Missouri Economic Resource Guide (Overview Flipbook)

Vision Statement

Promote economic vitality, safety and fairness for Missouri’s businesses and workers.

 

Table of Contents

Growing a business

  • Registering for Unemployment Insurance Tax
  • Proper Worker Classification
  • Workers’ Compensation Coverage

Keeping workers safe

  • On-Site Safety and Health Consultation/SHARP
  • Mine and Cave Safety
  • Workers’ Safety Program
  • Missouri Human Rights Commission

Weathering the storm

  • Avoid a Layoff With the Shared Work Program
  • Still Facing a Layoff? We Can Help
  • Employment Transition Team

Additional resources

  • Training and Presentations
  • Workplace Posters

 

Growing a business

Registering for Unemployment Insurance Tax

Employers can sign up at uinteract.labor.mo.gov to pay tax contributions online using our state-of-the-art, fully-integrated system for unemployment insurance tax, benefits and appeals.

UI tax rate statistics

  • Missouri is one of the few states with a minimum UI tax rate of 0%.
  • 25% of contributing businesses had a zero rate.

How is the UI tax rate determined?

  • New employer rate: New employers receive a tax rate assigned to all new employers of the same industrial classification. Find your industry at labor.mo.gov/des/employers/tax-rates.
  • Experience rate: Once an employer becomes eligible, an experience rate is calculated based on the ratio between an employer’s average annual taxable payroll, unemployment claims against its account and taxes paid previously by the employer.
  • Experience rating: The experience rating is an incentive for employers to maintain stable employment, review claims and reduce unemployment. labor.mo.gov/des/employers/tax-rates

Proper Worker Classification

Employees working off the books, being paid under the table in cash or incorrectly treated as independent contractors are considered improperly classified.

A worker may be an employee if they:

  • Get direction on when, where and how to complete work
  • Are paid by the hour, week or month
  • Are reimbursed for business or travel expenses
  • Perform work on the business’s premises
  • Have a continuing relationship with the employer

Improper classification could result in penalties of $50-$1,000 per day, per worker.

Use the online assessment to determine if a worker should be classified as an employee or independent contractor. (Assessment available at labor.mo.gov/off-the-books).

Other things to consider when hiring employees

Common questions include:

  • “What is Missouri’s minimum wage?”
  • “What do I need to pay tipped employees?”
  • “Can I employ youth?”
  • “Am I required to give employees breaks?”
  • “How much am I required to pay for overtime?”
  • “Am I required to provide paid vacation or sick leave?”

Find these answers and more information about youth employment and wage and hour at: labor.mo.gov/dls.

Workers’ Compensation Coverage

Employers must carry workers’ compensation insurance if they:

  • Have five or more employees

    or

  • Are in the construction industry and have one or more employees

Insurance information is available at insurance.mo.gov.

An alternative: Employers and groups of employers may apply to the Division of Workers’ Compensation to self-insure their workers’ compensation obligations, which may save money. (More information available at labor.mo.gov/dwc/employers/insurance).

Beware of these common mistakes:

LLCs are included in the definition of an employer.

  1. LLCs: LLC members may individually elect to reject coverage by providing written notice to the insurance carrier and the employer. If a workplace injury occurs, the member shall not be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits under the LLC’s policy even if working as an employee of the LLC.
  2. General contractor liability: A General Contractor is liable for injuries to uninsured subcontractors or their uninsured employees. Make sure subcontractors have current insurance on all of their employees or you will be held responsible if a workplace injury occurs.
  3. S Corporation Shareholders: Effective January 1, 2018, a shareholder in an “S” corporation who owns at least 40% of the outstanding stock may individually elect to reject coverage by giving written notice to the corporation and its workers’ compensation insurer.
  4. Religious exception: An employer may request an exception for certain employees who are members of a recognized religious sect or division who are opposed to accepting public or private insurance benefits.

 

Keeping workers safe

On-site Safety & Health Consultation Program

We can assist you in making your workplace safer and help avoid costly penalties.

Our consultants assist businesses in being OSHA-compliant by identifying site-specific safety and health hazards without assessing any fines or penalties. We can assist you in making your workplace safer and help avoid costly penalties.

Improve safety and save money

Invest in your workforce by requesting a consultation to:

  • Identify and correct workplace hazards
  • Reduce workplace injuries
  • Save money on workers’ compensation insurance

On-site consultations:

  • Are conducted at no cost to the business
  • Assess no fines or penalties
  • Are completely confidential
  • Are employer-initiated and controlled

You may be SHARP eligible!

The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) is an award program for small businesses that have participated in the On-Site Program and continue to operate safely.

