What’s New in 2026
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Wage and Hour Laws
Minimum wage
As of January 1, 2026, the minimum wage in Missouri is $15 per hour and is adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index.
Missouri’s minimum wage applies to most employers. The exceptions are retail or service businesses with gross annual income of less than $500,000.
However, these employers are likely to be covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which requires them to pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Tipped minimum wage
The minimum wage for tipped employees must be at least 50% of the state minimum wage. From January 1, 2026, the tipped minimum is $7.50 per hour. Employers can pay workers $7.50 an hour as long as their wages plus tips equal $15 an hour.
Overtime laws
Missouri overtime regulations generally follow federal FLSA requirements; overtime must be paid at 1.5 times the employee’s regular rate of pay for any hours over 40 in a workweek.
This applies to all employees covered by the FLSA’s overtime provisions, with one exception. Employees in amusement and recreation businesses are exempt under federal law, but state law requires overtime pay after 52 hours worked in any 1-week period.
Employees exempt from overtime pay in Missouri include:
- Executive, administrative, and professional employees earning at least $684 a week.
- Computer professionals who earn at least $27.63 an hour.
- Farmworkers employed by small farms.
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Meal and rest breaks
Missouri doesn’t have any laws regarding general meal and rest breaks.
Where employers provide breaks, the relevant FLSA provisions generally apply. These require employers to pay employees for shorter breaks, i.e., those under 30 minutes.
Missouri law requires employers in the entertainment industry to provide employees under 16 with a meal break every 5.5 hours and a 15-minute rest break every 2 hours of consecutive work.
Wage reductions
Employers can reduce employee wages by giving them 30 days’ written notice.
Recordkeeping
Missouri employers must keep specific employee and payroll records for at least 3 years. Required details include the following:
- Names and addresses.
- Job descriptions.
- Pay rates.
- Total pay for each pay period.
- Total daily and weekly hours worked.
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Employee scheduling laws
Missouri doesn’t have any state-wide or local predictive scheduling laws.
Employee Compensation and Benefits
Reporting time pay
Missouri doesn’t have a reporting time law. Employers are required to pay employees only for time actually worked.
Payday frequency and method
While state law still references twice-monthly pay practices, as a general rule, employers must pay employees on established regular paydays.
Employees can be paid by cash, check, direct deposit, or payroll card.
Paystub requirements
Employers must provide employees with a statement of wage deductions at least once a month.
Wage deductions and garnishments
Employers may deduct from wages as long as doing so doesn’t bring employees’ wages below the applicable minimum hourly rate.
These deductions can include cash-register shortages, uniforms, and employee-caused damage. Employers must provide employees with a statement showing any deductions for each pay period.
Missouri limits garnishments by judgment creditors to:
- 10% of an employee’s weekly disposable earnings if they’re the head of the family and a Missouri resident.
- 25% of an employee’s weekly disposable earnings in all other cases.
- The amount by which an employee’s weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal hourly minimum wage (whichever is less).
Federal limits apply to garnishments relating to child support, federal student loans, and federal taxes.
Missouri employers are prohibited from terminating an employee based on one wage garnishment.
Final paycheck laws
Employers must pay employees their final paycheck on the date of their discharge. If not, employees can request them in writing, and employers have 7 days from the time of this request to make payment.
If an employer fails to pay an employee’s final paycheck within 7 days of the request, the employee’s wages accrue for up to 60 days.
Workers’ compensation
All employers in the construction industry and employers with 5 or more employees in other industries must have workers’ compensation insurance. Employers can get insurance via an insurance carrier or apply to the Division of Workers’ Compensation to become self-insured.
Under the Department of Labor, the Division of Workers’ Compensation oversees Missouri’s workers’ compensation law. With workers’ compensation insurance, employees who suffer a workplace injury or illness may be eligible for benefits covering:
- Medical costs.
- Lost wages, including for temporary total disability, permanent partial disability, and permanent total disability.
- Funeral costs.
Injured employees don’t receive compensation for the first 3 days they can’t work; employees only receive compensation for these first 3 days if they can’t work for more than 14 days.
Employees must notify their employers in writing within 30 days of any workplace illness or injury, providing details such as the date, time, and nature of the injury.
Employers must then report the illness or injury to their insurer within 5 days of the injury or receiving the employee’s notice, whichever is later. The insurer has 30 days to file a First Report of Injury to the Division of Workers’ Compensation.
Employees who disagree with an insurer’s decision can seek informal or formal mediation with the Division. Alternatively, they can request a conference before an administrative law judge to attempt to settle the case.
Employees who dispute the benefits they receive can also file a Claim for Compensation. The case will then proceed through a series of different hearings before an administrative law judge to resolve it.
Unemployment insurance
Most Missouri employers must declare employee wages to the Division of Employment Security (DES) and pay unemployment tax. These taxes go to the Unemployment Compensation Fund, which pays for unemployment benefits.
Employers pay different rates of unemployment tax. For example, tax rates for new employers (in their first 2 to 3 years) currently range between 1% and 2.376%.
