Oregon overtime rules for home care workers

In Oregon, overtime is time-and-a-half after 40 hours in a workweek. The state minimum wage is $15.55 an hour. The federal Home Care Rule bars agencies from the companionship and live-in exemptions, though the Department of Labor stopped enforcing it against agencies in July 2025 while it considers undoing it. Oregon's own law does not, so if the federal rule is undone, agencies here may no longer owe overtime to companionship and live-in caregivers.

What are Oregon's overtime and minimum wage rules?

$15.55 standard, $16.80 inside the Portland metro urban growth boundary and $14.55 in non-urban counties, for 2026-07-01 through 2027-06-30.

Does Oregon law require overtime for agency caregivers?

Not until January 1, 2027. Oregon's wage law currently excludes companionship workers in a family home (ORS 653.020(14)), and the state's definition does not require them to be employed by the person served, so most agency aides fall under the exclusion. SB 1518 (2026) ends the exclusion for workers employed by a home care or companionship business on January 1, 2027, and they then get overtime after 40 hours.

Does Oregon have special rules for home care workers?

The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (ORS 653.547) gives privately paid domestic workers 1.5x after 40 hours a week (44 if live-in) and 24 consecutive hours of rest each week. It excludes workers paid with public funds and staff of licensed home health and in-home care agencies. Until January 1, 2027, agency companionship workers are also excluded from Oregon's general minimum wage and overtime law (ORS 653.020(14)); SB 1518 brings workers employed by home care and companionship businesses under it from that date.

Can sleep time be unpaid on 24-hour shifts in Oregon?

For duty of 24 hours or more, employer and employee may agree to exclude meal periods and a regularly scheduled sleep period of up to 8 hours if adequate sleeping facilities are provided; if the employee gets less than 5 continuous hours of sleep, the whole period is paid (OAR 839-020-0042). For agency companions this applies once they are covered on January 1, 2027.