What Is the Oregon WH-38 Form?

For contractors and subcontractors working on public works projects in Oregon, staying compliant with state prevailing wage requirements is not optional. It is a legal obligation that demands accuracy, attention to detail, and timely reporting. That is why eMars is pleased to announce contractors can produce a fully completed Oregon Payroll/Certified Statement Form WH-38 within our platform in seconds!

This integration represents a significant step forward for contractors navigating Oregon's Prevailing Wage Rate (PWR) Law under ORS 279C.845. With eMars, producing a complete and compliant WH-38 form is now as simple as a single mouse click.

What Is the WH-38 Form?

The WH-38 form, officially titled the Payroll/Certified Statement Form, is the standard document required by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) for reporting weekly payroll information on public works projects. The form serves two primary purposes: documenting the wages paid to workers and certifying that those wages meet or exceed the applicable prevailing wage rates.

The form is divided into two main sections. The first page captures detailed payroll information, including employee names, addresses, identification numbers, work classifications, work schedules, hours worked each day, hourly base rates, itemized fringe benefit amounts paid to employees, gross earnings, itemized deductions, and net wages paid. It also includes sections specific to prime contractors and subcontractors, ensuring that all parties involved in a project can properly document their role and contractual relationships.

The second page contains the Certified Statement, which is the legal attestation that accompanies each payroll submission. This statement confirms that the contractor has paid full weekly wages, made no unauthorized deductions, compensated workers at rates meeting or exceeding the prevailing wage determination, and properly registered any apprentices through approved programs. The certified statement must be signed and dated, and it carries significant legal weight. Willful falsification of any information can result in civil or criminal prosecution under state and/or federal law.

Why Compliance Matters

Oregon takes prevailing wage enforcement seriously. Contractors who fail to submit accurate and timely certified payroll records risk penalties, project delays, and potential debarment from future public works contracts. The administrative burden of manually completing certified payroll forms each week can be substantial, particularly for contractors managing multiple projects, multiple subcontractors, or large crews.

Beyond the legal requirements, accurate payroll reporting protects workers by ensuring they receive fair compensation for their labor. It also protects contractors by creating a clear paper trail that demonstrates compliance in the event of an audit or investigation.

How eMars Simplifies WH-38 Reporting

Before this integration, contractors working on Oregon public works projects often faced a tedious process of transferring payroll data from their internal systems onto the WH-38 form. This manual approach introduced opportunities for errors, consumed valuable administrative time, and created unnecessary frustration.

With the WH-38 now fully integrated into eMars, that process is eliminated. Users can generate a complete, print-ready WH-38 form directly from their existing payroll data with a few mouse clicks. There is no copying and pasting between systems. There is no manual data entry. There are no extra steps.

The form automatically populates all required fields, including employee information, work classifications, work schedule, hours worked, wage rates, fringe benefit provisions, and the certified statement. Users can review their payroll for accuracy and sign it electronically within the eMars platform. The signed form is then produced and ready for submission to the contracting agency.

This streamlined workflow saves time, reduces errors, and gives contractors confidence that their submissions meet BOLI requirements.

Key Benefits of the eMars WH-38 Integration

The integration delivers several practical advantages for contractors. First, it dramatically reduces the time spent on payroll reporting by eliminating manual form completion. Second, it improves accuracy by pulling data directly from verified payroll records rather than relying on manual transcription. Third, it simplifies recordkeeping by storing completed forms within the eMars platform for easy retrieval during audits or reviews. Finally, it supports electronic signatures, allowing authorized personnel to certify payrolls without printing, signing, and scanning paper documents.

Get Started with eMars

For contractors already using eMars, the WH-38 functionality is available now.For contractors not yet using eMars, this integration is one more reason to consider how our platform can simplify your prevailing wage compliance. Schedule a demo today to see how eMars can save you time and reduce the administrative burden of certified payroll reporting.