Oregon workers' compensation insurance: Your ultimate resource

Who is covered?

Policies include protection for full and part-time workers — as well as your business’s financials.

Oregon’s workers' compensation law includes nearly 30 exemptions. Some include:

• Domestic servants, like home health workers, or people working in a private home doing domestic service.
• Employees hired by a homeowner to do gardening, maintenance, repair or remodeling work.
• Casual employees whose work isn’t part of an employer's trade or profession.
• Employees earning less than $500 a year.

Covered injuries and illnesses

Workers' compensation covers a range of work-related injuries and illnesses, including physical injuries resulting from an accident and occupational diseases developed over time due to job conditions. 

Benefits provided

Oregon workers’ comp insurance provides three types of benefits for work injuries:

• Medical benefits
• Lost wages 
• Death benefits

These benefits include:

• Medical treatment for work-related accidents, injuries and/or illnesses 
• Temporary disability benefits 
• Permanent disability benefits
• Death benefits

Oregon workers’ compensation rates

As of 2023, Oregon’s workers’ comp weekly benefit amount maximum is $1,331.48 for:

• Temporary total disability
• Permanent partial disability
• Permanent total disability
• Death benefits

Filing a workers' compensation claim

In the event of a work-related injury or illness: 

Step 1: Employee reports injury to employer 

Employees in Oregon should report their injury to their employer using Form 801 as soon as possible. Employers should send it to their workers’ compensation insurance carrier within five days of receiving the notice. Additionally, employers should provide their injured worker with this form.

Step 2: Seek medical care

The employee should immediately seek medical attention and complete Form 827 with the help of your doctor. 

Step 3: Receive benefits

If an employer’s insurance provider accepts the claim, the worker should begin receiving benefits to cover medical expenses and may receive lost wages. 

Step 4: Return to work/permanent disability benefits

Following their recovery, a worker is expected to resume work safely. In cases where the worker cannot fully recover, they may be eligible to receive permanent disability payments.

Choosing a healthcare provider 

Unless the employer has enrolled the company in a managed care organization, employees can be treated by any health care provider who qualifies as an attending physician under Oregon state law. Employers cannot choose health care providers for their injured workers.

Compensation for missed work

If an employee is out of work:

• Less than three days: They are not eligible for temporary disability payments.
• More than 14 days: They are eligible for benefits retroactive to the first day they stopped work.

Resolving disputes

If an employee disagrees with their claim closure, they have the right to appeal by asking the Workers’ Compensation Division for a reconsideration. An injured worker must file for reconsideration within 60 days of the mailing date of the Notice of Closure.