Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 659A.046 (2026)

Reemployment of injured worker in other available and suitable work; termination of right to reemployment; effect of collective bargaining agreement

✓ current as of May 2026
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      659A.046 Reemployment of injured worker in other available and suitable work; termination of right to reemployment; effect of collective bargaining agreement. (1) A worker who has sustained a compensable injury and is disabled from performing the duties of the worker’s former regular employment shall, upon demand, be reemployed by the worker’s employer at employment which is available and suitable.

      (2) A certificate of the worker’s attending physician or a nurse practitioner authorized to provide compensable medical services under ORS 656.245 that the worker is able to perform described types of work shall be prima facie evidence of such ability.

      (3) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the right to reemployment under this section terminates when whichever of the following events first occurs:

      (a) The worker cannot return to reemployment at any position with the employer either by determination of the attending physician or a nurse practitioner authorized to provide compensable medical services under ORS 656.245 or upon appeal of that determination, by determination of a medical arbiter or panel of medical arbiters pursuant to ORS chapter 656.

      (b) The worker is eligible and participates in vocational assistance under ORS 656.340.

      (c) The worker accepts suitable employment with another employer after becoming medically stationary.

      (d) The worker refuses a bona fide offer from the employer of light duty or modified employment that is suitable prior to becoming medically stationary.

      (e) Seven days elapse from the date that the worker is notified by the insurer or self-insured employer by certified mail that the worker’s attending physician or a nurse practitioner authorized to provide compensable medical services under ORS 656.245 has released the worker for reemployment unless the worker requests reemployment within that time period.

      (f) Three years elapse from the date of injury.

      (4) Such right of reemployment shall be subject to the provisions for seniority rights and other employment restrictions contained in a valid collective bargaining agreement between the employer and a representative of the employer’s employees.

      (5) Notwithstanding ORS 659A.165, a worker who refuses an offer of employment under subsection (3)(d) of this section and who otherwise is entitled to family leave under ORS 659A.150 to 659A.186:

      (a) Automatically commences a period of family leave under ORS 659A.150 to 659A.186 upon refusing the offer of employment; and

      (b) Need not give additional written or oral notice to the employer that the employee is commencing a period of family leave.

      (6) Any violation of this section is an unlawful employment practice.

      (7) This section applies only to employers who employ six or more persons. [Formerly 659.420; 2003 c.811 §§23,24; 2007 c.365 §12; 2007 c.633 §§6,7]

