Disclaimer: The content provided below is for informational purposes only and does not substitute legal advice.
Last updated April, 2026
Missouri employee handbook overview
When creating your Missouri employee handbook, it is important to include both state-specific and federal policies. Whether all of your employees are in Missouri or only a small number, you will require a Missouri-specific handbook to guarantee that your employees understand the policies and entitlements provided by their state.
Missouri Paid Sick Leave Policy - 2025 Update
The Missouri paid sick leave law is effective May 1, 2025. All employers will need to provide employees with paid sick leave as well as notice in their employee handbook. Notice to employees should be provided by April 15, 2025. The updated policy is included.
Missouri’s new Paid Sick Leave Law is effective May 1, 2025. It requires most private-sector employers to provide paid sick time to their employees. This law provides leave so that workers can take time off for personal or family health needs without losing wages. It applies to full-time, part-time, and temporary employees, with accrual based on hours worked. Employers must comply with notice and recordkeeping requirements to avoid penalties.
Here are a few key points:
- The law provides coverage for all private-sector employees, including part-time and temporary workers.
- There are exemptions for certain organizations, including government entities and small businesses with less than $500,000 in annual gross sales.
- Employees earn 1 hour of paid sick leave per 30 hours worked. For employers with 15+ employees, up to 56 hours per year can be earned.
- Employers with fewer than 15 employees can earn up to 40 hours per year.
- Employees can use the leave for personal illness, injury, or health condition. They can also use it to care for a sick family member, as well as for public health emergency closures and domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking-related needs.
- Up to 80 hours of unused sick leave can carry over to the next year and employers may choose to pay out unused sick leave if they frontload hours for the next year.
- Companies must provide written notice to employees by April 15, 2025, and must keep records of paid sick leave usage and accruals.
- The penalties for noncompliance include fines and civil penalties for failing to provide paid sick leave.
What should be included in a Missouri employee handbook?
- Missouri Paid Sick Leave Policy: Most private employers are required to provide paid sick leave to all employees at a rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. This applies to full-time, part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees.
- Missouri Emergency Response Leave Policy: Employers are required to provide unpaid leave for employees serving as volunteer firefighters or members of the Missouri-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Missouri Task Force One, Urban Search and Rescue Team, or FEMA to carry out those duties.
- Missouri Civil Air Patrol Leave Policy: Employers are required to provide unpaid leave for employees who need to leave to perform Civil Air Patrol emergency duties.
- Missouri Coast Guard Auxiliary Leave Policy: Employers are required to provide unpaid leave to employees who are members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary .
- Missouri Victim Leave Policy: Employers are required to provide leave for victims to honor a subpoena and testify, attend, or participate in a criminal proceeding.
- Missouri Leave and Accommodations for Victims of Domestic or Sexual Violence Policy: Employers are required to provide employees with leave and safety accommodations for victims of domestic or sexual violence .
- Missouri Voting Leave Policy: Missouri law provides employees with up to three hours of paid leave to vote, if they do not have three successive hours off work while the polls are open. Employees must request this time off to vote before Election Day, and employers may not penalize employees for the absence.
- Missouri At-Will Employment: Missouri's at-will employment stance means either the employer or the employee can terminate employment at any time without cause, subject to exceptions like discrimination or violation of public policy.
- Missouri Jury Duty Policy: Employers in Missouri are required to provide employees with time off to serve on a jury. This ensures that employees can fulfill their civic duties without fear of losing their job. It is illegal for an employer to discharge, discipline or threaten an employee because of their jury service.
- Missouri Military Leave Policy: Employers must grant leave to employees called to military service and reinstate them upon return with full seniority and benefits.
- Missouri Final Paycheck Policy: Employers must issue final paychecks on the date of termination, regardless of whether the employee was fired or resigned.
- Missouri Lactation Accommodations Policy: Employers must provide reasonable break time and a private space for nursing mothers to express breast milk.
Federal Policies
Don’t forget about the federal policies
There are policies that should be included in every handbook to comply with US labor and employment law. Many states require additional provisions. However, this list includes core federal requirements and best practices applicable to most businesses.
Core federal policies
- Equal Employment Opportunity and Anti-Discrimination Policy Show me!
- Anti-Harassment and Complaint Procedure Show me!
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Policy Show me!
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) & Reasonable Accommodation Policy
- Military Service Leave (USERRA)
- Wage and Hour Compliance Policy (FSLA)
- At-Will Employment Notice Show me!
