When Is Your Final Paycheck Due in Oregon?
Oregon law — ORS 652.140 (penalty wages at ORS 652.150) — sets the deadline by how you left. Fired and quit have different clocks in most states, and the penalty for a late check is real money. Here is the process, step by step.
The Oregon rule in one table
| Question | Oregon rule |
|---|---|
| Governing statute | ORS 652.140 (penalty wages at ORS 652.150) |
| If you were fired | By the end of the first business day after discharge |
| If you quit | With at least 48 hours' notice (not counting weekends and holidays), on your last day. Without that notice, within 5 days of quitting (not counting weekends and holidays) or the next regular payday, whichever comes first |
| Late-payment penalty | Penalty wages under ORS 652. |
| Unused vacation payout | Paid out only if the employer's policy, agreement, or established practice promises it. |
What makes Oregon different
Oregon's fired-employee deadline is the fastest in this directory: end of the first business day after discharge. And the 48-hour quit notice matters more here than anywhere — give it and your check is due on your last day; skip it and the employer gets up to five extra days. Oregon counts the notice window excluding weekends and holidays, so a Thursday notice for a Monday last day does not add up the way most people expect.
The process, step by step
- Fix your separation type and last day. The clocks split on fired vs. quit in most of these states, and every deadline counts from the last day worked. Write down both before you do anything else.
- Find your deadline. Fired: By the end of the first business day after discharge. Quit: With at least 48 hours' notice (not counting weekends and holidays), on your last day. Without that notice, within 5 days of quitting (not counting weekends and holidays) or the next regular payday, whichever comes first. Or skip the arithmetic — the Final Paycheck Deadline Calculator computes the calendar date from your state, separation type, and last day.
- Ask in writing before the deadline if anything is unclear. A short written request ('Please confirm my final pay date and amount, including accrued vacation') creates the paper trail that penalty provisions ask for — several states run their penalty clocks from your written demand.
- Check the check. When it arrives, verify gross pay for all hours, overtime, and the vacation treatment: Paid out only if the employer's policy, agreement, or established practice promises it.
- If it is late or short, the penalty provision is your lever. Penalty wages under ORS 652.150: your daily wages keep accruing — at 8 hours per day at your regular rate — for up to 30 days until you are paid. If the employer pays within 12 days of your written demand, the penalty is capped at 100% of the unpaid wages instead.
How to file a claim in Oregon
File a wage claim with the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) — the claim can be filed online, and BOLI's final-pay page restates the ORS 652.140 deadlines by separation type.
Comparing states — because the job across the border plays by different rules — the Final Paycheck Laws by State directory puts all seven side by side.
If the deadline passed and the pay never arrived
A missed final-paycheck deadline is where a wage claim starts: How to File a Wage Claim in Oregon — the agency, the form, and the filing window.
Final paycheck in another state
Final paycheck in another state? See Final Paycheck Deadline in Colorado and Final Paycheck Deadline in California.
Source
Deadlines and penalties on this page come from the statute and the state agency that enforces it: Oregon BOLI — Final Paychecks. Facts verified 2026-10-23.
This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice — for a dispute about your specific situation, talk to a lawyer or your state labor or consumer agency.
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