Oregon
Oregon Final Paycheck Laws: One of the Fastest Deadlines in the Country
Oregon fires the fastest final-paycheck clock in this cluster: wages are due by the end of the first business day after a discharge, and the deadline for a quit depends on how much notice the employee gave.
Information last verified on 2026-08-12. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
The Discharge Deadline: End of the First Business Day
sets Oregon's discharge deadline in plain terms: "all wages earned and unpaid at the time of the discharge or termination become due and payable not later than the end of the first business day after the discharge or termination." That is not a vague "promptly" standard, and it is genuinely fast by national comparison, closer to an immediate-payment rule than to the next-payday rule that governs most of the country. An Oregon employer that fires someone on a Monday owes the full final paycheck by the end of business on Tuesday at the latest.
The Quit Deadline: It Depends on Notice
Oregon splits the quit deadline on whether the employee gave adequate notice. Under , an employee who gives the employer at least 48 hours' notice before quitting, not counting Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, is entitled to immediate payment on the last day worked. An employee who quits without that notice has a longer, but still fast, window: wages are due within 5 days after quitting (again excluding weekends and holidays) or at the next regularly scheduled payday, whichever comes first.
The statute's own text uses this exact structure, and the correct citation for both notice scenarios is ORS 652.140, not . That section applies only to seasonal farmworkers and should not be used as the general quit rule for other Oregon employees.
The Continuing-Wage Penalty
is Oregon's late-payment penalty, and it works differently than a flat percentage. Once wages go unpaid past the deadline, they continue accruing "at the same hourly rate for eight hours per day until paid or until action therefor is commenced," up to a hard cap of 30 calendar days. If the employee sends the employer written notice of the nonpayment, the employer gets a 12-day window to cure the failure before the full penalty locks in, but the total penalty can never exceed 100% of the wages actually owed regardless of how the cure notice plays out.
The correct citation is ; addresses dishonored paychecks specifically and should not be cited as the general penalty rule for a simply late final paycheck.
PTO, Deductions, and Filing a Claim: Not Yet Confirmed
Oregon's treatment of PTO and vacation payout at separation was not independently researched for this article and is not stated here as fact either way. The same is true of Oregon's specific rules on what an employer may deduct from a final check. The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) is the known wage-claim agency by name, but its process, forms, and any filing deadline were not confirmed this session. Contact BOLI directly, or see PTO payout laws by state and unpaid wages: how to file a claim for the general frameworks these questions fall under while Oregon-specific detail is confirmed.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Oregon final-paycheck law and does not constitute legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship. Oregon's PTO-payout rules, deduction rules, and BOLI filing process were not independently confirmed this session and are flagged accordingly. Confirm current requirements with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries or a licensed Oregon employment attorney before relying on anything here for a specific situation.
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Last updated: 2026-08-12.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast does an Oregon employer have to pay a final paycheck after firing someone?
By the end of the first business day after the discharge or termination, under ORS 652.140, one of the fastest deadlines of any state.
What if I quit my Oregon job instead of being fired?
With at least 48 hours' notice, wages are due immediately on the last day worked. Without that notice, wages are due within 5 days or the next regular payday, whichever comes first.
What penalty applies if an Oregon employer pays late?
Unpaid wages continue accruing at the employee's hourly rate for 8 hours a day under ORS 652.150, capped at 30 days, with a 12-day cure window after written notice of nonpayment.
Is ORS 652.145 the right law for a general Oregon quit deadline?
No. That section applies only to seasonal farmworkers. The general quit and discharge rules are both in ORS 652.140.
Does Oregon require PTO payout when you leave a job?
This was not independently confirmed for this article. Contact the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries for a current answer.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on 4 statutory provisions held in our own legal record, each retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 652: Hours; Wages; Wage Claims; Records
§ 652.140Payment of wages on termination of employment; exception for collective bargainingIn force
(1) When an employer discharges an employee or when employment is terminated by mutual agreement, all wages earned and unpaid at the time of the discharge or termination become due and payable not later than the end of the first business day after the discharge or termination. (2)(a) When an employee who does not have a contract for a definite period quits employment, all wages earned and unpaid at the time of quitting become due and payable immediately if the employee has given to the employer not less than 48 hours’ notice, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, of intention to quit employment. (b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this subsection, if the employee has not given to the employer the notice described in paragraph (a) of this subsection, the wages become due and payable within five days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, after the employee has quit, or at the next regularly scheduled payday after the employee has quit, whichever event first occurs.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at oregonlegislature.gov
§ 652.145Payment of wages for seasonal farmworkersIn force
(1) Notwithstanding ORS 652.140, if an employee has worked for an employer as a seasonal farmworker, whenever the employment terminates, all wages earned and unpaid become due and payable immediately except: (a) Wages are due and payable by noon on the day after termination of the employment of the seasonal farmworker if: (A) The termination occurs at the end of the harvest season; (B) The employer is a farmworker camp operator described in ORS 658.715 (1)(b) or (c); and (C) The farmworker is provided housing that complies with ORS 658.705 to 658.850 at no cost to the worker from the termination of work until wages due are paid. (b) If the employee quits without giving the employer at least 48 hours’ notice, wages earned and unpaid are due and payable within 48 hours after the employee has quit, or at the next regularly scheduled payday after the employee has quit, whichever event first occurs.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at oregonlegislature.gov
§ 652.150Penalty wage for failure to pay wages on termination of employmentIn force
(1) Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, if an employer willfully fails to pay any wages or compensation of any employee whose employment ceases, as provided in ORS 652.140 and 652.145, then, as a penalty for the nonpayment, the wages or compensation of the employee shall continue from the due date thereof at the same hourly rate for eight hours per day until paid or until action therefor is commenced. However: (a) In no case shall the penalty wages or compensation continue for more than 30 days from the due date; and (b) A penalty may not be assessed under this section when an employer pays an employee the wages the employer estimates are due and payable under ORS 652.140 (2)(c) and the estimated amount of wages paid is less than the actual amount of earned and unpaid wages, as long as the employer pays the employee all wages earned and unpaid within five days after the employee submits the time records.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at oregonlegislature.gov
§ 652.195Liability for dishonored check for payment of wages; penaltiesIn force
(1) An employer that issues to an employee a dishonored check for payment of wages due is liable to the employee for the remedies provided in ORS 30.701. (2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries may assess a civil penalty in an amount equal to the statutory damages provided by ORS 30.701 against an employer that issues a dishonored check to an employee for payment of wages due. (3) The commissioner may not assess a civil penalty under this section against an employer that has issued a dishonored check for payment of wages due to an employee if the employee has commenced an action under ORS 30.701 against the employer for the same dishonored check. (4) If the commissioner has assessed a civil penalty under subsection (2) of this section, an employee may not bring an action under ORS 30.701 against the employer for the same dishonored check. (5) All sums collected as penalties under this section shall be paid to the employee to whom the employer issued the dishonored check.
Official text (excerpt) · as of 2026-07-29 · Read the full section at oregonlegislature.gov
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Sources and References
- ORS 652.140, Payment of Wages on Termination of Employment(oregon.public.law)
- ORS 652.150, Penalty Wage for Failure to Pay Wages on Termination(oregon.public.law)