- Polices if you employ federal contractors (Pay Transparency Policy, Whistleblower Protection, Drug-free Workplace Policy)
Highly recommended policies
- Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
- Code of Conduct Policy
- Nursing Parents Policy
- Conflict of Interest and Business Ethics
- Disciplinary Procedures
- Use of Company Property
- Employee Classification and Pay Practices
- Health and Safety Policy
- Confidential Company Information
- Open Door Policy
- Receipt of Non-Harassment Policy
- Use of Communication and Computer Systems
- Workplace Searches and Inspections
Additional policies to include
- Industry-specific policies
- Sick Leave, Vacation Leave, PTO policy
- Company Vehicles Policy
- Punctuality and Attendance
- Benefits
- Working Schedule
- Employment Records
- Smoking
- Overtime
- Performance Reviews
- Social Media Policy
- Remote Work Policy
- Introductory Period Policy
- References
- Hiring Relatives and Significant Others
- Business Expense Reimbursement
Get all recommended policies from the free handbook builder.
Poster Requirements
Understanding labor law poster requirements can be a bit like trying to decode a complex puzzle. You need to comply with both state and federal requirements.
Why Should I Care About Displaying Posters?
You might be wondering why it's so important to display these posters in the first place. State and Federal laws mandate that employers must have up-to-date labor law posters conspicuously displayed for their employees. Failing to do so not only results in steep fines (up to $35,000 in federal fines and additional state fines) but also exposes you to real liability.
Consider this scenario: if an employee decides to bring a lawsuit against your company, and you don't have the required posters or they are outdated, you could face even more significant problems:
Statute of Limitations: Normally, there's a limited window within which an employee can file a lawsuit against you. However, if you didn't inform your employees of their rights through proper poster display, a court might decide that the statute of limitations doesn't apply.
Operating in Bad Faith: Courts may determine that you were intentionally withholding information from your employees, which could lead to a finding that you were operating in bad faith. This can substantially increase your liability.
What Are the Requirements for Displaying Labor Law Posters?
Labor law posters must be displayed at every physical location where you have employees, and they need to be conspicuously displayed for all to see.
- If you have a hybrid workplace with both in-person and remote employees, you'll need physical posters at your facilities and electronic distribution to your off-site workers.
- For fully remote companies, you can distribute posters electronically by sharing a permanent link to the appropriate posters.
- Some posters also need to be visible to job applicants, such as FMLA, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Employee Polygraph Protection posters, as per the guidance provided by the Department of Labor.
What Labor Law Posters Do I Need to Display?
You'll need both Federal and State labor law posters for each state where you have employees. The good news is that all the posters you need are provided for free by the federal government and state departments of labor. You've probably seen those convenient "all-in-one" laminated posters, but if you prefer, everything you need is also available as a free, printable document from the Missouri Department of Labor.
Federal Poster Requirements
Determining which federal posters you're required to display can be influenced by various factors, including your industry, the size of your company, benefits you provide and union affiliation.
The good news is that there's a handy tool to help you understand precisely which federal posters your company needs. You can use the Federal Poster Advisor tool to determine your specific federal poster requirements.
Missouri Labor Law Poster Requirements
You can refer to the Missouri Department of Labor for free, printable posters.
Download Missouri labor law posters here
How to create an Missouri Employee Handbook
An employee handbook isn't just a formality, it's the foundation of a well-run company. But getting it right means more than putting words on paper. Your handbook needs to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, and it needs to stay current as those laws change.
When it comes to building a legally sound, state-specific handbook, most companies face the same tough choice: hire an attorney to draft one from scratch, or try to do it yourself. The first option is expensive and time-consuming. The second is risky, especially if you're relying on generic, one-size-fits-all templates found online.
That's where Handbooks.io comes in.
Handbooks.io is an employee handbook builder trusted by many companies to create polished, fully compliant handbooks, without the legal fees or guesswork. Answer a short survey about your company, and a tailored handbook is generated in no time. It's everything you need to create, maintain, and distribute a professional employee handbook, all in one place. Let’s build this thing!
Get started on building your handbook
Creating a new handbook only takes a few minutes. And it’s easy. You can get started by answering a few interactive questions about your company. A few examples:
- How many employees do you have?
- Do you have employees in multiple states?
- Do you have an introductory period for new employees?
- Do you offer paid holidays?
- What is your payroll schedule?