HB 1416 -- Missouri Worker Freedom Act

Sponsor:  Fallert

This bill establishes the Missouri Worker Freedom Act which
prohibits an employer from requiring an employee to attend a
meeting or listen to, respond to, or participate in any other
communication when a purpose of the requirement is to ensure that
the employee receives communications relating to political or
religious matters or to influence the employee's beliefs,
opinions, or actions regarding political or religious matters.

Employers are prohibited from taking or threatening to take any
adverse employment action against an employee refusing to attend
a meeting or listen to, respond to, or participate in any other
communication that he or she believes violates these provisions
or the employee takes other specified actions when he or she
reasonably believes there has been a violation.  An employee
aggrieved by a violation may bring a civil action in the county
in which the violation is alleged to have occurred or in the
county where the employer has its principal office.  The court
may award any appropriate relief it deems necessary to make the
prevailing employee whole and to restrain any violation of the
provisions of the bill.  The court must award a prevailing
employee an additional 100% of back pay and reasonable attorney
fees and costs.

An employee may bring any other cause of action permitted by law
against an employer relating to an adverse employment action or
to diminish or impair the rights of a person under a collective
bargaining agreement.

Employers must post notice of employee rights under the
provisions of the bill in a conspicuous place accessible to
employees at the employer's place of business.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:10 pm