Barrett Business Services v. Bureau of Labor & Industries

**Barrett Business Services v. Bureau of Labor & Industries (2001)** This case involved Barrett Business Services, which was found to have engaged in unlawful employment discrimination. The Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries investigated the company's practices and determined that Barrett had violated state employment laws. The bureau ordered the company to pay $14,760 in back wages to compensate the affected worker. Barrett Business Services challenged this decision in court, likely arguing that they had not discriminated or that the damages were incorrect. However, the court largely sided with the bureau's findings. The court affirmed that Barrett Business Services had indeed committed an unlawful employment practice, meaning the discrimination finding stood. However, the court found an error in how the back wages were calculated. The court sent the case back to the bureau to fix this math mistake, reducing the damages from $14,760 to $13,680. **What this means for workers:** This case shows that Oregon's Bureau of Labor & Industries actively investigates discrimination complaints and can order employers to pay back wages when discrimination occurs. Even when employers challenge these findings in court, workers' rights are generally protected, though damage calculations must be accurate.