Effective January 1, 2010, Oregon law gives employees the right to opt out of certain employer mandated meetings and requires employers (regardless of the size) to post a communication in the workplace regarding that right. Employees now have the right to opt out of employer mandated meetings when the primary purpose of the meeting(s) is to communicate the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters.
A “religious” matter includes religious affiliation or the decision to join or support, or not join or support a religious organization.
A “political” matter includes:
- political party affiliation
- campaigns for legislation (ballot measures)
- candidates for political office
- decisions to join or support (or not join or support) a lawful political or constituent group or activity, such as civic associations, community groups, social clubs, and/or labor organizations
The general rule is that an employer may not retaliate against any employee who chooses not to attend or participate in such meetings. There are some narrow exceptions to the law that are unlikely to apply in most situations.
The Bureau of Labor and Industries has declined to create a poster for this new law, therefore you can access this link to print out a posting for a public area in your workplace.
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