Fair Employment Practices

Wyo. Stat. Ann. tit. 27, ch. 9
in effect

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 27-9-101 Short title.

This article may be known and may be cited as the "Wyoming Fair Employment Practices Act of 1965."

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 27-9-102 Definitions.

(a) "Court" shall mean the district court in and for the judicial district of the state of Wyoming in which the asserted unfair employment practice occurred, or, if said court be not in session at that time, then any judge of said court. (b) "Employer" shall mean the state of Wyoming or any political subdivision or board, commission, department, institution or school district thereof, and every other person employing two (2) or more employees within the state; but it does not mean religious organizations or associations. "Employer" shall include those divisions of the Wyoming military department that are authorized by federal authority. (c) "Unfair employment practice" shall mean those practices specified as discriminatory or unfair in W.S. 27-9-105. (d) As used in W.S. 27-9-101 through 27-9-106, "department" means the department of workforce services and the term "director" means the director of the department or his designee who is authorized to administer W.S. 27-9-101 through 27-9-106.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 27-9-104 Powers and duties of department of employment.

(a) The department shall have the following powers and duties: (i) To call upon any state agency, institution, or employee, for advice, counsel, and assistance in the enforcement of this article; (ii) To adopt, publish, amend, and rescind regulations consistent with and for the enforcement of this article; (iii) To receive, investigate, and determine the validity of complaints alleging discrimination in employment or the existence of a discriminatory or unfair employment practice; (iv) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 162, § 2. (v) For the purposes of all counseling, mediation or investigations the department shall have the power to issue subpoenas requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of any books, papers, documents or records that the department deems relevant or material to the inquiry or determination; (vi) In case of disobedience to a subpoena the department may invoke the aid of any district court in the state in requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of documentary evidence. Any failure to obey the order of the court may be punished by the court as a contempt of court; (vii) To enter into agreements, exchange information and otherwise assist the equal employment opportunity commission, and to accept from the equal employment opportunity commission reimbursement for services rendered; (viii) To enter into agreements, exchange information and otherwise assist the Wyoming military department to counsel, mediate, investigate and determine claims by members of the Wyoming national guard and employees of the military department. As used in this paragraph, "claims" means claims under this chapter or claims under the federal laws enforced by the equal employment opportunity commission, as applicable. The department shall promulgate rules that coordinate with the military department rules promulgated under W.S. 19-7-103(b)(xxv) to accomplish the powers and duties in this paragraph and W.S. 19-7-103(b)(xxv), consistent with equal employment opportunity commission rules and requirements and federal law. (b) The department shall contract with an independent hearing officer to conduct any hearing under W.S. 27-9-101 through 27-9-106.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 27-9-105 Discriminatory and unfair employment practices enumerated; limitations.

(a) It is a discriminatory or unfair employment practice: (i) For an employer to refuse to hire, to discharge, to promote or demote, or to discriminate in matters of compensation or the terms, conditions or privileges of employment against, a qualified disabled person or any person otherwise qualified, because of age, sex, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry or pregnancy; (ii) For a person, an employment agency, a labor organization, or its employees or members, to discriminate in matters of employment or membership against any person, otherwise qualified, because of age, sex, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry or pregnancy, or a qualified disabled person; (iii) For an employer to reduce the wage of any employee to comply with this chapter; (iv) For an employer to require as a condition of employment that any employee or prospective employee use or refrain from using tobacco products outside the course of his employment, or otherwise to discriminate against any person in matters of compensation or the terms, conditions or privileges of employment on the basis of use or nonuse of tobacco products outside the course of his employment unless it is a bona fide occupational qualification that a person not use tobacco products outside the workplace. Nothing within this paragraph shall prohibit an employer from offering, imposing or having in effect a health, disability or life insurance policy distinguishing between employees for type or price of coverage based upon the use or nonuse of tobacco products if: (A) Differential rates assessed employees reflect an actual differential cost to the employer; and (B) Employers provide written notice to employees setting forth the differential rates imposed by insurance carriers. (b) The prohibitions against discrimination based on age in this section apply only to persons at least forty (40) years of age. (c) It is not a discriminatory practice for an employer, employment agency or labor organization to observe the terms of a bona fide seniority system or any bona fide employee benefit plan such as a retirement, pension or insurance plan, which is not a subterfuge to evade the purposes of this chapter, except that no employee benefit plan shall excuse the failure to hire any individual, and no seniority system or employee benefit plan shall require or permit involuntary retirement of any individual protected under this chapter because of age. Involuntary retirement is not prohibited if permitted under Title 29, United States Code § 631(c). (d) As used in this section "qualified disabled person" means a disabled person who is capable of performing a particular job, or who would be capable of performing a particular job with reasonable accommodation to his disability.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 27-9-106 Filing of complaint; determination; appeal for hearing.

(a) Any person claiming to be aggrieved by a discriminatory or unfair employment practice may, personally or through his attorney, make, sign and file with the department within six (6) months of the alleged violation a verified, written complaint in duplicate which shall state the name and address of the person, employer, employment agency or labor organization alleged to have committed the discriminatory or unfair employment practice, and which shall set forth the particulars of the claim and contain other information as shall be required by the department. The department shall investigate to determine the validity of the charges and issue a determination thereupon. (b) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 162, § 2. (c) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 162, § 2. (d) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 162, § 2. (e) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 162, § 2. (f) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 162, § 2. (g) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 162, § 2. (h) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 162, § 2. (j) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 162, § 2. (k) If the employer, employment agency, labor organization or employee is aggrieved by the department's determination, the aggrieved party may request a fair hearing. The fair hearing shall be conducted pursuant to the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act. (m) The department shall issue an order within fourteen (14) days of the decision being rendered, requiring the employer, employment agency or labor organization to comply with the hearing officer's decision. If the employer, employment agency or labor organization does not timely appeal or comply with the order within thirty (30) days, the department may petition the appropriate district court for enforcement of the order. (n) Where the hearing officer determines that the employer, employment agency or labor organization has engaged in any discriminatory or unfair employment practice as defined in this chapter, the hearing officer's decision may: (i) Require the employer, employment agency or labor organization to cease and desist from the discriminatory or unfair practice; (ii) Require remedial action which may include hiring, retaining, reinstating or upgrading of employees, referring of applications for employment by a respondent employment agency or the restoration to membership by a respondent labor organization; (iii) Require the posting of notices, the making of reports as to the manner of compliance and any other relief that the hearing officer deems necessary and appropriate to make the complainant whole; or (iv) Require the employer, employment agency or labor organization to pay backpay or front pay.
Source: WY Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title27.pdfFetched: 10/4/2026

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