Employers are not required to provide vacation pay, holiday pay, or severance pay — these are benefits given at an employer’s discretion. The exception would be instances where an employer has entered into a contract where certain benefits are established by agreement.
Employers are not required to offer paid sick leave or any other type of paid fringe benefit; this is left up to the employer’s discretion, or to any contract the employer may have with its employees. Likewise, an employer may provide sick and vacation benefits to one group of employees, but not to others, as long as the employer does not discriminate based upon age, race, sex, religion, national origin, etc.
If an employee feels he/she is not offered certain benefits based on discrimination, he/she should file a complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.
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