HB 1566 -- Equal Opportunity Employment Practices

Sponsor:  Lowe (44)

This bill requires that employers pay employees equal wages for
equal work regardless of the employee's gender.  Certain factors
exempt employers from this requirement including a seniority or
merit system, measured earnings based on quantity or quality of
production, or regional economic differentials.  An employer is
prohibited from lowering an employee's pay to comply with this
requirement.

An employer is prohibited from discharging or discriminating
against an employee because he or she opposed any unlawful
employment practice or made a charge, testified, assisted, or
participated in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing pursuant
to the equal pay for equal work requirement.  An employer is
prohibited from taking any adverse action against an employee for
comparing or discussing wage rates with another employee.

An employer in violation is liable for the wages not paid to the
affected employee and an additional amount for compensatory
damages not to exceed twice the wages awarded.  If an employer
takes any adverse action against an employee pursuant to the
requirements of the bill, the award amount, in addition to the
wage award, will be determined by the court.  The court may
require the employer to take additional steps to prevent any
recurrence of the violation, and an employee prevailing in an
action brought against an employer for a violation is to be
awarded court costs.

Any action must be commenced within two years of the alleged
violation.

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated November 29, 2006 at 9:43 am