Missouri Labor Law Breaks
Breaks are fully up to the employer under Missouri labor laws, although the employee is free to try to negotiate as much as feasible and is not compelled to take the job. According to Missouri labor rules, the employer is not obligated to give the employee any breaks, including lunchtime. Regarding breaks for all employees, Missouri adheres to federal law by default. Only if it lasts less than 20 minutes must a meal break be paid if an employer wishes to offer one. As long as the employee is entirely relieved of all obligations, breaks longer than 30 minutes are considered meal intervals and do not require payment.
Missouri Family and Medical Leave
The state of Missouri does not have its own laws in regard to family or medical leave. Instead, Missouri used the federal law of the Family and Medical Leave Act for its employed citizens. Under this act, employees are required to have a twelve-week allowance for personal leave for family or medical purposes. These twelve weeks are to be taken continuously and not spread out throughout the year. Also, any personal leave is to be unpaid.
Examples of allowed medical or family leave include hospitalization, maternity leave, the care of an elderly parent, the care of an ill child, or any other medical or psychological need. The Family and Medical Leave Act protect employees from termination. Upon returning to work an employee is entitled to his or her form of employment or employment of equal salary and benefit.
The Family and Medical Leave Act does not allow an individual to take several weeks of unpaid leave and return to work part-time before the twelve weeks are complete. An employer may allow this at his or her own discretion, but it is not covered by this act. An employer may hire a temporary employee to handle the employee’s duties or may split them among several current employees. Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, an employer may not terminate an employee on leave because a temporary employee was better. However, an absent employee is not exempt from termination due to downsizing or financial problems.
Missouri Minimum Wage
Over several years Missouri has raised its minimum wage little by little until the federal government set a new federal minimum in 2009. The federal minimum required all states to raise their minimum wages to no less than seven dollars and twenty-five cents. Under United States law employees cannot be paid less than this amount upon hiring.
The minimum wage is normally adjusted yearly or every other year to compensate for increases or decreases in living costs. Missouri is one of the only states that does not have an established living cost adjustment to its minimum wage. Under state law, Missouri can lower its minimum wage if the cost of living decreases.
Employees who are tipped more than thirty dollars a month can legally be paid less than the federal minimum wage. This is only legal as the tips acquired will make up the hourly wage difference. Employees are not required to share their tips with salary-paid managers. When tips are obtained in mass, individuals are to split the tips at the end of each shift.
Holiday Pay
No federal or Missouri state law requires employers to pay employees more for working holidays or allow employees to take the day off on holidays. By law businesses and companies may legally be open three hundred sixty-five days a year, which means that employees are needed each day, despite holidays.
Employers have the right to pay employees for holidays or pay more for working holidays. Union contracts may require employers to pay employees for holidays or pay more for working holidays, even if they otherwise would not have.
