Speaker's Bureau and Training Opportunities

The Missouri Department of Labor offers speakers who can provide seminars and training – usually free – for your business or organization to help you better understand Missouri’s labor laws. To sign up, either fill out the Speakers Bureau request form or call 573-751-3209.

The Department offers speakers and training on the following topics:

Department of Labor Overview

The Speakers can tailor this presentation to your needs. They can provide a broad overview of the Department or have each speaker provide detailed information about the various Divisions with emphasis on the programs and laws they administer.

Duration - 30 minutes (Overview), ~2.5 hours (in-depth)   Sign Up!

Wage and Hour Standards and Child Labor

Wage and Hour Standards provides information concerning coverage and payment of minimum wage, breaks, vacation, overtime, and employment relationships. The Department has authority to investigate whether employees are being paid properly under the Minimum Wage law. However, the Division of Labor Standards is not authorized by law to pursue an employee's wage claim in court. Child Labor presentation informs employers, school officials, parents, and public interest groups about their rights and responsibilities under the child labor law. Also, we discuss how routine inspections are performed to ensure compliance with the law and how they protect the health and safety of working youth by assuring they are not working in prohibited or hazardous occupations.

Duration - 1.5 hours   Sign Up!

Prevailing Wage/Public Works Construction/Construction Safety Training

This presentation provides information concerning coverage and payment of prevailing wage rates on Missouri Public Works projects, construction projects funded by or partially or benefit taxpaying citizens. The prevailing wage rates differ by county and for different types of work. The goal is to establish better understanding of the prevailing wage law and communication with interested parties to assist in achieving voluntary compliance. The required construction safety training is a program, similar to the OSHA-10 Construction Safety training, that requires any worker working on a Missouri public works projects to be certified in as required by law.

Duration - 2 hours   Sign Up!

Mine and Cave Safety and Health

Designed to help miners and the mining community reduce accidents through education, training, hazard elimination, and assistance provided to miners in accordance with Missouri state laws and regulations and the Federal Mine Act of 1977. Free on-site training and consultation are available, and tailored to your site. A brief consultation and inspection audit will be arranged by one of the Division's MSHA certified instructors to determine your needs.

Duration - 1 hour   Sign Up!

OSHA Regulations and Inspection Procedures

We provide information regarding the Missouri On-site Safety and Health Consultation (OSHA) Program. We also provide information on achieving compliance with OSHA regulations and implementing a safety and health management program.

Duration - 1 hour   Sign Up!

Workplace Safety Consultations/Workplace Safety Standards

The Missouri Workers' Safety Program (MWSP) routinely visits randomly selected Missouri employers for the purpose of evaluating safety and loss control services provided by workers' compensation insurance carriers as required by Missouri law. The MWSP also helps employers keep workers' compensation premiums and costs down by helping employers identify workplace safety and health hazards and reviewing employee classification codes, experience modification factors and other means which may affect the annual workers' compensation premium paid by the employer. Services provided by the MWSP are confidential and at no cost to the employer. Our staff consists of qualified safety professionals and is available to any employer anywhere in the state.

Duration - 1 hour   Sign Up!

Workplace Harassment Prevention

What makes a workplace relationship appropriate or inappropriate is often difficult to decipher, and it's even more difficult to determine when someone has "crossed the line" of acceptable behavior. This interactive workshop will provide an overview of what constitutes sexual harassment (and what does not), and a review of workers' rights and responsibilities for acting on sexual harassment (whether they are victims or observers of such practices).

Duration - 2 hours   Sign Up!

Cultural Sensitivity

Raise awareness about one of the most important issues in the contemporary workplace: Individual cultural identity. This training discusses ways to avoid harassing and disrespectful behaviors against people from different cultures, which can lead to a discriminatory and illegal workplace environment. Participants will learn how to understand and respect differences and how to work successfully with people from other cultures (co-workers/customers).

Duration - 2 hours   Sign Up!

Disability Awareness

This presentation was created to help workers better understand people with disabilities and the challenges faced in ensuring a positive and productive workplace environment. Discussion will concentrate on ways to remove unnecessary barriers and stereotypes.

Duration - 2 hours   Sign Up!

Housing Discrimination

This program tests the participants' knowledge of fair housing laws, focuses on facts about accessibility for people with disabilities, explains the requirements for families with children and discusses how property managers and owners can avoid discrimination complaints.

Duration - 1.5 hours   Sign Up!

Public Accommodations Regulations

This program discusses equal access and accommodation in a workplace environment. We will provide basic guidance in the area of public accommodation such as equal access to public restrooms.

Duration - 1 hour   Sign Up!

Diversity

The Missouri workforce is increasingly diverse. This training discusses ways to overcome resistance to change and inclusion, foster an attitude of openness in your organization, and eliminate "profiling and stereotypes" in the workplace that can lead to a discriminatory and illegal workplace environment. While recognizing new fears and concerns caused by stereotyping, this training will effectively expose the problems caused by stereotypical thinking and biased behaviors. Participants will learn how to recognize and embrace changes and how it can positively affect their workplace environment.

Duration - 2 hours   Sign Up!

Stress Management

Help your employees regain control of their workplace environment by providing them with the tools to recognize and cope with the many feelings that arise as a result of stress or crisis. This training offers basic crucial coping skills to help your employees create a more positive outcome in the face of stress, resulting in improved mental attitudes, productivity and a positive and safe workplace environment.

Duration - 1 hour   Sign Up!

Investigating Discrimination Complaints

This training offers a comprehensive and practical guide to investigating a discrimination complaint/ sexual harassment incident, including recommended procedures for handling complaints, and ways of protecting principal parties and interviewing witnesses.