Become a SHARP employer to:

  • Decrease workplace injuries
  • Reduce insurance premiums
  • Cut out-of-pocket expenses
  • Become exempt from OSHA-programmed inspections for up to three years

Learn more at: labor.mo.gov/sharp

Mine and Cave Safety

The Mine Safety and Health Training Program helps miners and the mining community reduce accidents through education, training and hazard elimination and assists miners in implementing safe and healthy work habits.

Trainings include:

  • Safety and Loss Control
  • Substance Abuse
  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
  • Hazard Awareness and Elimination
  • Job Safety Analysis
  • 30 CFR Parts 46, 48, 56, 57 and 77
  • Accident Investigation
  • Revised Missouri Statutes
  • Site Inspections

More information available at labor.mo.gov/dls/mine-cave.

Missouri Workers’ Safety Program

Improving Workplace Safety and Reducing Insurance Costs

We make sure businesses have access to individualized safety and health services by:

  • Ensuring insurance carriers provide individualized safety assistance when requested
  • Maintaining a list of certified safety consultants that offer independent services
  • Offering free safety and health services

Developing a comprehensive safety and health management program can help lower your experience modifier rate below 1.0, saving you money. 

More information available at labor.mo.gov/dwc/mwsp.

Missouri Human Rights Commission

It is the purpose of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights to encourage fair treatment of groups and individuals protected under the law, to discourage discrimination against them and to foster mutual understanding and respect.

Having a diverse and harassment-free workplace helps businesses by:

  • Decreasing Employee Turnover
  • Broadening Service Range
  • Increasing Adaptability
  • Helping Avoid Costly Lawsuits

 More information available at labor.mo.gov/mohumanrights/discrimination.

Training topics include:
  • Workplace Harassment Prevention
  • Discrimination
  • Disability Awareness
  • Overview of the Missouri Human Rights Act
  • And more...

We can also customize a training to fit your business. See full list of trainings at labor.mo.gov/training.

The Missouri Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, and places of public accommodations because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability, age (in employment only), and familial status (in housing only). Accessibility information available at labor.mo.gov/accessible.

 

Weathering the storm

Shared Work, an alternative to layoffs

Shared Work gives employers the flexibility to scale up or scale down the workforce based on changing business needs while retaining skilled employees and reducing labor and turnover costs.

Benefits of Shared Work

  • Businesses: Retain skilled employees during downturns or transition periods and reduce labor costs.
  • Employees: Retain regular benefits and receive a portion of unemployment while continuing to work.
  • Communities: Do not experience the economic impact of full layoffs and retain local skilled workers.

Program example: A business facing a 20 percent reduction in production usually lays off one-fifth of its workforce. Under Shared Work, the firm retains its total workforce on a four-day-a-week basis. Reducing hours from 40 to 32 cuts production by the needed 20 percent. Workers receive wages for the four-day workweek and get unemployment benefits from the Shared Work Program. The business keeps all employees AND reduces labor costs. More information available at sharedwork.mo.gov.

Still facing a layoff? We can help!

If a business is experiencing a temporary layoff of 20 or more employees, we can streamline the unemployment filing process.

  1. Visit uinteract.labor.mo.gov to submit a request for a mass layoff.
  2. Fill out and upload a spreadsheet of affected workers.
  3. We will automatically sign those individuals up for benefits.
  4. Workers complete their weekly request for payment.

Closing or permanently relocating?

Employment Transition Teams are here to help workers transition quickly to new positions. In partnership with the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, we send a team to meet with employees to guide them through the unemployment process and into their next job.

The employment transition team consists of:

  • Workforce Development Representative
  • Unemployment Insurance Representative
  • Local Job Center Representative

 More information available at jobs.mo.gov/employer/ett.

 

Additional resources

Training and presentations

Experts are available to speak to your business or organization. We can even customize a presentation to fit your needs. See a full list of trainings and presentations at: labor.mo.gov/training.

Contact

Stay connected with the Missouri Department of Labor at:

Workplace posters

Employers are required to display certain posters to inform employees and customers of key provisions in law. Required workplace posters are available to download at: labor.mo.gov/posters.

Contact Information

Social media:

Key Divisions and Commissions:

EEO Statement: Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is an equal opportunity employer/program.

Phone: 573-751-4091
FAX: 573-751-4135
TDD/TTY: 800-735-2966
Relay Missouri: 711

Veterans' Survey: If you have served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States and would like information about veterans’ services and benefits, please complete the survey here: mvc.dps.mo.gov/MoVeteransInformation/Survey/DOLIR