Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 656.039 (2026)

Election of coverage for workers not subject to law; procedure; cancellation; election of coverage for home care workers and personal support workers

✓ current as of May 2026
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      656.039 Election of coverage for workers not subject to law; procedure; cancellation; election of coverage for home care workers and personal support workers. (1) An employer of one or more persons defined as nonsubject workers or not defined as subject workers may elect to make them subject workers. If the employer is or becomes a carrier-insured employer, the election shall be made by filing written notice thereof with the insurer with a copy to the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services. The effective date of coverage is governed by ORS 656.419 (3). If the employer is or becomes a self-insured employer, the election shall be made by filing written notice thereof with the director, the effective date of coverage to be the date specified in the notice.

      (2) Any election under subsection (1) of this section may be canceled by written notice thereof to the insurer or, in the case of a self-insured employer, by notice thereof to the director. The cancellation is effective at 12 midnight ending the day the notice is received by the insurer or the director, unless a later date is specified in the notice. The insurer shall, within 10 days after receipt of a notice of cancellation under this section, send a copy of the notice to the director.

      (3) When necessary the insurer or the director shall fix assumed minimum or maximum wages for persons made subject workers under this section.

      (4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a person or employer not subject to this chapter who elects to become covered may apply to an insurer for coverage. An insurer other than the State Accident Insurance Fund Corporation may provide such coverage. However, the State Accident Insurance Fund Corporation shall accept any written notice filed and provide coverage as provided in this section if all subject workers of the employers will be insured with the State Accident Insurance Fund Corporation and the coverage of those subject workers is not considered by the State Accident Insurance Fund Corporation to be a risk properly assignable to the assigned risk pool.

      (5)(a) The Home Care Commission created by ORS 410.602 shall elect coverage on behalf of persons who employ home care workers or personal support workers to make home care workers and personal support workers subject workers.

      (b) As used in this subsection:

      (A) “Home care worker” has the meaning given that term in ORS 410.600.

      (B) “Personal support worker” has the meaning given that term in ORS 410.600. [1965 c.285 §11; 1975 c.556 §22; 1979 c.839 §1; 1981 c.854 §6; 1983 c.816 §1; 1985 c.212 §2; 2007 c.241 §8; 2007 c.835 §1; 2010 c.100 §9; 2014 c.116 §12; 2018 c.75 §28]

 

      656.040 [Amended by 1959 c.448 §7; repealed by 1965 c.285 §95]

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8 cases, 1979–2018 · leading case: SAIF Corp. v. Tono, 336 P.3d 565 (Or. Ct. App. 2014).
SAIF Corp. v. Tono, 336 P.3d 565 (Or. Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 16× “We note that, in 2014, the legislature amended ORS 656.039 to make privately paid home care workers, as well as state-funded home care workers, eligible for workers’ compensation coverage upon election by the Home Care Commission.”
Schmidt v. Intel Corp., 112 P.3d 428 (Or. Ct. App. 2005). · cites it 2× “5 ORS 656.039 permits a carrier-insured or self-insured employer “of one or more persons defined as nonsubject workers or not defined as subject workers” to “elect to make them subject workers.”
Erzen v. State Accident Ins. Fund, 596 P.2d 1004 (Or. Ct. App. 1979). · cites it 3× “SAIF denied the claim on the ground that claimant was a corporate officer and the employer had not elected coverage for its corporate officers under ORS 656.039. The referee and the Board held claimant was entitled to benefits as a covered workman and ordered SAIF to accept the…”
Pilling v. Travelers Ins. Co. (In re Pilling), 412 P.3d 252 (Or. Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 4× “" Additionally, under ORS 656.039, an employer can elect coverage for an otherwise nonsubject worker.”
Clevidence v. Portland Sch. Dist. No. 1, 866 P.2d 492 (Or. Ct. App. 1994). · cites it 3× “Defendant submitted evidence on summary judgment that, at the time of the accident, it had elected pursuant to ORS 656.039 to provide workers’ compensation coverage to students participating in the cafeteria assistance program and had paid workers’ compensation premiums to…”
SAIF Corp. v. Hansen, 870 P.2d 247 (Or. Ct. App. 1994). “The law did not require that he be covered by workers’ compensation insurance, and he did not elect coverage under ORS 656.039. In March, 1987, claimant injured his knee on the job, and filed a claim with SAIF.”
Quadel Indus. v. Luckman, 770 P.2d 928 (Or. Ct. App. 1989). · cites it 8× “ORS 656.039(1). Quadel, as Luckman’s employer, could have elected coverage for him, but, because Quadel is an employer subject to ORS chapter 656, that election would not be pursuant to ORS 656.”
SAIF Corp. v. Cox, 893 P.2d 553 (Or. Ct. App. 1995). · cites it 2× “027(9), and that he was not covered by an election of coverage under ORS 656.039(1). 1 ORS 656.027(9) provides, in part: “All workers are subject to this chapter except those nonsubject workers described in the following subsections: “ * * * * “(9) Corporate officers who are…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 656.039(1) — 4 cases
Pilling v. Travelers Ins. Co. (In re Pilling), 412 P.3d 252 (Or. Ct. App. 2018). “" Additionally, under ORS 656.039, an employer can elect coverage for an otherwise nonsubject worker.”
Clevidence v. Portland Sch. Dist. No. 1, 866 P.2d 492 (Or. Ct. App. 1994). “Defendant submitted evidence on summary judgment that, at the time of the accident, it had elected pursuant to ORS 656.039 to provide workers’ compensation coverage to students participating in the cafeteria assistance program and had paid workers’ compensation premiums to…”
Quadel Indus. v. Luckman, 770 P.2d 928 (Or. Ct. App. 1989). “ORS 656.039(1). Quadel, as Luckman’s employer, could have elected coverage for him, but, because Quadel is an employer subject to ORS chapter 656, that election would not be pursuant to ORS 656.”
SAIF Corp. v. Cox, 893 P.2d 553 (Or. Ct. App. 1995). “027(9), and that he was not covered by an election of coverage under ORS 656.039(1). 1 ORS 656.027(9) provides, in part: “All workers are subject to this chapter except those nonsubject workers described in the following subsections: “ * * * * “(9) Corporate officers who are…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 656.039(4) — 1 case
Quadel Indus. v. Luckman, 770 P.2d 928 (Or. Ct. App. 1989). “ORS 656.039(1). Quadel, as Luckman’s employer, could have elected coverage for him, but, because Quadel is an employer subject to ORS chapter 656, that election would not be pursuant to ORS 656.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 656.039(5) — 1 case
SAIF Corp. v. Tono, 336 P.3d 565 (Or. Ct. App. 2014). “We note that, in 2014, the legislature amended ORS 656.039 to make privately paid home care workers, as well as state-funded home care workers, eligible for workers’ compensation coverage upon election by the Home Care Commission.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 656.039(5)(a) — 1 case
SAIF Corp. v. Tono, 336 P.3d 565 (Or. Ct. App. 2014). “We note that, in 2014, the legislature amended ORS 656.039 to make privately paid home care workers, as well as state-funded home care workers, eligible for workers’ compensation coverage upon election by the Home Care Commission.”
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