HB1550--EMPLOYMENTPRACTICESINVOLVINGWAREHOUSEDISTRIBUTION
CENTERS
SPONSOR: Woods
Thisbilldefinitionsofseveraltermsrelatingtoemployment
practicesgoverningwarehousedistributioncenters,including
"employee";"employeework-speeddata";"employer";"person";
"quota";and"warehousedistributioncenter". TheDepartmentof
LaborandIndustrialRelationshasregulatoryoversightoverthis
bill(Section285.2000,RSMo).
Underthebill,anemployerisrequiredtoprovideanemployee,
uponhire,orwithin30daysofAugust28,2025,theeffectivedate
ofthisbill,awrittendescriptionofeachquota;adverse
employmentactionthatcouldresultfromfailuretomeeteach
quota;andincentivesorbonusprogramsassociatedwithmeetingor
exceedingeachquota.Thewrittendescriptionmustbeinplain
languageandintheemployee'spreferredlanguage. Inaddition,an
employerneedstonotifyanemployeeifthereisachangetothe
quota,asindicatedinthebill.
Thetimeperiodconsiderations relatingtothequota,including
reasonabletraveltime,mealbreaks,restbreaks,timetoaccess
toolsorsafetyequipment,arespecifiedinthebill.Inaddition,
thebilllistsfactorsthatareregardedasquotaviolations. An
employeeisnotrequiredtomeetaquotathatviolatesthebill
provisionsandanemployercannottakeadverseactionagainstan
employeeforfailingtomeetaquotathatviolatesthebillorwas
notdisclosedtoanemployee.
Thebillrequiresanemployertomaintainandpreservetrueand
accuraterecordsrelatingtoanemployee'sownpersonalwork-speed
data;theaggregatedwork-speeddataforsimilaremployeesatthe
samewarehousedistributioncenterandthewrittendescriptionof
eachquotaprovidedtoanemployee. Thebillspecifiesthetime
periodforretentionandpreservationoftherecords. Further,an
employeehastherighttorequestrecordsrelatingtothe
employee'sownpersonalwork-speeddataforthepriorsixmonths
andaredactedcopyofthepriorsixmonthsofaggregatedwork-
speeddataforsimilaremployeesatthesamewarehousedistribution
center.Thebilldetailsrequirementsforaformeremployeeto
requestrecords. Anemployerisrequiredtoprovidetherequested
recordstoanemployeeatnocostandwithinthetimeframe
mentionedinthebill(Section285.2003).
Aperson,includinganemployerortheiragentandotherentities
mentionedinthebill,willnotdischargeorretaliate,
discriminate,ortakeadverseactionagainstanemployeeorformer employeeforexercisingtheirrightsincludingcertainmatters
specifiedandexplainedinthebill.Thebillalsoincludes
provisionsrelatingtoevidentiarymattersandpresumptions
(Section285.2006).
Underthebill,anemployeecanfileacomplaintwiththe
Departmentwhowillinvestigatethecomplaintordesignatethe
AttorneyGeneralasitsagenttoinvestigatethecomplaint. The
billprovidesfortheissuanceofacitationandnoticeof
assessmentoradeterminationofcompliancewithin90daysafter
theDepartmentreceivesthecomplaint,unlessthecomplaintis
resolved. ThebillspecifiesthattheDepartmentcaninitiatean
investigationwithoutreceivingacomplaintfromanemployeeor
requestanemployertoperformaself-auditofanyrecordswithina
reasonabletime.Detailsrelatingtotheinvestigation,
notificationtobegiventoaffectedemployees,andself-auditthat
canberequestedforanemployertoperform,areincludedinthe
bill.
Thebillprovidesforanemployertopaycivilpenaltiesassociated
withviolationsdeterminedbytheDepartment,includingviolations
ofanyruleadopted. Thefirstviolationwillnotexceed$250.
TheDepartmentcanwaiveorreducethepenaltyasindicatedinthe
bill.TheDepartmentcanalsoorderanemployertoprovidea
correctedwrittenquotatoanemployeeasexplainedinthebill.
Inadditiontoanyenforcementauthority,thebillauthorizesthe
DepartmentorAttorneyGeneraltofileanactioninthecircuit
courtforthecountywheretheviolationisallegedtohave
occurred(Section285.2009).
Withrespecttoenforcementactionsunderthebill,aperson,firm,
orcorporationwhoisaggrievedbyacitationandnoticeof
assessmentordeterminationofcompliancebytheDepartmentcan
appealittotheAdministrative HearingCommission(AHC)within15
calendardays,otherwisethecitationandnoticeofassessmentor
determinationofcompliancethatisnotappealedwithinthe15
calendardaysisfinalandbinding. Thebillprovidesforade
novoreviewbytheadministrative lawjudge.Afinalorderissued
bytheAHCissubjecttojudicialreview(Section285.2012).
TheDepartmenthasbeenauthorizedtopromulgaterulesand
regulationsfortheadministration ofthebill.(Section285.2015)