As of 2026, Missouri does not have a statewide law requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave. That answer surprises many workers, because Missouri did briefly have a paid-sick-leave mandate. Voters passed Proposition A in November 2024, and its earned-paid-sick-time rules took effect on May 1, 2025. But the Missouri General Assembly repealed that portion of Proposition A, and the repeal became effective on August 28, 2025. Since that date, no Missouri statute compels most private employers to let you accrue or use paid sick days. Whether you get paid time off when you are sick now depends almost entirely on your employer's own policy, your employment contract, or a union agreement.
What the law in Missouri actually requires now
There is no general state mandate for paid sick leave covering private-sector workers in Missouri in 2026. Employers are free to offer paid sick days, paid time off (PTO), or no paid leave at all, and the terms are set by company policy rather than by statute. This places Missouri alongside the majority of U.S. states that have never adopted a permanent paid-sick-leave requirement.
It is worth understanding the short-lived rule that existed in 2025, because some workers accrued time under it and disputes can still arise about that window. Under the Proposition A version that ran from May 1, 2025 to August 28, 2025, employees generally earned one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Employers with 15 or more employees had to allow workers to use at least 56 hours of earned paid sick time per year, while smaller employers (fewer than 15 employees) had to allow at least 40 hours per year. Those provisions are no longer in force following the repeal, but if you believe you were denied accrued, used, or owed sick time during that period, that is a fact-specific question worth raising with the state labor agency or an attorney.
The federal baseline for comparison
Federal law does not fill this gap with a paid-sick-leave guarantee either. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets a federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour and requires overtime after 40 hours in a workweek, but it does not require any employer to provide paid sick days, paid vacation, or paid holidays. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) can require unpaid, job-protected leave, but it is not a paid-leave law. So in Missouri, the floor for sick-time pay is essentially zero unless your employer voluntarily offers it.
How Missouri interacts with FMLA
Even without a state paid-sick mandate, eligible Missouri employees keep their FMLA rights. The FMLA generally applies to private employers with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius, plus public agencies and schools. To qualify, you usually must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months and at least 1,250 hours in the prior 12 months. FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for a serious health condition, to care for a close family member with a serious health condition, for the birth or placement of a child, and certain military-family reasons.
Because FMLA leave is unpaid, the practical question for many Missouri workers is whether they can use accrued PTO or employer-provided sick pay to get paid during FMLA leave. Employers are generally allowed to require, and employees are generally allowed to elect, that paid leave run concurrently with FMLA leave. That means your unpaid FMLA weeks and your paid PTO days can overlap, so you receive a paycheck while your job is protected. Check your employee handbook for the exact substitution rules your employer uses.
How paid sick time and PTO work in practice
Because the benefit is voluntary in Missouri, the details live in your employer's policy. A few points commonly matter:
- Accrual vs. lump sum. Some employers grant a fixed bank of PTO or sick days at the start of the year; others let you accrue time as you work. Read the policy to know which applies to you.
- Carryover and caps. Employers may cap how much sick or PTO time you can bank and may limit how much rolls over year to year. These limits are set by policy, not by Missouri statute.
- Payout at separation. Missouri does not have a statute forcing employers to pay out unused PTO or sick time when you quit or are fired. Whether you get paid for an unused balance depends on your employer's written policy or contract. If the policy promises payout, that promise can be enforceable; if it is silent or says no payout, you may receive nothing.
- Doctor's notes and notice. An employer may condition paid sick time on advance notice or medical documentation, as long as the policy is applied consistently and does not violate other laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Local ordinances in Missouri
Some Missouri workers ask whether their city has its own paid-sick-leave ordinance, the way places like St. Louis and Kansas City have attempted local labor rules in the past. Missouri has a strong tradition of state preemption of local wage-and-hour mandates. State law has blocked cities from setting their own minimum wages above the state level, and the same preemption posture makes a city-specific paid-sick-leave mandate unlikely to survive. As a practical matter, you should not assume a local paid-sick ordinance applies in Missouri without confirming it directly with that city and with the state labor agency. Do not rely on out-of-state articles describing city sick-leave laws, because those do not control Missouri employment.
Other laws that can still protect sick workers
The absence of a paid-sick mandate does not mean you have no protections when illness affects your work:
- Disability accommodations. If you have a qualifying disability, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Missouri Human Rights Act may require reasonable accommodations, which can include leave, even unpaid leave, in some circumstances.
- Retaliation and discrimination. An employer generally cannot single you out for taking legally protected leave such as FMLA, or discriminate based on a protected characteristic, when handling sick-related absences.
- Workers' compensation. If your illness or injury is work-related, Missouri workers' compensation, not sick leave, is typically the right channel for wage replacement and medical costs.
- Contracts and handbooks. If your employer promised paid sick time in an offer letter, handbook, or union contract, that promise may be enforceable even though no statute requires it.
How to enforce your rights and where to verify
Start with your written policy. If your employer offers paid sick time or PTO and refuses to honor its own written terms, that is generally a wage or contract dispute. You can raise unpaid-wage and final-pay questions with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DOLIR), specifically its Division of Labor Standards, which handles minimum wage and related wage issues in the state. For FMLA questions, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforces the federal leave law and accepts complaints.
Because Missouri's paid-leave landscape changed sharply between 2024 and 2025, always confirm the current rule before acting. Verify the status of any sick-leave requirement, the current state minimum wage (which is $15.00 per hour as of 2026 under the wage portion of Proposition A that was retained, though you should confirm the current figure with the state), and any wage-claim deadlines directly through the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. For disability or discrimination issues, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are the right agencies. When in doubt about a specific situation, consult a Missouri-licensed employment attorney, because these outcomes are fact-specific and the law in this area has been actively changing.
Official Missouri Sources
This page is based on Missouri employment law. Rules and figures change — verify the current details directly with the official Missouri sources below. This is general legal information, not legal advice.
Federal law and local ordinances may also apply. Federal laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act set a national floor, and your city or county may add protections (such as a higher local minimum wage or paid sick leave). Check both alongside Missouri state law.
Frequently asked questions
Does Missouri require employers to provide paid sick leave in 2026?
No. As of 2026, Missouri does not have a statewide law requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave. Voters approved a mandate through Proposition A that took effect May 1, 2025, but the legislature repealed it effective August 28, 2025. Paid sick time is now set by employer policy, not state law.
What was Missouri's accrual rate before the repeal?
During the brief window the law was in effect in 2025, employees generally earned one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Employers with 15 or more workers had to allow at least 56 hours of use per year, and smaller employers had to allow at least 40 hours. Those rules ended with the August 28, 2025 repeal.
Can I use PTO to get paid during FMLA leave in Missouri?
Often, yes. FMLA leave is unpaid, but employers may require, and employees may elect, to run accrued paid leave such as PTO or employer sick time concurrently with FMLA. That lets you receive pay while your job stays protected. Check your handbook for the exact substitution rules.
Does my Missouri employer have to pay out unused sick time when I leave?
Not by statute. Missouri does not require employers to cash out unused sick time or PTO at separation. Whether you are paid for an unused balance depends on your employer's written policy or contract. If the policy promises a payout, that promise may be enforceable.
Who do I contact about a sick-pay or wage dispute in Missouri?
Contact the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, specifically the Division of Labor Standards, for wage and final-pay issues. For FMLA, contact the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. For disability or discrimination concerns, contact the Missouri Commission on Human Rights or the EEOC.
This article is general legal information, not legal advice, and may not reflect the most current law or the law in your jurisdiction. Laws vary by state and change over time. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney.
