We really do need a Wage Payment and Collection Act in Missouri

Here is what happens all too often: The employment relationship goes sour, and then at least three things happen —

• Money due is denied, for maybe final wages, especially final commissions and bonuses, and unused sick time or PTO.
• The employer tries to fight your unemployment benefits.
• The employer trashes you to new employers.

So you go see lawyers, who tell you that the amount of money at stake is too little for the lawyer to devote 200 hours of time to winning your $5000 in lost pay and commissions and PTO time etc. — There is no generic law that lets us collect our fees in most cases, so employers commonly cheat people and get away with it. Welcome to Missouri, a “family-friendly” state.

What needs to happen

• Enact a Wage Payment and Collection Act in Missouri
• Make the act involve some measure of damages, such as double the amount due, to encourage compliance. Is it better to have at least some small damages to encourage compliance, or is it better to not have any penalty? The answer is clear, isn’t it?
• The law should provide for enforcement by the Missouri Department of Labor — Is it better to have the Department of Labor assist people, or is it better that the Department of Labor NOT assist people? The answer is clear.
• In cases where the individual needs to sue to collect, is it better for their lawyer to be able to collect his attorney fees from the cheating employer, or is it better that the lawyer should not be able to get his attorney fees paid by the cheating employer? The answer is clear.

So, to the Missouri Legislature I say —- Enter the 21st Century — Stop being political lapdogs to the big commercial interests, and enact some helpful laws for the common working people of Missouri (But they won’t do that because they are a$$holes who do not care about employee rights — And YOU voted for them)

Article written by | Tim Willoughby