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An Oregon HR manager is suing Washington County, alleging that it retaliated against her after she raised concerns about potential violations of pay equity laws.
Kasondra Oylear, an employee since 2022, told county officials earlier this year that she believed they were violating Oregon’s Equal Pay Act by failing to compensate workers who hold similar jobs in a “fair and consistent manner,” paying some employees more than others without providing a reason compliant with the law, according to court records.
Equal pay law at center of dispute
Oregon law requires that employers pay “equal compensation for equal work” regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or other factors, according to the Bureau of Labor and Industries. Pay differences between similar positions should be determined by things like seniority, merit, education and experience, according to the bureau, which are referred to as “bona fide factors.”
Oylear accused county officials of failing to apply those factors when setting employee pay. She also accused District Attorney Kevin Barton of unilaterally setting salaries for certain assistant district attorneys in violation of the equal pay act.
The District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the case.
Retaliation claim follows HR concerns
In the lawsuit, she claims her superiors started treating her differently after she sounded the alarms and that she was put on administrative leave in May.
“Never in a million years did I think I’d be on this side of things,” Oylear told The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The lawsuit claims the county retaliated and discriminated against Oylear after she continued to press officials on the matter. It says she was excluded from meetings she normally attended, micromanaged and criticized more often. The county put Oylear on administrative leave, saying she may have violated the county’s personnel rules, according to the lawsuit.
“It is common knowledge that administrative leave equates to disciplinary action and is a precursor to termination,” the lawsuit said.
The county declined to comment on the lawsuit, but spokesperson Philip Bransford said the county “is committed to providing a fair work environment that is respectful of each person’s dignity and free from all forms of discrimination.”
Oylear is seeking up to $425,000 in non-economic damages, according to court records. She said that she filed the lawsuit to raise awareness about the alleged pay disparities.
“We need to ensure that employees are taken care of and that their pay is being set in a fair and equitable manner,” Oylear said. “I care a lot about this and I wish it didn’t have to come to this.”
