Missouri citizens pass paid sick leave law by 58%; Republican lawmakers repeal it

essentialsaltes · Tuesday at 5:14 PM

Warning: This news article may contain details about life in some parts of the US that may be disturbing to foreigners.

‘A literal gut punch’: Missouri workers devastated by Republican repeal of paid sick leave

Being sick is a costly business for Bill Thompson, who worked in the fast-food industry in Independence, Missouri, for more than 30 years, and recently worked at Guitar Center until early July, when he was laid off.

“As an older worker, I have health issues from working on my feet and with my hands for many years with no breaks for eight to 10 hours a day. I have done it for 38 years now, living paycheck to paycheck,” 54-year-old Thompson said, noting in Missouri workers are not mandated breaks of any kind during work.

Thompson helped gather signatures for the paid-sick-leave and minimum-wage-increase ballot initiative because of his experiences of working through illnesses and losing income when he had to take time off to care for his ailing mother.

So when Republicans in Missouri repealed a paid sick leave mandate that the state’s voters approved by 58% after an aggressive lobbying campaign by the Missouri chamber of commerce and industry and other business industry groups, he said, “It was a literal gut punch.

The state’s house and senate passed HB567, signed into law on 10 July by the governor, Mike Kehoe, which repealed the paid sick leave mandate and annual minimum wage increases tied to the consumer price index beyond the increase to $15 an hour in 2016 that voters also approved.

Groups in Missouri are weighing a new ballot initiative to enshrine the law in the state’s constitution, and a 2026 ballot initiative has been filed to require at least 80% of the state legislature to repeal all or parts of a voter-approved measure.

Fantine · Tuesday at 5:25 PM

Local, state, and national Chambers of Commerce are the enemies of workers and the 99%. I attended Chamber of Commerce meetings for ten years in my last job, and while I thought initally as a place to network and promote my employer's business, I eventually learned that they are a powerful lobby working against worker rights.

Whenever the state legislature went into session, I looked at the bills they supported and opposed. If they had their way, workers would be making subminimum wages with no healthcare, pensions, sick or vacation days, overtime, etc.

This is so wrong--and counterproductive. If every business played hardball and paid employees as little as possible who would buy their products? Frequent their restaurants? Get their cars detailed?

When only a small number of people can afford those things, core businesses are in big trouble. When Trump has been in office a little bit longer, many of you will get to experience that firsthand.

Oompa Loompa · Tuesday at 6:12 PM

essentialsaltes said:
Warning: This news article may contain details about life in some parts of the US that may be disturbing to foreigners.

‘A literal gut punch’: Missouri workers devastated by Republican repeal of paid sick leave
Being sick is a costly business for Bill Thompson, who worked in the fast-food industry in Independence, Missouri, for more than 30 years, and recently worked at Guitar Center until early July, when he was laid off.

“As an older worker, I have health issues from working on my feet and with my hands for many years with no breaks for eight to 10 hours a day. I have done it for 38 years now, living paycheck to paycheck,” 54-year-old Thompson said, noting in Missouri workers are not mandated breaks of any kind during work.

Thompson helped gather signatures for the paid-sick-leave and minimum-wage-increase ballot initiative because of his experiences of working through illnesses and losing income when he had to take time off to care for his ailing mother.

So when Republicans in Missouri repealed a paid sick leave mandate that the state’s voters approved by 58% after an aggressive lobbying campaign by the Missouri chamber of commerce and industry and other business industry groups, he said, “It was a literal gut punch.

The state’s house and senate passed HB567, signed into law on 10 July by the governor, Mike Kehoe, which repealed the paid sick leave mandate and annual minimum wage increases tied to the consumer price index beyond the increase to $15 an hour in 2016 that voters also approved.

Groups in Missouri are weighing a new ballot initiative to enshrine the law in the state’s constitution, and a 2026 ballot initiative has been filed to require at least 80% of the state legislature to repeal all or parts of a voter-approved measure.

