The State of Oregon’s independent advocate to help injured workers navigate the workers’ compensation system is changing its name from Ombudsman for Injured Workers to the Ombuds Office for Oregon Workers.

The 1987 Legislature created the Office of the Ombudsman for Injured Workers as an independent advocate for injured workers under ORS 656.709.

That statute authorizes the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services to terminate the ombudsman, but there is no authorization to change the focus adding workplace safety and health for all workers, nor does it authorize a name change without legislation.

The statute directs the ombudsman to “act as an advocate for injured workers by accepting, investigating, and attempting to resolve complaints concerning matters related to workers’ compensation".

The work proved valuable and the Legislature increased the staff in 1990.

Legislation passed in 2003 clarified the supervision and control of ombudsman services and required that quarterly reports be submitted to the governor.

The office consists of the ombudsman and five staff members. Since 2003, the office has helped from 7,500 to 9,000 injured workers per year.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

It is now the Ombuds Office for Oregon Workers. It has expanded its role to help Oregon workers with workplace safety and health issues, and help workers protect their rights under Oregon OSHA’s laws and rules. Are these the same rules the Governor called for with COVID and vaccine mandates?

“We are continuing to serve injured workers in the workers’ compensation system,” said Ombuds for Oregon Workers Jennifer Flood. “We are just expanding to include all Oregon workers.” Since they were working at capacity, will this be another agency in the news for failure to serve and looking to the legislature to bail them out with more staff?

What Oregonians should be asking is what authorization was used to make a change against the laws they operate under.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-01-30 11:07:33

Last Update: 2022-01-30 11:26:48