When your employer must pay, what they must include, and what you can do if they're late.
Enter your last day and pay schedule — get the specific date your check is legally due.
→ Use the CalculatorMissouri is among the stricter states when it comes to final paycheck timing. If you are terminated — fired, laid off, or let go for any reason — your employer is required to pay your final wages immediately, at the time of discharge. There is no grace period, no "next payday" allowance, and no administrative delay permitted.
This rule applies whether it's a surprise termination or a planned one. If you're called into a meeting and told your employment is ending, your employer should have your final check ready in that meeting, or trigger a same-day direct deposit. Any delay after you walk out the door means your employer is already in violation of Mo. Rev. Stat. § 290.110.
If you resigned, the timeline is different — see the deadline box above for your specific quit deadline under Missouri's law.
If your employer in Missouri fails to pay your final wages on time, they face a significant consequence: your wages continue to accrue at your regular rate of pay — as a penalty — for up to the number of days specified in Mo. Rev. Stat. § 290.110. This "wage continuation" penalty is one of the more powerful employer deterrents in the region.
In practice, this means the longer your employer delays, the more they owe. If your daily rate is $200 and they're 30 days late, you're owed $6,000 in penalty wages on top of whatever they already owe you — and the penalty keeps accruing up to the statutory cap.
File a wage claim with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to trigger this penalty. The agency will calculate and apply it as part of your claim.
Missouri does not have a blanket law requiring employers to pay out unused vacation or PTO when an employee separates. Whether you receive a payout depends on your employer's written policy and any employment contract you signed.
If your employer's policy says PTO or vacation will be paid out upon separation, they are generally bound by that promise — and failure to honor it could be a wage violation. But in the absence of such a policy, Missouri does not impose a payout obligation by law.
Review your employee handbook or offer letter carefully. If you believe you are owed PTO that was contractually promised, raise the issue when you file a wage claim.
If your employer hasn't paid your final wages on time, your primary resource is the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Filing a wage claim is free and does not require an attorney. The process generally works like this: you submit a written complaint, the agency contacts your employer, and a settlement conference or hearing is scheduled if the employer disputes the claim.
Most employers respond quickly once a formal wage claim is opened — because penalties and interest often keep accruing during the dispute, delaying resolution makes their situation worse. Come prepared with your last pay stub, your separation date, time records if available, and any written communication about your final paycheck.
Alternatively, you can file a lawsuit in small claims court (for amounts within the small claims limit) without an attorney, or hire a private employment attorney for larger claims. Many employment lawyers handle wage theft cases on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless they recover wages for you.
Immediately — at the time of separation. Under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 290.110, this applies to all involuntary separations — firings, layoffs, and employer-initiated terminations of any kind.
Your next regular payday under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 290.110. If you gave advance notice, check whether that changes the deadline — some states require same-day payment when sufficient notice is given.
Missouri imposes a wage continuation penalty — your daily wages keep accruing as a penalty for every day the payment is late, up to the statutory cap. The longer your employer delays, the more they owe. File a wage claim with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to trigger this penalty calculation.
Missouri does not require PTO payout by law. Whether you receive it depends on your employer's written policy. If a payout was promised in your employee handbook or contract and not delivered, you may have a claim — but the state does not mandate it by default.
No. Missouri law does not permit any processing delay for terminated employees. Your employer must pay at the time of discharge. Saying they need time to 'process' is not a valid excuse — the Waiting Time Penalty (or equivalent) begins immediately.
File a wage claim with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations — it's free and does not require an attorney. Gather your last pay stub, separation date, and any time records or emails about your final pay. Most employers resolve claims quickly once a formal complaint is filed, because penalties and interest keep accruing during delays.