Workers may be eligible for unemployment benefits if:
- They lost their job or had their hours reduced through no fault of their own, or they had good cause to quit.
- They earned at least $2,250 from an employer with unemployment insurance during their base period (the first 4 of the last 5 calendar quarters before the claim).
- Their total base period wages add up to at least 1.5 times their wages in their highest quarter, or they earn at least 1.5 times the taxable wage base in 2 of the 4 base period quarters.
To continue claiming unemployment benefits, workers must be able and available for work.
Eligible workers may receive benefits of up to $320 per week for up to 20 weeks per year.
Workers can file a claim for unemployment benefits via Missouri’s Online Unemployment System. If their benefit claim is denied, individuals can appeal to the DES within 30 days of the decision date.
Workplace Rights and Protections
Discrimination and harassment
The Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA) prohibits employers with 6 or more employees from discriminating against candidates or employees based on:
The MHRA also protects employees from harassment based on these characteristics and retaliation for exercising their rights under the MHRA.
Missouri also has an equal pay law that requires employers to pay female and male employees the same for equal work.
Employees who believe they have been discriminated against can file a complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR) within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. The MCHR facilitates the mediation and settlement of complaints and investigates them.
The complainant can also request a Notice of Right to Sue, which allows them to start a lawsuit against the employer within 90 days. If the parties can’t resolve the matter, it may proceed to an MCHR hearing. Parties can appeal MCHR decisions to circuit court.
The MCHR has a work-sharing agreement with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). As a result, filing a complaint with one organization automatically files it with the other. Complainants have 300 days to file a complaint with the EEOC. However, if they don’t file within 180 days, their complaint can’t be considered under state law.
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Leave laws
| ❌ Family and Medical Leave | Missouri doesn’t have a state family and medical leave law. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) applies to private employers with 50 or more employees. Under the federal FMLA, eligible employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during 12 months:
To be eligible for federal FMLA leave, employees must have:
|
| ❌ Paid Sick Leave | Missouri employers don’t have to provide paid sick leave. An earned paid sick time requirement was introduced and scheduled to take effect from May 1, 2025. However, this was repealed in August 2025. |
| ❌ Paid Family Leave | There’s no paid family leave law in Missouri. |
| ❌ Pregnancy and Parental Leave | Missouri doesn’t have specific laws requiring employers to provide pregnancy or parental leave. Instead, employees may be eligible for unpaid leave under the federal FMLA. Under the Missouri Human Rights Act, employers with 6 or more employees mustn’t discriminate based on pregnancy and related conditions. The Missouri Commission on Human Rights requires employers to treat pregnancy-related conditions the same as a temporary disability and apply the same health plans, leave, and other benefits as other disabilities. |
| ❌ Vacation and Personal Leave | Vacation or personal leave isn’t mandatory in Missouri. |
Military, jury duty, and other mandatory leave
There are several other types of compulsory leave in Missouri:
| Military Leave | No state law requires private employers to provide employees with military leave. However, the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) applies to Missouri employers. |
| Jury Duty Leave | Employers can’t take adverse employment action against employees who attend jury duty. Employers also can’t require employees to use other types of leave, including vacation or sick leave, to attend jury duty. If an employee of an employer with 5 or fewer employees is called for jury duty and another employee has already been called to serve at the same time, the court must reschedule the other employee. |
| Voting Leave | Employers must give employees up to 3 hours of voting leave if the polls aren’t open for 3 consecutive hours outside employees’ work hours. Employers can choose when the employee takes these 3 hours. As long as the employee provides 1 day’s notice, employers can’t deduct an employee’s wages for using voting leave. |
| Domestic or Sexual Violence Leave | The Victim’s Economic Safety and Security Act requires certain employers to provide unpaid, job-protected leave to employees who are victims of domestic or sexual violence or whose family members are victims of domestic or sexual abuse:
Employees must provide at least 48 hours’ notice to access this leave unless it’s impossible. Employers can ask employees for documentation to access this leave. Employers with at least 20 employees must also make reasonable safety accommodations for employees eligible for this leave, such as work schedule changes or transfer to another location. |
| Victims of Crime Leave | Employers can’t penalize employees for taking leave to testify, attend, or participate in a criminal proceeding. They can’t require them to use vacation, personal, or sick leave for these reasons. |
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Child Labor Laws
The minimum age for employment in Missouri is 14. There are some exceptions to this, for example:
- The child works for a parent or guardian.
- The child is at least 12 years old and works as a babysitter, newspaper deliverer, youth sports referee, coach, or does occasional yard or farm work with parental consent.
Fourteen- and 15-year-olds require work certificates before they can be employed. These are completed by the child’s parents or guardians, the employer, and a school representative.
