ORS 653.055
Liability of noncomplying employer

  • contrary agreements no defense
  • wage claims
  • suits to enjoin future violations
  • attorney fees

(1)

Any employer who pays an employee less than the wages to which the employee is entitled under ORS 653.010 (Definitions for ORS 653.010 to 653.261) to 653.261 (Minimum employment conditions) is liable to the employee affected:

(a)

For the full amount of the wages, less any amount actually paid to the employee by the employer; and

(b)

For civil penalties provided in ORS 652.150 (Penalty wage for failure to pay wages on termination of employment).

(2)

Any agreement between an employee and an employer to work at less than the wage rate required by ORS 653.010 (Definitions for ORS 653.010 to 653.261) to 653.261 (Minimum employment conditions) is no defense to an action under subsection (1) of this section.

(3)

The Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries has the same powers and duties in connection with a wage claim based on ORS 653.010 (Definitions for ORS 653.010 to 653.261) to 653.261 (Minimum employment conditions) as the commissioner has under ORS 652.310 (Definitions of employer and employee) to 652.445 (Deposit of moneys in Wage Collection Account) and in addition the commissioner may, without the necessity of assignments of wage claims from employees, initiate suits against employers to enjoin future failures to pay required minimum wages or overtime pay and to require the payment of minimum wages and overtime pay due employees but not paid as of the time of the filing of suit. The commissioner may join in a single proceeding and in one cause of suit any number of wage claims against the same employer. If the commissioner does not prevail in such action, the commissioner shall pay all costs and disbursements from the Bureau of Labor and Industries Account.

(4)

The court may award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party in any action brought by an employee under this section. [1967 c.596 §11; 1977 c.513 §1; 1981 c.850 §2; 1981 c.897 §90; 1985 c.99 §7; 1995 c.618 §111]

Source: Section 653.055 — Liability of noncomplying employer; contrary agreements no defense; wage claims; suits to enjoin future violations; attorney fees, https://www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/bills_laws/ors/ors653.­html.

Notes of Decisions

Under this section, where Labor Commissioner sued as assignee of affected employes, prevailing defendant-employer was not entitled to attorney fees. State ex rel Stevenson v. Youth Adventures, 42 Or App 263, 600 P2d 880 (1979), Sup Ct review denied

“Civil penalties provided in ORS 652.150” refers to method for calculating minimum wage or overtime violation penalty and does not result in penalty being merged with penalty for failure to pay wages at termination. Cornier v. Paul Tulacz, DVM PC, 176 Or App 245, 30 P3d 1210 (2001)

Where employer failed to pay overtime wages, subsequent termination of employment did not provide basis for additional claim based on nonpayment of same wages at termination. Mathis v. Housing Authority of Umatilla County, 242 F. Supp. 2d 777 (D. Or. 2002)

Reference to ORS 652.150 under subsection (1) of this section includes need to establish that employer’s failure to pay wages is willful in order to impose civil penalties. Migis v. Autozone, Inc., 282 Or App 774, 387 P3d 381 (2016)

653.010
Definitions for ORS 653.010 to 653.261
653.015
Statement of policy
653.017
Local minimum wage requirements
653.020
Excluded employees
653.022
“Piece-rate-work-day” defined for ORS 653.020
653.025
Minimum wage rate
653.026
“Nonurban county” defined for ORS 653.025
653.027
Wage rate for persons under 18 years of age in agriculture
653.030
Commissioner may prescribe lower rates in certain cases
653.033
Schedule to increase certain subminimum wage rates for individuals with disabilities
653.035
Deducting value of lodging, meals and other benefits furnished by employer
653.040
Powers of commissioner
653.045
Records to be kept by employers
653.050
Employers to post summary of law and rules
653.055
Liability of noncomplying employer
653.060
Discharging or discriminating against employee prohibited
653.065
Application of Administrative Procedures Act
653.070
Student-learners special wage
653.075
Legislative findings on breast-feeding
653.077
Expressing milk in workplace
653.079
Advisory committee on expressing milk in workplace
653.256
Civil penalty for general employment statute or rule violations
653.261
Minimum employment conditions
653.263
Overtime for persons employed by seafood processors
653.265
Overtime for persons employed in canneries, driers and packing plants
653.268
Overtime for labor directly employed by public employers
653.269
Exceptions to ORS 653.268
653.280
Employer to safeguard employee’s trade equipment
653.285
Liability of employer
653.295
Noncompetition agreements
653.300
Health benefit plan options for certain employees
653.305
Bureau’s inquiry into employment of minors
653.307
Annual employment certificates
653.310
Employment certificates on file
653.315
Working hours for children under 16 years of age
653.320
Employment of children under 14 years
653.326
Employment of professionally trained minors allowed with permit
653.330
Employment of minors in certain logging operations prohibited
653.335
Employment of minors as elevator operators prohibited
653.340
Employment of minors for message and delivery service
653.345
Legislative findings
653.350
Employment of children under 12 years for certain agricultural labor
653.355
Exemption of certain employers
653.360
Employment of minors in certain boating, fishing and agricultural situations
653.362
Exemption of minors serving as soccer referees
653.365
Civil penalty exemption for unlawful employment of minors by parents or persons standing in place of parents
653.370
Civil penalty for unlawful employment of minors
653.400
Rules
653.403
Visitation rights of bureau
653.412
Definitions
653.422
Covered employees
653.428
Good faith estimate of work schedule
653.432
Voluntary standby list
653.436
Advance notice of work schedule
653.442
Right to rest between work shifts
653.450
Employee right to input into work schedule
653.455
Compensation for work schedule changes
653.460
Notice and posting requirements
653.465
Record retention requirements
653.470
Retaliation prohibited
653.480
Enforcement
653.485
Legislative intent
653.490
Local work schedule requirements
653.547
Definitions
653.549
Rules
653.551
Unlawful employment discrimination
653.553
Short title
653.560
Authority of Bureau of Labor and Industries
653.565
Investigating compliance with rules
653.601
Definitions for ORS 653.601 to 653.661
653.606
Employee count
653.611
Substantially equivalent policies
653.616
Allowable uses of sick time
653.621
Minimum use increments
653.626
Medical verification
653.631
Accrual amount records
653.636
Minimum requirements
653.641
Unlawful practices
653.646
Multiemployer exception
653.651
Enforcement
653.656
Rules
653.661
Preemption
653.991
Penalties
Green check means up to date. Up to date