Duration - 2 hours   Sign Up!

Immigration Discrimination

While immigration may dominate the media and is a hotbed of discussion, laws are in place to prevent discrimination in the workplace. Participants will be encouraged to avoid profiling and creating an illegal workplace environment.

Duration - 2 hours   Sign Up!

Defeating Negativity in the Workplace

This training focus on identifying negativity, its negative consequences, and offer techniques in neutralizing negativity in the workplace. Gossiping, bullying, and other distracting conducts affecting the workplace are discussed to help employers create a positive workplace environment for their employees.

Duration - 2 hours   Sign Up!

Overview of the Missouri Human Rights Act

This program details the MCHR complaint process from intake through public hearing, explains the employment, public accommodations, and housing portions of the law, and offers suggestions on how everyone can protect themselves against unlawful discrimination.

Duration - 1 hour   Sign Up!

Predatory Lending

This program informs individuals about how to avoid high-cost loans and abusive lending practices that violate the Fair Housing portions of the Missouri Human Rights Act. The training provides information about MCHR's process of investigating and resolving complaints of discrimination. This program educates individuals on recognizing predatory lending practices and gives them the knowledge of where to file complaints when they are victimized by them.

Duration - 1-2 hours   Sign Up!

NoMo Bullying in Schools

The world isn’t perfect and we can’t expect everyone to be friends but that should not be an excuse to stand by and watch another student get bullied. Learn about discriminatory bullying and how to stop it in its tracks. This presentation is offered to all schools and helps students and teachers understand their rights and responsibilities and shed some light on how words and actions can sometimes cross the line.

Duration - 30 minutes - 1 hour   Sign Up!

Free School Presentations

Our speakers provide a wide variety of topics to your students whether they are elementary, high school, or college age. Our speakers can present information on discrimination (diversity, sexuality, etc.) or youth employment (acceptable/unacceptable work and hours for youth).

EEO/Employment Law

When does innocent flirtation turn into unlawful harassment? If you have a difficult employee (supervisory or line worker), does it mean that a hostile work environment exists? Learn the answers to these questions and many more in this comprehensive workshop on antidiscrimination employment laws. This training is designed to provide you with a practical understanding of the fundamental principles and requirements of the equal opportunity laws.

Duration - 2 hours   Sign Up!

Leadership Standards (Supervisory Style)

Leadership is a powerful substance that can be easily abused in the workplace. Learn realistic methods for rebuilding trust and reestablishing a positive leadership in the workplace. You will learn effective leadership behaviors and the impact on the workplace when it is abused. Participants will learn the power of respect, five key formulas for success, effective managements skills that improve motivation, productivity and a positive workplace environment, and interpersonal skills needed to keep every meeting more productive and focused.

Duration - 2 hours   Sign Up!

Unemployment Insurance

This presentation focuses on the rights and responsibilities of employers and claimants and explains how the appeals process functions for the unemployment insurance program.

The Division of Employment Security administers the Missouri Unemployment Compensation Law by collecting tax contributions from employers and paying unemployment benefits to individuals who are determined eligible under the law.  All decisions rendered in regard to contributions and benefits may be appealed.

• Tax Duration - 20 minutes   Sign Up!
• Benefits Duration - 20 minutes   Sign Up!
• Appeals Duration - 20 minutes   Sign Up!

Shared Work Program

Shared work is an unemployment insurance (UI) program that provides employers an alternative to laying off employees. Instead of laying off some employees, approved employers have workers share the work by working reduced hours. To compensate for the reduced wages, the affected workers may collect a percentage of unemployment benefits, which are charged to the participating employer's UI account.

Duration - 20 minutes   Sign Up!

Workers’ Compensation Laws

Most Employers (and their Employees) in Missouri are covered by our Workers' Compensation Law, with each group having certain rights and obligations. The Division of Workers' Compensation can provide a knowledgeable speaker for a general overview of the Missouri Workers' Compensation System or a more specialized presentation, focusing the on the particular concerns of Employees (and their families), Employers, Insurers, Health Care Providers or others who have an interest in our System.

Duration - 20 minutes   Sign Up!

Construction Industry Workers Comp. Insurance Regulations

Almost all Employers in the construction industry in Missouri are covered by our Workers' Compensation Law, since having even one part-time Employee may bring a construction industry Employer under the Law. It is a criminal offense to knowingly fail to carry workers' compensation insurance when required by the Law to do so. The Division of Workers' Compensation can provide a knowledgeable speaker who will explain the requirements of the Law and thereby help business owners to avoid costly mistakes.

Duration - 20 minutes   Sign Up!

Survivor Benefits/Line of Duty Benefits

The Legislature enacted and Governor Nixon signed into law, effective June 19, 2009, the "Line of Duty Compensation Act" that provides a new cash benefit for the estates of certain emergency services personnel who have been killed in the line of duty. The Act covers the occupations of: air ambulance pilot; air ambulance registered professional nurse; emergency medical technician; firefighter; and law enforcement officer. It has specific requirements for those seeking the benefits, as well as a one-year legal time limit. We can provide a knowledgeable speaker who will explain in further detail the provisions of the new law.

Duration - 20 minutes   Sign Up!

How to Properly Classify Your Workers - 1099 Information

This presentation provides information concerning proper classification of workers for unemployment insurance. Presenters provide an overview of the standards used when determining a worker’s classification. Participants will learn the twenty-factors used to evaluate the working relationship, required records and penalty information for fraudulently misclassifying workers as required by law.

Duration - 30 minutes to 1 hour   Sign Up!