Worker Protection and Fraud Center

File for Representation

The State Board of Mediation is responsible for determining appropriate bargaining units of public employees that request the establishment of such units and for conducting elections to determine the exclusive bargaining representative for those units.

A petition can be filed with the State Board of Mediation by any public employee, group of public employees, or employee organization claiming to represent a majority of the employees in the proposed bargaining unit. 

Purposes of petitions include:

• Certification for Representation
• Representation Petition Filed by Employer
• Decertification
• Unit Clarification
• Amendment for Certification

Report Your Workplace Injury

If you are injured on the job, report your injury to your employer as soon as possible. Failure to report your injury to your employer within 30 days may jeopardize your ability to receive workers’ compensation benefits.

File a Discrimination Complaint

If you feel you have been discriminated against in:

• Employment
• Housing
• Places of Public Accommodations

In the following protected categories:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• National Origin
• Ancestry

• Sex
• Disability
• Age (Employment Only)
• Familial Status (Housing Only)

Take our assessment to determine if your complaint is within the jurisdiction of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights.

File a Wage Complaint

Minimum Wage

Employers engaged in retail or service businesses whose annual gross income is less than $500,000 are not required to pay employees the state minimum wage rate. Employers not subject to the minimum wage law can pay employees wages of their choosing. If you feel you are not being paid the correct wages, file a minimum wage complaint.

 Missouri's Prevailing Wage Law establishes a minimum wage rate that must be paid to workers on public works construction projects in Missouri, such as bridges, roads, and government buildings. The prevailing wage rate differs by county and for different types of work. The Prevailing Wage Law applies to all public works projects constructed by or on behalf of state and local public bodies. If you feel you are not being paid the correct wages, file a prevailing wage complaint.

File an Unemployment Claim

If you lost your job due to no fault of your own, you can file an initial request and weekly request for unemployment benefits online and view eligibility requirements for benefits.

Report Worker Misclassification

Worker misclassification occurs when a worker is not classified as an employee but should be. Some forms of misclassification occur when workers are not reported at all, such as when working off the books or being paid under the table in cash. Misclassification also occurs when workers are classified incorrectly as independent contractors.

Are being properly classified as a worker? Learn more about the effects of worker misclassification.

Are You Covered by Workers' Compensation?

In the state of Missouri, any employer with five or more employees and any employer in the construction industry with one or more employees is required to maintain workers’ compensation coverage for its employees. An employer in Missouri may satisfy this requirement by either obtaining a workers’ compensation policy or obtaining permission from the Division of Workers’ Compensation (Division) to self-insure its workers’ compensation liabilities.

Follow this three-step process to determine whether an employer has coverage in the state of Missouri through one of the methods above:

1. Click below to see if the employer has obtained a workers’ compensation policy through an insurance carrier. NOTE: If you don’t find the employer through this search, the employer may be authorized to self-insure its worker’s compensation liabilities. Please return to this page to search for a Division authorized self-insured employer under step #2.

2. Click below to see if the employer has been granted authority to self-insure by the Division

3. Click the button below to obtain the revisions to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) manuals that became effective January 1, 2014.

Report Youth Employment Concern

The Missouri Division of Labor Standards provides Missouri employers, parents, school officials, and youth information and training about workplace safety and health program management, youth employment laws, and youth and employer rights and responsibilities. Missouri's Child Labor Law applies to youth under the age of 16. Youth under 14 years of age generally are not permitted to work at any job (other than in entertainment) at any time. Youth who are 14 or 15 generally are permitted to work, but their work (as well as the work of all children in the entertainment industry) is subject to several restrictions.

To ensure the safety and welfare of our working youth, the Child Labor Section aggressively pursues those who attempt to violate the state’s child labor laws. All complaints are investigated and many cases are referred for prosecution. If you believe that a child 14 or 15 years of age is working too many hours or is working a prohibited occupation, complete the Youth Employment Complaint Form or contact the Division to report your concern. The Division also accepts anonymous complaints.

Report Fraud

Our Department investigates all fraud tips and complaints submitted to our office. You can:

Employee, employer, and insurer workers’ compensation fraud

If you believe someone is fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits, report it to the Department.