Oregon · minors · adequate work · OAR 839-021-0087(5)
Oregon minors who report get the greater of one hour or half the shift you agreed to.
OAR 839-021-0087(5) (Oregon SOS / BOLI) is the live show-up floor for minors under 18. Require a minor to report for a scheduled shift, and you must provide adequate work — enough to earn at least half the agreed pay — or pay reasonable compensation equal to the greater of one hour at the regular rate or half the agreed hours × the regular rate. An 8-hour schedule shorted to 1 hour at $20 is $80 here — not Maine’s lesser-of $40, not New Hampshire’s unconditional $40, not New Jersey’s $20, and not California’s 2–4 hour half-day band. A similar adult Oregon rule was repealed in 1990. Punches prove the report; scheduled hours are the agreed hours. Unpaid lunch minutes come out of hours furnished. Hour-entry weekly totals cannot see that gap.
Read the rule: greater of 1 hour or half the agreed shift
Fetched the official Oregon Secretary of State text of OAR 839-021-0087 (Division 21 — Employment of Minors) and BOLI’s Minor Workers page. Section (5): “An employer may not require a minor to report for work without providing adequate work to earn a reasonable compensation, or paying to such minor a reasonable compensation in lieu thereof.” “Adequate work” means enough to earn at least one-half the amount the minor would have earned at the regular rate for the hours previously agreed. “Reasonable compensation” means the greater of (A) one hour at the regular rate or (B) the regular rate multiplied by one-half the agreed hours.
BOLI FAQ: “If a minor arrives for a scheduled shift but is not needed, must the employer still pay for part of the minor’s scheduled hours? Yes, the employer must pay either the amount the minor would have earned for half the shift, or one hour’s wages, whichever is greater. [Note: A similar law for adults was repealed in 1990.]”
Section (5)(c): no double pay when ORS 653.455(2)(b)(A) or (C) predictive-scheduling compensation is already owed — see /oregon-predictive-scheduling/. Section (6) good-faith notice policy and section (7) circumstances beyond control are labeled toggles.
Scheduled 8h, furnished 1h @ $20 → greater of $20 or $80 = $80
Scheduled 1h, furnished 0 @ $20 → greater of $20 or $10 = $20
Scheduled 8h, furnished 4h @ $20 → adequate — no extra
Identical in/out (0 furnished) on an 8h schedule @ $20 → $80
In scope
- Punch-in/out to prove the minor reported for a scheduled shift
- Agreed / scheduled hours versus hours furnished
- Greater of 1 hour at regular or ½ × agreed hours × regular
- Good-faith notice, beyond-control, and ORS 653.455 already-paying toggles
- FLSA weekly 40 on hours worked; reporting-time dollars are not hours worked
Out of scope
- Adult Oregon private-sector show-up (repealed 1990 — BOLI)
- Maine lesser-of 2h-or-scheduled, NH 2h, NJ 1h, MA 3h at MW, RI 3×, CA 2–4h half-day
- Gating age / work-permit coverage tests in the math (minors labeled)
- Predictive-scheduling dollars themselves — use /oregon-predictive-scheduling/
- Agricultural minors’ separate hour limits (BOLI ag rules)
FAQ
What is Oregon minors adequate-work pay under OAR 839-021-0087(5)?
An employer may not require a minor to report for work without providing adequate work — enough to earn at least half of what the minor would have earned for the agreed hours — or paying reasonable compensation equal to the greater of one hour at the regular rate or half the agreed hours times the regular rate. Clock in and out prove the report. An 8-hour schedule shorted to 1 hour at $20 is $80, not Maine’s $40.
Does this rule apply to adult Oregon employees?
No. BOLI states a similar law for adults was repealed in 1990. This page is minors under 18 only. Adult Oregon private-sector show-up floors are not a live pay line.
When does the Oregon minors floor not apply?
OAR 839-021-0087(6): posted good-faith notice policy followed before the minor leaves home. Section (7): circumstances beyond the employer’s control (acts of nature, emergencies, unforeseeable equipment failures). Section (5)(c): the employer is already required to compensate under ORS 653.455(2)(b)(A) or (C) predictive scheduling. All three are toggles on this page.
How is this different from Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and California reporting?
Oregon minors use the greater of one hour or half the scheduled shift. Maine is the lesser of two hours or the full scheduled shift. New Hampshire is an unconditional two hours at regular. New Jersey is one hour at the applicable wage rate. California IWC is a half-day floor capped at 2–4 hours. An 8-hour schedule shorted to 1 hour at $20 is $80 here, $40 in Maine/NH, $20 in New Jersey, and $40–$80 under CA’s 2–4h band.
