Bill > SB968

This bill establishes guidelines for how public employers can recover wage overpayments from public employees. Specifically, the bill allows public employers to deduct overpaid wages from an employee's future paychecks, but with important protections for the employee. The deduction can only be for overpayments that occurred within the previous 364 days, and the employer must provide the employee with a written statement at least 10 calendar days before making the deduction. This statement must itemize the overpayment, clarify that no more than 5% of the employee's gross pay can be deducted per pay period (unless the employee requests a higher amount), and inform the employee that any remaining balance can be recouped from their final paycheck if they leave employment. The bill also repeals a previous statute (ORS 292.063) related to wage deductions and includes a General Fund appropriation of $114,461 to the Bureau of Labor and Industries to support processing paycheck overpayment wage claims. The terms "public employee" and "public employer" are defined according to existing Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS 243.650).