Missouri Online Sexual Harassment Training

While sexual harassment training in Missouri is not specifically required by state statute, EEOC guidelines and court decisions from around the country have made clear that employers should provide workplace harassment training to all employees periodically.

The training should cover sexual harassment and all other forms of unlawful harassment related to federal and state-protected characteristics.

The Missouri Human Rights Act prohibits workplace harassment and employment discrimination based on protected characteristics such as the following: age (40-69), ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, and sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions and including transgender status and non-stereotypical attributes or behaviors).

The Missouri Law Against Genetic Discrimination prohibits discrimination on the basis of genetic information.

The Missouri Supreme Court has held that sex discrimination may include discrimination based on transgender status and non-stereotypical attributes or behaviors. See Lampley v. Mo. Comm’n on Human Rights (2019) (plaintiff who did not exhibit stereotypically male behavior and appearance stated a cause of action for sex discrimination under the Missouri Human Rights Act); R.M.A. by Appleberry v. Blue Springs R-IV Sch. Dist (2019) (transgender student alleging sex discrimination stated a cause of action under the Missouri Human Rights Act).

Local ordinances may provide broader protections, so you should check the local Civil Rights Commission regulations applicable to your workplace.

For more information on Missouri equal employment opportunity requirements, see Missouri Commission on Human Rights – Employment Discrimination.