I speak to a lot of people with employment problems and wanted to let my readers know of a state agency that handles employment-related issues: Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). According to the BOLI website, the agency describes its duties as follows:
The four principle duties of the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) are to: 1) to protect the rights of workers and citizens to equal, non-discriminatory treatment through the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws that apply to workplaces, housing and public accommodations; 2) to encourage and enforce compliance with state laws relating to wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment; 3) to educate and train employers to understand and comply with both wage and hour and civil rights law; and 4) to promote the development of a highly skilled, competitive workforce in Oregon through the apprenticeship program and through partnerships with government, labor, business, and educational institutions.
In many cases, BOLI does a great job for employers and employees in general. However, in many cases, employees need the prompt and assertive action of an attorney. Especially with the current market conditions, I have heard many reports of BOLI being very busy. Be sure to stand up for yourself and vigorously enforce your own rights.
