Doctor's-Note & Sick-Leave Laws in Oregon

Oregon has a statewide sick-time law administered by the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). Most employees accrue protected sick time; it is paid if the employer has 10 or more employees, or 6 or more for employers with a Portland location. Oregon limits when an employer can demand medical verification, generally allowing it only after more than three consecutive sick days or where abuse is evident.

How sick leave works in Oregon

Oregon’s statewide sick-time law, administered by the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), gives most employees protected sick time they can use for their own illness, a family member’s illness, or a medical appointment. Employees accrue at least one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked, and an employer may limit use to 40 hours per year. Sick time is paid when the employer has 10 or more employees statewide, or 6 or more employees if the employer has a location in Portland; smaller employers must still provide the time but may leave it unpaid.

When a doctor’s note can be required

Oregon limits medical verification: an employer generally can’t require a note for sick time expected to last fewer than three consecutive scheduled workdays, but can request reasonable documentation once an absence runs longer, when required notice wasn’t given, or where there’s evidence of a pattern of abuse. In those situations, a note from a licensed physician that confirms the dates without a diagnosis is the kind of documentation the law contemplates.

Local ordinances

Portland’s protected-sick-time code works together with the state law; the practical effect is the lower 6-employee threshold for paid sick time when an employer has a Portland location.

This summary isn’t legal advice and simplifies real detail. If timing matters, an employment attorney or the state agency can confirm the current rule.