NEWS RELEASE: BOLI Final Order: Multnomah County Sheriff's Office violated veterans' preference hiring law

[Burr, Charlie]

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For Immediate Release
May 23, 2014
CONTACT:           Charlie Burr, BOLI, (971) 673-0788 or (503) 913-5407 mobile

Final Order: Multnomah County Sheriff's Office violated veterans' preference hiring law

PORTLAND, OR-The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office failed to properly credit a disabled veteran's military service under the state's veterans' hiring preference law, the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) has found.

A BOLI Final Order issued this week directs the county to comply with Oregon's veterans' preference law, develop a written statement of veterans' hiring and promotions policy within 60 days, provide hiring training for its staff, and pay complainant Sgt. Rod Edwards $50,000 in damages. A copy of the Final Order (Case No. 01-14) is available upon request.

Sgt. Rod Edwards filed the civil rights complaint against the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office in 2013 after unsuccessfully applying for a promotion to lieutenant.

Under Oregon's veterans' preference law, public agencies hiring for civil service positions must give special consideration to veterans who meet the minimum qualifications and any special qualifications for a position.

An earlier BOLI investigation determined that the county did not have a method of ranking applicants with numeric scoring nor did it have a policy describing how it would apply the legal hiring requirements.

The BOLI Final Order also rejects the county's argument that the veterans' preference law applies only during the initial screening, not throughout the hiring process.

"We're committed to fair enforcement of civil rights law so that more veterans can have access to economic opportunity and career advancement," said Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian. "BOLI's technical assistance experts can help Oregon employers understand and comply with the requirements of our veterans' preference law to steer clear of potential violations."

Oregon employers can contact the agency's Technical Assistance for Employers Program<http://www.oregon.gov/boli/TA/pages/t_faq_veterans_preference_2012.aspx> at (971) 673-0824. Within the next month, BOLI's Technical Assistance Program will develop and post on its website a model veterans' preference policy that employers can adopt to avoid potential hiring violations.

BOLI protects Oregonians from unlawful discrimination, investigating allegations of civil rights and wage and hour laws so that Oregonians are treated in the workplace.

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Charlie Burr
Communications Director
Bureau of Labor and Industries
800 NE Oregon St., Ste. 1045
Portland, OR 97232-2180
(971) 673-0788 wk.
(503) 913-5407 cell.

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