PURPOSE: This rule prohibits discrimination and influences other than merit in the various aspects of personnel administration.

1. (1) Prohibition of Discrimination.

   1. (A) Unlawful discrimination proscribed under Missouri law or any applicable federal law against any person in recruitment, examination, appointment, training, promotion, retention, discipline, or any other aspect of personnel administration, because of political or religious opinions or affiliations or because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, or any other non-merit factors is prohibited. Discrimination on the basis of age or sex or physical disability is prohibited except where specific age, sex, or physical requirements constitute a bona fide occupational qualification necessary to proper and efficient administration. AUTHORITY: sections 36.060 and 36.070, RSMo Supp. 2018.* Original rule filed July 9, 1947, effective July 19, 1947. Amended: Filed April 23, 1974, effective May 2, 1974. Amended: Filed March 14, 1978, effective June 11, 1978. Emergency amendment filed Sept. 13, 1979, effective Sept. 28, 1979, expired Jan. 25, 1980. Amended: Filed Oct. 12, 1979, effective Jan. 15, 1980. Amended: Filed Nov. 16, 1993, effective July 30, 1994. Amended: Filed July 21, 1994, effective Feb. 26, 1995. Amended: Filed Sept. 15, 1998, effective March 30, 1999. Emergency amendment filed Aug. 27, 2010, effective Sept. 7, 2010, expired March 5, 2011. Amended: Filed Aug. 27, 2010, effective Feb. 28, 2011. Emergency amendment filed Aug. 17, 2018, effective Aug. 28, 2018, expired Feb. 28, 2019. Amended: Filed Aug. 31, 2018, effective Feb. 28, 2019. *Original authority: 36.060, RSMo 1945, amended 1971, 1979, 1993, 1995, 2010, 2018 and 36.070, RSMo 1945, amended 1979, 1995, 2018.

Op. Atty. Gen. No. 45, James (5-1-53). Personnel Advisory Board Rule 15.4(b) (now 1 CSR 20-3.080(1)(B)) prohibits employees under the state merit system from being candidates for nomination or election to public office, or engaging in political activities while holding such position. A merit system employee cannot become candidate for election of director to city school board without resigning or securing leave of absence. The merit system employee may attend political mass meeting but cannot take active part except to express opinion or vote on any proposition if afforded the opportunity.

Wilderman v. Nelson, 467 F2d 1173 (1972). Welfare caseworker with Missouri Division of Public Welfare could not be dismissed from his job without a pretermination hearing even though employee was not formally tenured because 1) the governmental conduct was here likely to impose a stigma upon the employee that will foreclose future opportunities to practice his chosen profession; and 2) existence of tenure is immaterial (as it affects right to pretermination hearing) to a claim of dismissal in retaliation of employee’s exercise of his constitutional protected right of free speech.