I think somebody needs to look up the definition of 'literal.'

GoldenBoy89 · Tuesday at 8:02 PM

They should have just voted harder.

NxNW · Tuesday at 8:44 PM

Oompa Loompa said:
I think somebody needs to look up the definition of 'literal.'

On that, we agree.

ozso · Tuesday at 9:53 PM

There's paid sick leave where I work. And most people use it to take a paid day off, when they're perfectly fine. Which they do as often as possible. The joke about me at work is how much accumulated sick time I have. On the rare occasions I take a day off for being sick, I was at the clinic and have a doctor's excuse. So that's one of the biggest problems with it. People exploit the system. Their attitude is "hey I just accumulated another 40 hours of sick pay, time for another 3 day weekend". I wouldn't be surprised if 80% of sick leave is taken by people when they aren't sick.

GoldenBoy89 · Tuesday at 10:20 PM

ozso said:
There's paid sick leave where I work. And most people use it to take a paid day off, when they're perfectly fine. Which they do as often as possible. The joke about me at work is how much accumulated sick time I have. On the rare occasions I take a day off for being sick, I was at the clinic and have a doctor's excuse. So that's one of the biggest problems with it. People exploit the system. Their attitude is "hey I just accumulated another 40 hours of sick pay, time for another 3 day weekend". I wouldn't be surprised if 80% of sick leave is taken by people when they aren't sick.

What, is there some kind of perfect attendance award or something? If I have PTO, I’m taking that time off. Don’t care if it’s vacation or sick leave. It’s my paid time off.

Nithavela · Wednesday at 2:40 AM

GoldenBoy89 said:
What, is there some kind of perfect attendance award or something? If I have PTO, I’m taking that time off. Don’t care if it’s vacation or sick leave. It’s my paid time off.

Sick leave is not supposed to be PTO, it's supposed to be SICK leave. It says so in the name. You take it when you are sick so you can get better and not make other people at your place of work sick.

I think that the treatment of many workers in the USA regarding sickness is barbaric, but having the system present in other countries also requires workers to behave in a responsible manner with their calling off sick, which of course includes only staying away sick when you're actually sick.

I don't think people should get sick days unless they have a written doctor's notice that proves they are too sick to work.

GoldenBoy89 · Wednesday at 3:41 AM

Nithavela said:
Sick leave is not supposed to be PTO, it's supposed to be SICK leave. It says so in the name. You take it when you are sick so you can get better and not make other people at your place of work sick.

I think that the treatment of many workers in the USA regarding sickness is barbaric, but having the system present in other countries also requires workers to behave in a responsible manner with their calling off sick, which of course includes only staying away sick when you're actually sick.

I don't think people should get sick days unless they have a written doctor's notice that proves they are too sick to work.

Thanks but I believe you guys are guaranteed something like a month of vacation where you are. We aren’t, so I’m taking whatever paid time off is mine. I’m not saying I use all my sick days just like PTO but I have used some before and don’t feel the least bit bad about it.

Nithavela · Wednesday at 4:14 AM

GoldenBoy89 said:
Thanks but I believe you guys are guaranteed something like a month of vacation where you are. We aren’t, so I’m taking whatever paid time off is mine. I’m not saying I use all my sick days just like PTO but I have used some before and don’t feel the least bit bad about it.

In germany, it's enough vacation days for 4 weeks of vacation, minimum. So 20 days for someone who works monday to friday, 24 days for someone working on saturday. Most places also give an additional 5 days of vacation time for educational purposes, though a lot of people don't take those.

I guess it's two different ways of going about business. When you're in a system that is based on selfishness, it's completely understandable to act selfishly. This is not disparaging your system per se, it has been quite successful for a long time, and other systems develop their own problems, like too many people living on the dole without ever paying something back.

But if you desire to transition to a different system, all parties must transition.

