Bill > HB587

This bill prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on gender in compensation practices, expanding and modernizing existing Missouri labor laws. The legislation defines key terms like "wages" to include all forms of compensation, not just base pay, and establishes that employers cannot pay different wages to employees performing substantially equal work unless the differences are based on legitimate factors such as seniority, merit, production quantity/quality, or bona fide regional economic differences. The bill provides robust protections for employees, making it illegal for employers to retaliate against workers who discuss wages, file complaints, or participate in investigations about potential gender-based pay discrimination. Employees who experience violations can file complaints with the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission and may pursue civil actions to recover lost wages, compensatory damages, and potentially punitive damages if a deliberate pattern of discrimination is proven. The bill also empowers the commission to conduct educational programs to reduce employment discrimination, requires employers to maintain equal pay practices, and allows employees up to two years to file claims after discovering a potential violation. Notably, the bill removes gendered language like "female" throughout the statute, making the protections apply equally to all employees regardless of gender.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB587&year=2025&code=R