New restrictions on age-related inquiries

Alert: A new law intended to root out age discrimination in the workplace could soon change your hiring practices.

Recently signed into law by Gov. Tina Kotek (D), Oregon’s HB 3187 prohibits employers from requiring job candidates to reveal their age, date of birth, or year of graduation from an educational institution.

Under the new law, Oregon employers can only make inquiries that could indicate a job seeker’s age after the initial interview has been completed or after a conditional offer of employment has been extended. That means, for instance, that during an initial job interview, you can’t ask the candidate what year he or she graduated from high school. And you can’t pursue probing questions that might otherwise reveal the age of the person.

The restrictions don’t apply when age-related information is required to meet an occupational qualification or to comply with federal, state, or local laws.

Organizations that run afoul of the law, which takes effect Sept. 10, 2025, could face enforcement action from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.

Note: Oregon is the first state to forbid age-related inquiries during the hiring process. Other states could soon pass similar laws.

(From the July 25, 2025, issue of HR Manager’s Legal Alert for Supervisors. To start your no-obligation trial subscription to the publication right now, please click here.)