SimplyHR | Employment & Labor Blog 

The Department of Labor (DOL) issued its long-awaited proposed overtime rule and new exemption threshold under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) on March 7, 2019. The regulation, which replaces the controversial rule issued under the Obama administration in 2016, raises the salary threshold from the $23,660 minimum established in 2004 to $35,308, or $679 per week. As such, employees earning under $35,308 a year must be paid overtime for hours worked in excess of 40 each week. Above this salary level, eligibility for overtime varies based on job duties.

The Missouri Supreme Court held on Feb. 26, 2019, that under the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA), sex-based stereotypical attitudes can form the basis of a sex discrimination claim when the complaining party is homosexual. While finding sexual orientation is not protected under the MHRA, and standing alone, the characteristic of being lesbian, gay, or bisexual cannot sustain a sex stereotyping claim, the court’s holding does offer greater protections for LGBTQ employees in Missouri.