Kansas City Missouri Employment Law Blog

Most in Kansas City might assume race discrimination to be subtle, with those accused of engaging in it looking for backhanded ways to impede the progress of others due to their race or nationality. Yet consistent criticisms of one's struggles may also be viewed as discriminatory in certain situations. Consider one for whom English is his or her second language. A degree of understanding should be afforded knowing that he or she is not a native speaker. He or she may also be expected to allow listeners the chance to politely ask for clarification on things he or she says. It is when politeness is forgotten that discrimination may begin. 

That is what appears to have been case in the treatment of a former engineer with the Ford Motor Company. The man (who hails from Lebanon) had been recognized as a top achiever in the company. Yet a subsequent assignment under the direction of a new supervisor caused his working conditions to deteriorate. The new supervisor reportedly constantly complained about not being to understand what the man was saying because of his accent, to the point of being openly hostile towards him. Another supervisor also began offer his own criticisms of the man's speech. The man complained to the company's human resources department, but was placed on a retaliatory performance plan, with one of the recommendations made by the aforementioned supervisor being that he take English as a Second Language classes. The treatment got so bad that the man eventually took a medical leave due to stress. He was fired shortly thereafter. 

While the nation has taken a progressive stance toward many issues over recent years, it still sees an overwhelming number of cases regarding race discrimination. All employees -- no matter the industry -- receive protection from harassment under state law. Nevertheless, countless Missouri employees file complaints. Below are some of the basics when it comes to filing a discrimination complaint, as well as a picture of what race discrimination looks like in America today.

First and foremost, Workplace Fairness defines race discrimination as the different treatment of individuals based solely on their color or race. When it comes to coverage, the organization dovetails from the aforementioned point by noting that Title VII covers the following:

• All employers
• Educational institutions (with 15 or more employees)
• State and local governments
• Labor organizations
• Public and private employment agencies

Employees in Missouri who receive tips as part of their compensation may think they are entitled to the same hourly wage that other employees are. However, the laws regarding tipped employees are different, and it is a good idea for workers to understand how and what they are getting paid so there is no confusion when they look at their paycheck.

According to the Missouri government, the regular hourly minimum wage in the state is $7.85 and employers are required to pay tipped employees half of this, or $3.925. If the employee does not earn enough in tips to meet the $7.85 an hour, the employer must pay the discrepancy. 

Hard-working employees like you deserve to have the best working conditions available, with time to rest during a long day. But do you know what Missouri law officially says about taking breaks while on the job?

Many people assume that small breaks are given to everyone who works. In reality, however, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations states that Missouri law doesn't require a break of any kind to be given to employees. This includes lunch breaks and applies to workers of all ages, including youth workers under the age of 16.