and its ability to deliver timely justice severely compromised.
Currently, Oregonians are waiting up to two years to have their wage theft claims investigated. With only ten labor standards investigators handling a 208% increase in claims over the past four years, many workers face economic hardship, with 66% of those contacting BOLI reporting that they are unable to pay for essentials like rent and groceries. An analysis from the Workplace Justice Lab at Rutgers University estimated that each year, minimum wage violations alone cost Oregonians between $283 and $405 million. The Civil Rights Division is similarly overwhelmed, with a 278% increase in complaints over the past decade without the staff necessary to process them.
Commissioner Christina Stephenson, who has led BOLI since January 2023, has been addressing the alarming backlogs in the Wage and Hour Division and Civil Rights Division through an unprecedented triage approach and through advocating for the capacity to process the increasing number of claims and complaints the agency is receiving. The 2024 report demonstrates that without a significant increase in budget, the agency will be forced to dismiss hundreds of cases, leaving workers without recourse and allowing violators to evade accountability.
“No Oregonian should be told their rights don’t fit within our budget,” said Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson. “We need a strong and adequately funded agency to ensure every worker’s rights are upheld so that Oregon employers who play by the rules have an even playing field.”
BOLI is advocating for a 30% increase in funding to address these challenges. This investment will allow the agency to expand staff, enhance enforcement efforts, and support Oregon businesses in complying with employment laws. You can read the full State of the Worker Report here.
Led by Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson, the Bureau of Labor and Industries protects employment rights, advances employment opportunities, and protects access to housing and public accommodations free from discrimination for all Oregonians. If you believe you have been denied your rights at work or in public spaces, you can file a complaint online.
