Filing a BOLI Complaint

by on January 18, 2022 with No Comments


Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (usually called “BOLI”) is the state agency responsible for enforcing civil rights laws across the state. BOLI also investigates employee complaints in Oregon. Employees may file a complaint about an employer with BOLI, and BOLI will investigate the complaint at no charge. Since 2023, Oregon Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson has been working to ensure that workers in Oregon have access to their civil rights.

In the area of employment, BOLI handles two main types of complaints: Civil rights complaints and wage and hour complaints.

Civil Rights

The first type of complaint is a Civil Rights complaint.  This is the complaint for employees who feel they have been subject to discrimination, including sexual harassment, at work, or who believe they were terminated unlawfully.

To file a Civil Rights complaint, employees should complete the BOLI intake process.  BOLI may contact you for more information or to review certain aspects of your claim.  BOLI will provide you with additional information about their process.  Some civil rights complaints need to be filed within 300 days of the discrimination occurring, so don’t delay in filing a complaint.

When the BOLI investigation process concludes, or if a year has passed from the date a complaint was filed, BOLI will usually issue a “right to sue” letter.  This letter will state that you have 90 days to file a lawsuit, or your right to pursue the claims may be lost.  Be sure to pay close attention to all communications you receive from BOLI, especially if you receive a “right to sue” letter.

To get started on filing a civil right complaint with BOLI, visit BOLI’s Complaint Resolution Center at https://complaints.boli.oregon.gov/home/landing.

To contact BOLI about a civil rights issue call 971-245-3844 or email crd.email@boli.oregon.gov.

Wage and Hour

The second type of complaint is a Wage and Hour complaint.  This is the complaint for employees who have a complaint about wages, including unlawful wage deductions, lack of meal or rest breaks, unpaid overtime, or final paycheck issues.

For wage claims, you should be prepared to submit any documentary evidence you have, including any time cards, payroll check stubs, witness statements, employment contracts, your personal calendar showing the days or hours worked, and any other documents you may have that support your claim.  BOLI may also request evidence from the employer.

To get started on filing a wage and hour complaint with BOLI, visit BOLI’s Complaint Resolution Center at https://complaints.boli.oregon.gov/home/landing.

To contact BOLI about a wage and hour issue call 971-245-3844 or email whd.screener@boli.oregon.gov.

Filing a Complaint

To file a complaint with BOLI, visit https://complaints.boli.oregon.gov/home/landing.

Klein Munsinger LLC is a law firm located in Portland, Oregon which represents workers in Oregon and Washington. You can learn more about the firm here, or you can contact us at connect@kleinmunsinger.com or 503-568-1078.