May 2026 Labor Law Updates for St. Louis, Missouri
May brought appellate rulings on disability accommodation, employment-related benefit disputes, pension-plan withdrawal liability, and railroad whistleblower protections. This Missouri May 2026 employment update is for employees, HR professionals, and compliance leaders tracking Missouri labor law and Missouri workplace rights, brought to you by HKM Employment Attorneys.
Missouri employment law continues to evolve through court decisions, federal enforcement, and state legislative activity. For questions about Missouri workplace rights, retaliation, discrimination, leave, benefits, or another employment concern, contact HKM Employment Attorneys.
Michel v. Honeywell International — Unpublished Appellate Decision
Date: May 1, 2026
Summary: The Eighth Circuit affirmed dismissal of a former Missouri employee’s claims against Honeywell and summary judgment for disability-insurance providers. The court applied Missouri’s at-will employment rule, enforced the 90-day deadline for filing a disability-discrimination lawsuit after a right-to-sue notice, recognized the statutory privilege for certain statements made to a state agency, and found that ERISA preempted the employee’s contract claim involving group disability benefits.
Implications: Employees should act promptly after receiving an EEOC right-to-sue notice and preserve documentation related to termination, agency filings, and benefits claims. Employers and plan administrators should ensure that separation communications and benefit determinations are well documented and consistent with applicable plan terms.
U.S. Department of Labor Finds Railroad Retaliation After Safety Report — Whistleblower Enforcement
Date: May 4, 2026
Summary: OSHA found that Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. wrongfully suspended a Kansas City-based employee after the employee reported a train collision and related safety concerns to the Federal Railroad Administration. According to OSHA, the company imposed a 20-day unpaid suspension after the employee disclosed the report while representing other workers in a disciplinary proceeding. OSHA ordered the company to rescind the discipline, provide back wages and interest, clear the employee’s record, and pay compensatory and punitive damages.
Implications: Missouri rail employers should treat internal and external safety reports as protected activity and carefully separate legitimate discipline from retaliation. Employees in the transportation sector should understand that federal whistleblower protections can apply when they report safety concerns or participate in related investigations.
Kendall v. Zoltek Corporation — ADA and Title VII Court Ruling
Date: May 18, 2026
Summary: The Eighth Circuit upheld summary judgment for a St. Peters manufacturer in a disability-accommodation and sex-discrimination case. The employee, a production operator, sought seating because of medical restrictions. The court concluded that standing, lifting, bending, walking, and other physical requirements identified in the job description were essential functions of the position, and that the employee could not perform them with or without a reasonable accommodation at the time of termination.
Implications: Missouri employers should maintain accurate, position-specific job descriptions and engage in a genuine, individualized accommodation process. Employees should provide clear medical information about restrictions and possible accommodations. A temporary accommodation does not automatically establish that a job duty is nonessential, but employers should not rely on blanket assumptions instead of evaluating each request on its facts.
General Electric Co. v. Boilermaker-Blacksmith National Pension Trust — ERISA Pension Decision
Date: May 26, 2026
Summary: The Eighth Circuit affirmed that General Electric qualified for the building-and-construction-industry exception to certain multiemployer pension-plan withdrawal liability. The dispute involved more than $227 million in claimed withdrawal liability. The court accepted a cumulative headcount method for determining whether substantially all covered employees performed building-and-construction work, rather than the pension fund’s preferred monthly-counting approach.
Implications: Missouri employers participating in multiemployer pension plans, particularly construction-related employers, should closely review collective bargaining agreements, contribution practices, workforce classifications, and withdrawal-liability exposure. Pension funds and employers may need to assess how employee counts are calculated when an industry-specific statutory exception is at issue.
Important legislative-status note: The following measures were delivered to the Governor on May 28, 2026. The official legislative trackers listed them as delivered to the Governor, so they are discussed as pending bills rather than enacted Missouri law.
HB 2366 — Contractor Liability for Unauthorized-Worker Violations
Date: May 28, 2026
Summary: HB 2366 would expand potential liability for general contractors and subcontractors when a direct subcontractor employs an unauthorized worker in violation of Missouri law and the contractor has knowledge of that violation. The bill would require cooperation with Attorney General investigations, expand the Attorney General’s investigative authority, and permit enforcement tools that could include injunctive relief, monetary damages, and possible suspension of state-issued licenses or permits.
Implications: Construction employers and subcontractors should monitor this proposal closely. If enacted, it could increase the importance of vendor due diligence, contract provisions addressing legal hiring practices, and prompt responses to government inquiries.
HB 2593 — Military Leave and Service-Member Employment Protections
Date: May 28, 2026
Summary: HB 2593 would expand the maximum military leave available to certain public employees from 120 to 160 hours per federal fiscal year without loss of pay, regular leave, or other employment benefits. The bill also would extend specified Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protections to Missouri National Guard members and certain Missouri employees serving in another state’s National Guard while on state duty for more than 30 days.
Implications: Public employers should be prepared to update military-leave policies and payroll practices if the bill becomes law. Employers with National Guard employees should also review leave, reinstatement, and anti-retaliation practices connected to military service.
HB 2596 — Employee Health-Benefit Plan Changes
Date: May 28, 2026
Summary: HB 2596 would revise rules for multiple-employer self-insured health plans, including plans involving self-employed participants who each have at least one common-law employee. It would also change reporting and reserve requirements for these plans. In addition, the bill would require certain health plans beginning in 2027 to cover up to a one-year supply of self-administered hormonal contraceptives.
Implications: Missouri employers that sponsor, participate in, or advise on self-insured health plans should monitor the bill’s progress. HR and benefits teams may need to coordinate with carriers, third-party administrators, and plan counsel on coverage and compliance changes.
SB 1572 — Public Employee Retirement System Changes
Date: May 28, 2026
Summary: SB 1572 would make several changes affecting public employees and retirement systems. Among other provisions, it would alter the separation-from-service rule for Kansas City Police Department officers, modify governance rules for the St. Louis Police Retirement System, and address how MOSERS and MPERS may recover benefit overpayments and process certain small refunds of employee contributions.
Implications: State employees, police officers, public-sector HR teams, and retirement administrators should watch for final action on the bill. The proposed changes could affect retirement administration, repayment practices, and employee benefit expectations.
Conclusion: Looking Back on Missouri’s Labor Law Updates from May 2026
With Missouri courts increasingly refining protections around wrongful termination, workplace discrimination, wage-and-hour violations, whistleblower claims, and hostile work environments, having dedicated local counsel is more crucial than ever. At HKM Employment Attorneys in St. Louis, our largest plaintiff-side employment law office in the region has recovered over $250 million for employees since 2003 and handles everything from breaching contracts and data breach cases to FMLA/ADA accommodations and ethics investigations. Our St. Louis-based team—including veteran attorneys Kevin Dolley, Jeff Hackney, and S. Cody Reinberg—brings aggressive advocacy combined with personalized client guidance. If recent case trends in St. Louis resonate with your own experience, reach out to our St. Louis office today to see how we can help protect your workplace rights and pursue justice on your behalf.
