Missouri Employee Handbook Requirements

Missouri's employment law landscape shifted with the passage of Proposition A in November 2024, which raised the state's minimum wage and created a paid sick leave mandate. In 2025 the legislature passed HB 567, which repealed the paid sick leave requirement effective August 28, 2025. According to the Missouri Department of Labor, employers may continue to offer earned paid sick time but are no longer required to. Missouri's minimum wage is $15.00 per hour as of January 1, 2026.

The Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA) prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, ancestry, age (40-70), and disability, applying to employers with six or more employees. In 2017, the legislature amended the MHRA to raise the standard for discrimination claims, requiring plaintiffs to show that a protected characteristic was the "motivating factor" in adverse employment actions. Missouri does not have explicit sexual orientation or gender identity protections at the state level.

Missouri's economy is driven by agriculture, manufacturing (particularly automotive and aerospace in the St. Louis region), healthcare, financial services, and logistics. Kansas City and St. Louis serve as major economic centers, with Kansas City also subject to local employment ordinances. Employers that offered paid sick time under Proposition A should decide whether to keep, change or end that benefit and update their handbooks to match.