Oregon Code § 653.295·Enacted ·Last updated March 01, 2026
Statute Text
Noncompetition agreements; bonus restriction agreements; applicability of
restrictions.
(1)
A noncompetition agreement entered into between an employer and employee is
void and unenforceable unless:
(a)(A) The
employer informs the employee in a written employment offer received by the
employee at least two weeks before the first day of the employees employment
that a noncompetition agreement is required as a condition of employment; or
(B) The
noncompetition agreement is entered into upon a subsequent bona fide
advancement of the employee by the employer;
(b) The employee
is a person described in ORS 653.020 (3);
(c) The employer
has a protectable interest as described in subsection (2) of this section;
(d) Within 30
days after the date of the termination of the employees employment, the
employer provides a signed, written copy of the terms of the noncompetition
agreement to the employee; and
(e) The total
amount of the employees annual gross salary and commissions, calculated on an
annual basis, at the time of the employees termination exceeds $100,533,
adjusted annually for inflation pursuant to the Consumer Price Index for All
Urban Consumers, West Region (All Items), as published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the United States Department of Labor immediately preceding the
calendar year of the employees termination. This paragraph does not apply to
an employee described in subsection (2)(c) of this section.
(2) For purposes
of subsection (1)(c) of this section, an employer has a protectable interest
when the employee:
(a) Has access to
trade secrets, as defined in ORS 646.461;
(b) Has access to
competitively sensitive confidential business or professional information that
otherwise would not qualify as a trade secret, including product development
plans, product launch plans, marketing strategy or sales plans; or
(c) Is employed
as an on-air talent by an employer in the business of broadcasting and the
employer:
(A) In the year
preceding the termination of the employees employment, expended resources
equal to or exceeding 10 percent of the employees annual salary to develop,
improve, train or publicly promote the employee, provided that the resources
expended by the employer were expended on media that the employer does not own
or control; and
(B) Provides the
employee, for the time the employee is restricted from working, the greater of
compensation equal to at least:
(i) Fifty percent
of the employees annual gross base salary and commissions at the time of the
employees termination; or
(ii) Fifty
percent of $100,533, adjusted annually for inflation pursuant to the Consumer
Price Index for All Urban Consumers, West Region (All Items), as published by
the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor
immediately preceding the calendar year of the employees termination.
(3) The term of a
noncompetition agreement may not exceed 12 months from the date of the employees
termination. The remainder of a term of a noncompetition agreement in excess of
12 months is void and may not be enforced by a court of this state.
(4) Subsections
(1) and (3) of this section apply only to noncompetition agreements made in the
context of an employment relationship or contract and not otherwise.
(5) Subsections
(1) and (3) of this section do not apply to:
(a) Bonus
restriction agreements, which are lawful agreements that may be enforced by the
courts in this state; or
(b) A covenant
not to solicit employees of the employer or solicit or transact business with
customers of the employer.
(6) Nothing in
this section restricts the right of any person to protect trade secrets or
other proprietary information by injunction or any other lawful means under
other applicable laws.
(7)
Notwithstanding subsection (1)(b) and (e) of this section, a noncompetition
agreement is enforceable for the full term of the agreement, for up to 12
months, if the employer agrees in writing to provide the employee, for the time
the employee is restricted from working, the greater of:
(a) Compensation
equal to at least 50 percent of the employees annual gross base salary and
commissions at the time of the employees termination; or
(b) Fifty percent
of $100,533, adjusted annually for inflation pursuant to the Consumer Price
Index for All Urban Consumers, West Region (All Items), as published by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor immediately
preceding the calendar year of the employees termination.
(8) As used in
this section:
(a) Bonus
restriction agreement means an agreement, written or oral, express or implied,
between an employer and employee under which:
(A) Competition
by the employee with the employer is limited or restrained after termination of
employment, but the restraint is limited to a period of time, a geographic area
and specified activities, all of which are reasonable in relation to the serv
Plain English Explanation
This Oregon statute addresses Noncompetition agreements; bonus restriction agreements; applicability of
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Key Points
01Part of Oregon statutory law
02Referenced as Oregon Code § 653.295
03Subject to legislative amendments
04Consult a licensed attorney for application to specific cases
Frequently Asked Questions
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