On May 14, 2025, Gov. Kotek signed SB 69 into law, which introduces administrative and technical modifications to Paid Leave Oregon and the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA). The bill will allow employers to request a healthcare provider's certification confirming an employee's fitness to return to work after a period of medical leave, provided the employer has a uniformly applied policy for such requests.
The bill also clarifies that sick time can be used for any of the qualifying reasons under Paid Leave Oregon. In addition, the bill creates an exception to OFLA eligibility requirements for Oregon-based airline flight crew employees who meet specific federal hours-of-service requirements.
The bill’s provisions will take effect September 26, 2025. Employers should confirm their existing leave policies align with the new requirements. If employers choose to adopt the provider certification requirement, they should ensure they are applying the policy in a uniform and consistent manner for all similarly situated employees.