Labor & Employment (Employment Discrimination)

Create new sections of KRS Chapter 337 to define terms and make the termination of employment without cause unlawful; establish amount that may be recovered for wrongful discharge; specify when the employers' internal procedures are to be used.

This bill amends Kentucky law to ensure gender-neutral language in provisions about final wage payments to employees. It directly affects employers and employees by clarifying that all earned wages must be paid in full within the next normal pay period or within 14 days of an employee leaving or being discharged. The amendment updates the existing statute to use inclusive language while maintaining the same payment requirements and deadlines for final compensation. The bill does not change the timing or conditions for wage payment, only the wording to apply equally to all genders.

HB 772 adds "weight" as a protected characteristic under Kentucky's employment discrimination laws (KRS 344.040-344.110). It prohibits employers from discriminating in hiring, promotion, compensation, or working conditions based on an individual's weight, alongside existing protections for race, sex, age, disability, and other categories. The bill also strengthens pregnancy-related accommodations, requiring employers to engage in good-faith discussions about reasonable adjustments (like breastfeeding breaks) and providing written notices to employees about these rights. These changes apply directly to all Kentucky employers and job applicants, with new notice requirements for pregnancy accommodations taking effect by specific deadlines. The bill is currently pending in the House Economic Development & Workforce Investment Committee.

Create a new section of KRS 344.030 to 344.110 to prohibit employers from considering or requiring disclosure of prior criminal history as part of the initial job application; provide that the Act may be cited as the Ban the Box - The Criminal Record Employment Discrimination Act.