Severance Pay Calculator — Missouri

Severance Pay Laws in Missouri

Missouri is an at-will state with no mini-WARN statute and no state-level severance pay mandate. The federal WARN Act provides the only statutory layoff-notice floor — sixty days for mass layoffs of fifty or more employees at employers with one hundred or more workers. Outside WARN coverage, severance is contractual.

Final wages in Missouri are governed by R.S.Mo. §290.110, which requires payment of all earned wages on the day of an involuntary termination. Accrued vacation is wages if payable under company policy. The Missouri Department of Labor enforces the statute and may recover statutory damages plus attorney's fees for willful nonpayment.

On non-competes, Missouri courts apply a common-law reasonableness test. There is no specific statute restricting employee non-competes broadly, though Missouri law provides specific protections in certain industries (notably broadcasting). For general employees, the clause must protect a legitimate business interest, be reasonable in duration (typically capped around two years), and be reasonable in geographic scope.

On discrimination, the Missouri Human Rights Act (R.S.Mo. §213.010 et seq.) applies to employers with six or more employees and provides protections across federal Title VII categories. A 2017 amendment significantly narrowed employee remedies, raising the burden of proof from "contributing factor" to "motivating factor" — bringing Missouri closer to federal Title VII standards but moving away from broader state-law protections. The Missouri Commission on Human Rights administers state-level claims.

Missouri's economy is anchored by manufacturing, financial services (Edward Jones, Commerce Bank, Stifel), healthcare (Centene), agriculture, and aerospace (Boeing's St. Louis defense operations). Aerospace and financial services employers have produced sophisticated severance practices that materially exceed the state's legal floor.

How Much Severance Are Missouri Workers Owed?

Missouri employees in aerospace, finance, and healthcare typically receive two to three weeks of severance per year of service for individual contributors. Manufacturing and agriculture come in closer to the modeled midpoint.

Industry Benchmarks for Missouri

In Missouri, St. Louis aerospace and Kansas City finance pay above the modeled midpoint; manufacturing and agriculture come in closer to it.

Frequently Asked Questions — Missouri Severance