Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed a measure overturning the voter-approved initiative requiring Missouri employers to provide paid sick time and statutorily adjusting the minimum wage each year.
The move follows months of political wrangling and a Missouri Supreme Court ruling in late April that kept the paid sick leave and minimum wage initiative alive.
Under the previous requirements, Missouri employers were mandated to provide earned paid sick time to eligible Missouri employees. Now that Kehoe has signed legislation to repeal the measures, paid sick leave and overtime requirements will expire on August 28, 2025. While the state’s minimum wage will still increase to $15 per hour in January of 2026, the requirement for automatic annual adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been repealed.
Employers subject to the original provisions must allow employees to use their acquired paid sick leave time until August 28, 2025. After that date, there is no legal obligation to provide paid sick leave, and subsequent policies and posting requirements do not need to be maintained.
This bill does not impact employers who voluntarily elected to provide paid leave benefits.
Affected employers are advised to notify employees of the new changes.
