By: Katie Conklin and John Vering
Background
As we explained in our previous client alert, on November 5, 2024, Missouri voters approved Proposition A by over 57%, which increased the Missouri Minimum Wage to $13.75, effective January 1, 2025, and increased it to $15.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2026. Thereafter, Proposition A provided that the Missouri Minimum Wage would be adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index. Further, Proposition A required that most Missouri non-governmental employers provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, effective May 1, 2025. Proposition A also required that Missouri employers post and send a notice regarding paid sick leave to employees by April 15, 2025.
On April 29, 2025, the Missouri Supreme Court issued a decision rejecting challenges to Proposition A. A summary of the decision may be found on the Court’s website here.
Repeal of Missouri Paid Sick Leave
On May 14, 2025, the Missouri Senate passed Missouri House Bill 567 (HB 567) which will effectively repeal Missouri Paid Sick Leave, effective August 28, 2025, if signed by Governor Mike Kehoe. We expect the Governor to sign this bill, but if he does not, we will supplement this Client Alert.
Amendments to Missouri Minimum Wage Law
HB 567 does not change Proposition A’s increase of the Missouri minimum wage to $13.75 per hour effective January 1, 2025 and its further increase to $15.00 per hour effective January 1, 2026. However, HB 567 did repeal the portions of Proposition A that required mandatory adjustments to the minimum wage based on the Consumer Price Index, which were set to begin on January 1, 2027 and continue each January 1 in successive years.
HB 567 also amended the Missouri Minimum Wage Law to specify that, as of August 28, 2025, public employers (the State of Missouri, political subdivisions of the State of Missouri, including a department, agency, officer, bureau, division, board, commission, or instrumentality of the state or a city, county, town, village, school district, or other political subdivision of the state) would also be required to pay the Missouri minimum wage.
What Employers Should Do
We recommend that non-governmental employers comply with Missouri’s Paid Sick Leave law until August 28, 2025. We are prepared to assist Missouri employers with advice regarding compliance with Proposition A and how to handle sick leave and PTO policies in light of this legislative change. There are not only legal issues but also employee relations issues to be considered, including how to communicate these changes in the law and shifting paid sick time law requirements in the middle of the year.
This article is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. If you have legal questions, please consult the authors, John Vering (jvering@sb-kc.com) at 816.265.4109 or Katie Conklin (kconklin@sb-kc.com) at 816.265.4114, or other attorneys in Seigfreid Bingham’s Employment Law Group, including: John Neyens (johnn@sb-kc.com) 816.265.4152, Mark Opara (mopara@sb-kc.com) 816.265.4140, Shannon Cohorst Johnson (sjohnson@sb-kc.com) 816.265.4139, or your regular contact at Seigfreid Bingham at 816.421.4460.