If your employer hasn't paid your final wages, this page lays out exactly what Missouri law requires, what it costs your employer to ignore it, and how a properly cited demand letter invokes both. Every deadline, penalty, and citation below was verified against the current statute text or official state guidance.
Missouri's final paycheck deadlines at a glance
| If you were fired or laid off | Due ON THE DAY OF DISCHARGE, "without abatement or deduction"; written request → 7-day fuse → penalty backdated to discharge day |
| If you quit | No statutory deadline or penalty (§ 290.110 covers discharge only) — FLSA next-payday baseline |
| The penalty for nonpayment | Wages CONTINUE from the date of discharge at the same rate until paid, capped at 60 days — the penalty backdates |
When your final paycheck is due in Missouri
Discharged workers (including refusal to further employ) are owed their unpaid wages at the contract rate, "without abatement or deduction," on the day of discharge (§ 290.110). The worker may then request payment in writing — and if the money or a valid check doesn't arrive within 7 DAYS of that request, the penalty fires. Missouri's statute covers discharge only: workers who quit fall back on the FLSA next-regular-payday baseline with no state penalty.
What late payment costs your employer
The penalty backdates: wages continue from the DATE OF DISCHARGE — not day 7 — at the same rate until paid, capped at 60 days. That's up to roughly two months' wages for silence. No minimum amount of unpaid wages is required to trigger it (Doores v. Intercontinental Eng'g, 670 S.W.2d 65 (Mo. App. 1984)). One exception: commission employees whose duties include collections or stock care, where an audit is customary.
Why the demand letter matters in Missouri
THE WRITTEN REQUEST IS THE TRIGGER — AND SPEED IS PART OF THE LAW. Missouri courts have held demands sent 90–180 days after discharge UNTIMELY (Monterosso v. St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 368 S.W.2d 481 (Mo. 1963)); the request must be made promptly. A same-week demand letter both perfects the penalty right and avoids the staleness trap — the strongest "generate your letter today" framing in the Midwest.
Vacation and PTO in the final check
Policy-governed.
The Monterosso staleness trap: a demand delayed months after discharge can forfeit the penalty entirely. The page leads with urgency, not as marketing but as caselaw.
Every figure on this page was verified against the current statute text or official state guidance.
Send the written request promptly — delayed demands have been held untimely (Monterosso).
What a strong Missouri demand letter looks like
An effective Missouri letter does the following: recite "without abatement or deduction" against any offset games, date the written request, calendar day 7, and state that the penalty — once triggered — runs from the discharge date itself. Here's how the opening of a strong one reads:
This preview stops here on purpose. Your complete, court-ready letter — with the RSMo § 290.110 penalty computation and the escalation warnings tailored to Missouri — generates in 60 seconds.
Get My Complete Letter — $9Need more? Bundle of 3 — $19 · Family Pack — $39
Our guarantee: not happy with your letter? We’ll regenerate it or refund it — email support@writemydispute.com.
Primary sources
revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=290.110
www.missouriemploymentlawattorney.com/labor-employment-blog/2011/september/missouri-final-wage-payment-law/
This guide is general information about Missouri law, not legal advice. Statutes are paraphrased; verify current law for your situation. For significant or contested claims, consult a licensed Missouri attorney.