Oregon OSHA is phasing in improvements to safety and health requirements for employers that provide housing as a condition of employment, including on farms. As part of that work, the division is rolling out free resources to help employers comply and to help workers and housing occupants understand their rights to safety and health.
Adopted in January 2025, the comprehensive rule changes include delayed effective dates. Some changes took effect on March 31, 2025. Others will come on line Jan. 1, 2026, with more taking effect Jan. 1, 2027, and Jan. 1, 2028.
The changes include modifications to the application process employers use to register labor housing with Oregon OSHA. The details, including application and declaration forms, are available online.
It is important for workers and housing occupants to know they have a right to safe and healthy conditions, and to raise concerns about hazards free of retaliation. Oregon OSHA offers a pocket-sized card, in Spanish and English, with QR codes pointing to the rules and anti-retaliation resources.
All of Oregon OSHA’s resources about labor housing – including education and training, and publications in Spanish and English – are available on the division’s A-to-Z topic page. Resources include fact sheets summarizing the changes that went into effect March 31, 2025, and that will take effect January 2026-January 2028. A new labor housing inspection checklist will be available soon.