Employers with employees under 16 must keep records of the minor’s name, address, age, daily work times and hours, and work certificate for 2 years. They must also post a list of employees under 16 in the workplace. Failure to follow these child labor laws can result in a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 15 days in jail and a $750 fine.
| 14- and 15-year-olds | 16- and 17-year-olds | |
|---|---|---|
| When school is in session |
| No limits under Missouri state law. |
| When school isn’t in session |
| |
| Limits on types of work | Minors under 16 are prohibited from working in various industries or situations, including:
For more information, view the complete list of prohibitions. | No restrictions under Missouri state law. |
Workplace Safety and Health
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) and regulations cover private employers in Missouri.
Under the OSH Act, employers have various obligations, including to:
- Maintain a workplace free of serious hazards.
- Provide employees with the necessary tools and equipment to safely do their job.
- Notify employees and visitors of potential hazards using signs, labels, and posters.
- Deliver safety training to employees in a language they understand.
- Post an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) poster in the workplace.
- Report any workplace deaths to OSHA within 8 hours and any work-related hospitalizations, amputations, and eye losses within 24 hours.
Employees also have certain rights, such as the right to:
- Make a complaint to OSHA to conduct a workplace inspection.
- Obtain copies of records of workplace injuries and illnesses.
- Assist OSHA inspections.
There are various workplace safety and health resources available to Missouri employers, including:
- Safe at Work: A website that publishes workplace safety and health statistics, sample OSHA programs, and other resources for employers and employees.
- Workers’ Safety Program: Workplace health and safety assistance for employers through their workers’ compensation insurer, independent certified consultants, and the program.
- On-Site Safety and Health Consultation Program: Available to small employers (with fewer than 250 employees on-site) in high-hazard industries. It’s a free service that conducts mock OSHA inspections to help workplaces identify and address hazards.
Labor Union Regulations
Missouri is a right-to-work state. Employees can’t be required to join a union or pay union fees as a condition of employment.
The National Labor Relations Board hears most labor disputes involving private employers and employees.
Employment Contracts and Severance
Employment contract laws
In the absence of a contract, the presumption of at-will employment applies in Missouri. Either the employer or employee can terminate the employment for any lawful reason or no reason at all.
Unlawful reasons for terminating an employment relationship include termination that:
- Violates an employment contract.
- Constitutes unlawful discrimination.
- Breaches public policy.
- Violates Missouri’s Whistleblower Protection Act.
Noncompete agreements are generally allowed under state law if they meet specific criteria, including:
- They’re reasonably necessary to protect an employer’s trade secrets or customer contacts.
- They aren’t overly restrictive in scope, duration, or geography.
- They don’t exceed 1 year.
Non-solicitation agreements must also be reasonable in scope, duration, and geography.
Severance pay
Severance pay is at the employer’s discretion in Missouri. Where they offer it, employers should follow the relevant terms of the employment contract or collective bargaining agreement.
Additional Laws That Might Apply to You
| Whistleblower Protection Act | Missouri’s Whistleblower Protection Act applies to employers with 6 or more employees. It makes it unlawful for these employers to terminate a worker for:
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| Alcohol and tobacco consumption | Employers can’t discriminate against employees who consume alcohol or tobacco outside of work hours unless this use interferes with the employee’s job performance. |
| Concealed firearms | Employers can prohibit employees from carrying concealed firearms in the workplace, even if they have a permit to do so. |
| Mini-COBRA | The federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) allows employees to continue their health insurance after a change in circumstances, such as losing their job or having their hours reduced. Federal COBRA applies to employers with 20 or more employees. Missouri’s mini-COBRA law applies to employers with 2–19 employees and offers the continuation of health coverage for eligible workers. |
Ban the Box laws (St Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City) | St Louis employers with 10 or more employees can’t ask about a candidate’s criminal history until they’ve been interviewed and found qualified for the role. Columbia’s Fair Chance Hiring Law bans all employers from inquiring about applicants’ criminal histories until after making a conditional job offer. Kansas City employers with 6 or more employees can’t ask about applicants’ criminal histories until they’ve been interviewed and form part of the final selection pool. |
COVID-19-related laws and regulations
Currently, no employment laws specifically related to COVID-19 apply to private employers.
Navigating Legal Issues and Resources
Various resources are available online for employers and employees who want to learn more about Missouri’s labor laws and their rights and responsibilities.
Visit the Department of Labor’s website for general information about employment laws, including wage and hour laws, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, and discrimination. The Department also has a helpful resource guide for employers.
Employees seeking free employment law advice can visit:
- Missouri Free Legal Answers, an American Bar Association project.
- Missouri Legal Services, which includes links to the 4 legal aid programs in Missouri.
The best way to find up-to-date information that applies to your situation is to speak with an employment lawyer in your state for tailored advice.
Disclaimer
The information presented on this website about labor laws in Missouri is a summary for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. However, laws and regulations regularly change and may vary depending on individual circumstances. While we have made every effort to ensure the information provided is up-to-date and reliable, we cannot guarantee its completeness, accuracy, or applicability to your specific situation. Therefore, we strongly recommend that readers seek guidance from their legal department or a qualified attorney to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Please note that we cannot be held liable for any actions taken or not taken based on the information presented on this website.