In Oregon, part-time and seasonal employees count for workers compensation from the first hire, exactly like full-timers (ORS 656.017). The state looks at the type of worker, not the number of hours, so there is no part-time exemption and no minimum-hours threshold.
Who this is for: Oregon owners with part-time, seasonal, or on-call staff who wonder whether those workers require coverage.
The short version
- Hours do not matter. One part-time subject worker (essentially any employee Oregon's comp law covers) triggers coverage, with no minimum weekly hours (ORS 656.017).
- Seasonal counts too. A worker you use only part of the year is still a subject worker while employed.
- Casual labor rarely helps here. The casual exception only covers work outside your regular trade or business, so your own part-time crew almost never qualifies.
- The casual test is about total labor cost. It measures the total labor cost of all such work in a 30-day period, about $1,200 and indexed each July 1, not one person's pay.
- You pay for what they earn. Part-time payroll is smaller, so their share of the premium is smaller too.
How part-time and seasonal staff land
The test is whether the person is a subject worker, and part-time and seasonal workers almost always are. Here is how the common cases fall.
| Worker | Counts for coverage? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular part-time employee | Yes | No minimum weekly hours in Oregon |
| Seasonal worker rehired each year | Yes | Subject worker while employed |
| On-call or as-needed staff | Yes | Subject workers when the work is part of your business, whatever the pay |
| Casual labor outside your trade or business | No | Excepted only while its total labor cost stays under about $1,200 in 30 days, indexed |
| Weekend-only helper on payroll | Yes | Type of work, not hours, is what matters |
The casual labor exception, and its limit
Oregon does have a casual labor exception, but it is far narrower than a part-time carve-out and usually does not reach your own part-time crew. Two things must both be true. First, the work has to fall outside your regular trade, business, or profession (or be for an employer not subject to the law at all), so a shop's on-call clerk or a seasonal helper doing your core work is a subject worker no matter how little they earn. Second, even for genuinely out-of-trade work, the total labor cost of all such casual work in any 30-day period must stay under an indexed ceiling of about $1,200 ($1,198.22 as of July 1, 2026, adjusted each July 1). The test looks at your total labor cost for that work, not any one person's pay. Because both conditions rarely hold for a working business, treat your part-time and seasonal staff as covered.
A Beaverton example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Beaverton retail shop hires two part-time clerks for about 15 hours a week each during the holidays. Both are subject workers from their first shift, so the shop's policy must cover them, even though neither is full-time. Because their payroll is modest, their share of the premium is modest too. We rate the seasonal payroll correctly so the shop does not overpay for short-term help. See our workers comp for retail stores page.
Real questions Oregon owners ask
Do part-time employees need workers comp in Oregon?
Yes. Oregon counts part-time workers from the first hire, with no minimum weekly hours. The state looks at the type of worker, not hours, so a regular part-timer triggers coverage.
Do seasonal workers count for workers comp in Oregon?
Yes. A seasonal worker is a subject worker while employed, so hiring even one seasonal employee makes coverage mandatory during that period.
Is there a minimum number of hours before coverage is required?
No. Oregon has no minimum-hours threshold. A worker who puts in a few hours a week is a subject worker just like a full-timer, so hours do not create an exemption.
What is the casual labor exception in Oregon?
It is narrow. The work must be outside your regular trade or business (or for a nonsubject employer), and the total labor cost of all such work in any 30-day period must stay under an indexed ceiling of about $1,200 (adjusted each July 1). A part-timer doing your core work does not qualify, whatever the pay.
Does one part-time worker really trigger the whole rule?
Yes. Oregon has no headcount minimum, so a single part-time subject worker makes a policy mandatory. There is no waiting until you reach a certain number of employees.
Will part-time staff cost me a lot in premium?
Usually not much. Workers comp premium is based on payroll, so a small part-time payroll means a small added premium. The exact amount depends on the kind of work they do.
Do on-call workers need to be covered in Oregon?
Usually yes. On-call and as-needed staff who do your regular business work are subject workers from the first shift, whatever the pay. The casual exception only reaches work outside your trade or business, so it rarely covers your own on-call crew.
Why Oregon owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. Oregon lets you choose: you can buy workers comp from SAIF, the state-chartered fund, or from any of the roughly 450 private insurers licensed here, and we compare them to find your best rate. If your work is hard to place and no insurer will take you, a guaranteed backstop run by the rating bureau NCCI still covers you.
- We catch pricing mistakes. Your price depends heavily on the category your work falls into for pricing (the class code). Put people in the wrong category and you overpay for years. We review your payroll and classifications before you buy.
- Proof of coverage, fast. Need a certificate (proof of coverage) for a general contractor or a landlord before Monday? We turn those around the same business day for most carriers.
- We help lower the score that drives your price. Insurers give you a score based on your past claims that raises or lowers your cost (the experience modification rate). We review it each year, flag errors, and connect you with return-to-work and safety resources that bring it down.
- Real people when a claim happens. When someone gets hurt, we stay involved through the life of the claim, not just at renewal.
Related Oregon guides
Every Oregon business is set up a little differently. These companion guides answer the same question for other situations, plus the national explainers behind the terms used here.
- Business insurance in Oregon (start here)
- Workers comp: the owner's overview
- I own an LLC: do I need workers comp?
- I'm a sole proprietor: do I need workers comp?
- I own a corporation (C-corp or S-corp): do I need it?
- We're a partnership: do we need workers comp?
- We're a nonprofit: do we need workers comp?
- My workers are 1099: do I still need it?
- I only employ family: do I need workers comp?
- Remote or out-of-state staff: do I need coverage?
- What happens if I don't carry workers comp?
- How much does workers comp cost?
- How do I get workers comp (even if turned down)?
- What insurance do I need for a contractor license?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- Hiring your first employee: what changes
- Workers comp vs employers liability
- Oregon retail workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Oregon rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.