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 14 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 2006–2026 · leading case: Summerfield v. OLCC, 472 P.3d 231 (Or. 2020).
Summerfield v. OLCC, 472 P.3d 231 (Or. 2020). · cites it 24× “(CC CV12100185) (CA A157108) (SC S066377) 472 P3d 231 Plaintiff filed a complaint alleging, among other things, that defendant, his former employer, violated statutes that (1) required defendant to reemploy him after a work injury, ORS 659A.046, (2) prohibited defendant from…”
Petock v. Asante, 268 P.3d 579 (Or. 2011). · cites it 13× “043 or a right to reemployment under ORS 659A.046. Defendant, for its part, contends that the Court of Appeals erred in concluding that the medical evidence adduced on summary judgment was sufficient to permit a reasonable trier of fact to find that the injury that plaintiff…”
Petock v. Asante, 240 P.3d 56 (Or. Ct. App. 2010). · cites it 11× “) Plaintiffs second claim alleged that defendant “failed and refused to reemploy plaintiff into an available and suitable position in violation of ORS 659A.046 * * That statute, much like ORS 659A.”
Davis v. Tri-Cnty. Metro. Transp. Dist., 45 F. Supp. 3d 1222 (D. Or. 2014). · cites it 11× “§ 659A.046; (4) discriminated against her because of her disability, in violation of Oregon’s Rehabilitation Act, O.”
Hernandez v. Catholic Health Initiatives, 490 P.3d 166 (Or. Ct. App. 2021). “Plaintiff alleges (among other things) that Mercy Health committed unlawful employ- ment practices by (1) denying reemployment, in viola- tion of ORS 659A.046; (2) discriminating against plaintiff because of a disability, in violation of ORS 659A.”
Reddy v. Cascade Gen., Inc., 206 P.3d 1070 (Or. Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 2× “043 and ORS 659A.046, which pertain to reinstatement remedies for workers who have sustained compensable injuries.”
Schoen v. Freightliner LLC, 199 P.3d 332 (Or. Ct. App. 2008). “043 and ORS 659A.046 provide remedies for failure to reinstate or reemploy a worker who has sustained a compensable injury.”
Beaver v. NPC Int'l, Inc., 451 F. Supp. 2d 1196 (D. Or. 2006). “043, which requires reinstatement of an injured worker, and ORS 659A.046, which requires the reemployment of an injured worker who is disabled from performing the duties of his former employment.”
Petock v. Asante, 243 P.3d 822 (Or. Ct. App. 2010). “043(3)(a)(F) (reinstatement) or ORS 659A.046(3)(f) (reemployment). We did not express any opinion as to whether plaintiffs evidence was sufficient to establish “medical causation” for purposes of compensability under the workers’ compensation statutes.”
Mejia v. Lamb Weston, Inc. (D. Or. 2020). · cites it 7× “040; (2) failure to reemploy in violation of ORS 659A.046; (3) failure to reinstate in violation of ORS 659A.”
Paul Leighton v. Three Rivers Sch. Dist., 693 F. App'x 662 (9th Cir. 2017). “-, and Or. Rev. Stat. § 659A.046. The *663 district court granted summary judgment in favor of the School District.”
Hovhannisyan v. Winco Holdings, Inc. (D. Or. 2020). · cites it 2× “043) and failure to reemploy (ORS 659A.046). Compl. [ECF 1] at 5-9. WinCo moves for summary judgment on all claims.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 659A.046(1) — 4 cases
Summerfield v. OLCC, 472 P.3d 231 (Or. 2020). “(CC CV12100185) (CA A157108) (SC S066377) 472 P3d 231 Plaintiff filed a complaint alleging, among other things, that defendant, his former employer, violated statutes that (1) required defendant to reemploy him after a work injury, ORS 659A.046, (2) prohibited defendant from…”
Petock v. Asante, 268 P.3d 579 (Or. 2011). “043 or a right to reemployment under ORS 659A.046. Defendant, for its part, contends that the Court of Appeals erred in concluding that the medical evidence adduced on summary judgment was sufficient to permit a reasonable trier of fact to find that the injury that plaintiff…”
Petock v. Asante, 240 P.3d 56 (Or. Ct. App. 2010). “) Plaintiffs second claim alleged that defendant “failed and refused to reemploy plaintiff into an available and suitable position in violation of ORS 659A.046 * * That statute, much like ORS 659A.”
Mejia v. Lamb Weston, Inc. (D. Or. 2020). “040; (2) failure to reemploy in violation of ORS 659A.046; (3) failure to reinstate in violation of ORS 659A.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 659A.046(3) — 2 cases
Summerfield v. OLCC, 472 P.3d 231 (Or. 2020). “(CC CV12100185) (CA A157108) (SC S066377) 472 P3d 231 Plaintiff filed a complaint alleging, among other things, that defendant, his former employer, violated statutes that (1) required defendant to reemploy him after a work injury, ORS 659A.046, (2) prohibited defendant from…”
Mejia v. Lamb Weston, Inc. (D. Or. 2020). “040; (2) failure to reemploy in violation of ORS 659A.046; (3) failure to reinstate in violation of ORS 659A.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 659A.046(3)(a) — 1 case
Davis v. Tri-Cnty. Metro. Transp. Dist., 45 F. Supp. 3d 1222 (D. Or. 2014). “§ 659A.046; (4) discriminated against her because of her disability, in violation of Oregon’s Rehabilitation Act, O.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 659A.046(3)(e) — 1 case
Davis v. Tri-Cnty. Metro. Transp. Dist., 45 F. Supp. 3d 1222 (D. Or. 2014). “§ 659A.046; (4) discriminated against her because of her disability, in violation of Oregon’s Rehabilitation Act, O.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 659A.046(3)(f) — 4 cases
Petock v. Asante, 240 P.3d 56 (Or. Ct. App. 2010). “) Plaintiffs second claim alleged that defendant “failed and refused to reemploy plaintiff into an available and suitable position in violation of ORS 659A.046 * * That statute, much like ORS 659A.”
Petock v. Asante, 268 P.3d 579 (Or. 2011). “043 or a right to reemployment under ORS 659A.046. Defendant, for its part, contends that the Court of Appeals erred in concluding that the medical evidence adduced on summary judgment was sufficient to permit a reasonable trier of fact to find that the injury that plaintiff…”
Davis v. Tri-Cnty. Metro. Transp. Dist., 45 F. Supp. 3d 1222 (D. Or. 2014). “§ 659A.046; (4) discriminated against her because of her disability, in violation of Oregon’s Rehabilitation Act, O.”
Petock v. Asante, 243 P.3d 822 (Or. Ct. App. 2010). “043(3)(a)(F) (reinstatement) or ORS 659A.046(3)(f) (reemployment). We did not express any opinion as to whether plaintiffs evidence was sufficient to establish “medical causation” for purposes of compensability under the workers’ compensation statutes.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 659A.046(4) — 1 case
Davis v. Tri-Cnty. Metro. Transp. Dist., 45 F. Supp. 3d 1222 (D. Or. 2014). “§ 659A.046; (4) discriminated against her because of her disability, in violation of Oregon’s Rehabilitation Act, O.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 659A.046(6) — 1 case
Mejia v. Lamb Weston, Inc. (D. Or. 2020). “040; (2) failure to reemploy in violation of ORS 659A.046; (3) failure to reinstate in violation of ORS 659A.”
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