Missouri Labor Laws – Find Labor Lawyers MO

Missouri has labor laws to protect the rights of workers. If you are employed within Missouri, you must read about these laws to find out what rights you have. Labor laws help protect you in your workforce and ensure your employer respects all of your rights.

What is the Difference Between Part-Time vs. Full-Time in Missouri?

Missouri has no minimum or maximum amount of hours you have to work to be considered full-time or part-time. Instead, they leave that up to your employer to decide. To determine if you are a part-time or full-time employee, you should check with your Human Resources department.

Part-time status employees may have fewer employee benefits compared with full-time employees. For instance, they may have limited access to health and dental care, paid time off, and other employee perks. These, of course, may depend on the individual employment contract between the worker and employee. If not laid out there, the benefits status may be provided in an employment handbook.

What is Missouri’s Stance on Minimum Wage and Overtime Rates?

The minimum wage in Missouri is $7.70 per hour. Retail and service companies that make less than $500,000 annually do not have to follow the state minimum wage. Instead, they can pay the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

Missouri complies with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirement for overtime, meaning that employers must pay 1-½ times the regular pay rate if employees work more than 40 hours per week. There is a special law if you work for an amusement or recreation business: overtime does not start until you have worked over 52 hours in one week. Missouri does not limit mandatory overtime, so you can be asked to work as many hours as your employer wants.

Disputes over wage rates or overtime pay may lead to a wage and hour claim. This is where the court will examine the employer’s pay rates and compare them with federal and state laws to determine if there has been a violation (such as withholding overtime pay from an employee who has qualified for the rate).

In many cases, the issue with a paycheck involves miscalculating the number of hours the employee has worked or a mistake regarding their pay rate. For example, a person might receive a paycheck, but it might not be for the full amount owed due to some issue with calculating the person’s hours. In other cases, the amount paid might not be correct because of an error, oversight, or intentional issue with their wage rate.

In these types of situations, a wage and hour lawsuit may be necessary in these situations. These types of claims allow the courts to review the situation and determine the appropriate remedy for the employee. In some cases, many other employees may be affected as well (such as when there is a policy in the office that violates wage laws).

If many workers have had the same problem with their paychecks, a lawsuit may be filed as a class action suit. In a class action suit, a group of people with similar complaints band together and sue the defendant as if they were one plaintiff. If the defendant loses, the defendant will have to make a single large payment to cover all owed to the whole group of people. They will then divide it up amongst the class’s members.

A class action suit can be very helpful if the amount of money that you would individually sue for is relatively low – particularly if it is not high enough to be economically practical to file your lawsuit. By uniting your claims with those of your co-workers, you will share all of the costs of bringing a lawsuit with the group members.

Does Missouri Require Employee Health Benefits?

Missouri does not have state laws about health benefits. Instead, it follows the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), which only applies to companies with 50 or more full-time employees. Under the ACA, these companies must offer health insurance to most of their full-time employees.

This plan must cover at least 60% of typical healthcare costs. Companies with less than 50 employees are not required to provide health insurance. Instead, it is up to each small business to make that decision.

You should know that the laws for health insurance are probably changing soon, so you should speak with a local lawyer to keep up with the changes.

Are There Any Legal Restrictions Against Firing, Suspending or Disciplining Employees?

Employers may legally terminate an employee at any time for any reason or for no reason without incurring legal liability. However, an employer may not discriminate against any employee based on the employee’s race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, or disability. Likewise, an employee can leave a job at any time for any reason, with no adverse legal consequences.

Does Missouri Provide Protection from Employment Discrimination?

In Missouri, employees cannot be discriminated against for their age, disability, gender, race, religion, ancestry, color, or national origin. Both various federal and state laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Missouri Human Rights Act, prohibit such discrimination by employers.

An employee that has been discriminated against can choose to file a complaint with either the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR) or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Both agencies have their own time limits so you should check with a lawyer to ensure you meet all the correct deadlines.

If an agency does not resolve your complaint, then you have the right to sue your employer. Missouri laws prohibit an employer from retaliating against an employee who files a complaint against them.

While Missouri does not limit the amount of compensatory damages that an employee may receive, it does limit the amount of punitive damages you can get. Punitive damages punish your employer for their discrimination. You can either get five times the amount of the judgment (which is the amount you receive because of the damage that was done) or $500,000, depending on the larger amount.

Does Missouri Offer Paid Time-Off?

Missouri does not have state laws about taking time off work for medical leave or pregnancy. Instead, it uses the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to set the guidelines for such leave. FMLA only covers employees working in a company with 50 or more employees.

Employees are eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for any medical reason, including pregnancy and childbirth. During that time, they retain their medical and health benefits, and they have the right to return to their job after their leave.

There is no law in Missouri requiring employers to provide time off for vacation or paid time off. Whether or not to offer such benefits is up to each company to decide. Check your employment contract and employee handbook to see if you are entitled to such benefits.

Where Can I Find a Local Lawyer to Help Me?

Enforcing your rights as an employee is important, as it can also benefit your co-workers who may have been suffering from the same violations by your employer.

If you think your employer is denying you the basic rights and protections that are guaranteed by federal and Missouri state labor laws, contact a Missouri labor lawyer today. Your attorney can provide guidance and assistance to fight for your rights.