Desk trauma · Wednesday at 4:59 AM

Have to remind the plebs of their place.

ozso · Wednesday at 5:17 AM

GoldenBoy89 said:
What, is there some kind of perfect attendance award or something? If I have PTO, I’m taking that time off. Don’t care if it’s vacation or sick leave. It’s my paid time off.

That's why they're unwilling to issue sick time PTO. Personally I haven't gotten an award only for being there when I'm supposed to be. I just have a work ethic that doesn't seem to exist among younger generations.

Desk trauma · Wednesday at 5:20 AM

ozso said:
I just have a work ethic that doesn't seem to exist among younger generations.

Said every generation about those that came after them.

ozso · Wednesday at 5:26 AM

Desk trauma said:
Have to remind the plebs of their place.

Yeah you do, because so many people are lazy think they're entitled these days. I see it all the time with younger coworkers. It's just about the easiest work there is, and still they won't even do the bare minimim. They just want to sleep on the job and goof off as much as possible.

ozso · Wednesday at 5:29 AM

Desk trauma said:
Said every generation about those that came after them.

It's gotten to the point where all they can say regarding their work ethic is they clocked in.

Desk trauma · Wednesday at 5:47 AM

ozso said:
Yeah you do, because so many people are lazy think they're entitled these days.

Well they were, passed a referendum making it law and everything, but their betters fixed that.

ozso said:
I see it all the time with younger coworkers. It's just about the easiest work there is, and still they won't even do the bare minimim. They just want to sleep on the job and goof off as much as possible.

Kids these days! A complaint at least as old as written language.

ozso · Wednesday at 5:58 AM

Desk trauma said:
Well they were, passed a referendum making it law and everything, but their betters fixed that.

Probably because they knew it would be exploited.

Desk trauma said:
Kids these days! A complaint at least as old as written language.

You're probably right, lazy goof offs have always been a problem. It's really increased leniency. People get away with what used to get them fired, like being chronically late and caught sleeping on the job. That's probably what the real difference is.

Fantine · Wednesday at 8:13 AM

Nithavela said:
Sick leave is not supposed to be PTO, it's supposed to be SICK leave. It says so in the name. You take it when you are sick so you can get better and not make other people at your place of work sick.

I think that the treatment of many workers in the USA regarding sickness is barbaric, but having the system present in other countries also requires workers to behave in a responsible manner with their calling off sick, which of course includes only staying away sick when you're actually sick.

I don't think people should get sick days unless they have a written doctor's notice that proves they are too sick to work.

Kind of hard when employers don't offer insurance and people can't afford doctors.
Europeans can afford doctors when they're sick.

NxNW · 2025-08-16T10:39:10-0500

Nithavela said:
I don't think people should get sick days unless they have a written doctor's notice that proves they are too sick to work.

It's not your boss's business what your medical situation is. Sick time, like that in the OP, is limited enough that there really isn't enough to abuse.

Plus, taking time off for preventative doctor visits, like a colonoscopy or breast exam, is totally legit, even if you're not sick.

NxNW · 2025-08-16T11:03:26-0500

ozso said:
It's gotten to the point where all they can say regarding their work ethic is they clocked in.

I quit my previous job a few years ago when they were trying to work us off the clock. That was when I learned that HR is not your friend; they tried to cover it up.

Missouri citizens pass paid sick leave law by 58%; Republican lawmakers repeal it

Fact-Based Lifeform

‘A literal gut punch’: Missouri workers devastated by Republican repeal of paid sick leave​

Dona Quixote

Well-Known Member

‘A literal gut punch’: Missouri workers devastated by Republican repeal of paid sick leave​

We're Still Here

Well-Known Member

✦

We're Still Here

you're in charge you can do it just get louis

We're Still Here

you're in charge you can do it just get louis

The pickles are up to something

✦

The pickles are up to something

✦

✦

The pickles are up to something

✦

Dona Quixote

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

‘A literal gut punch’: Missouri workers devastated by Republican repeal of paid sick leave

‘A literal gut punch’: Missouri workers devastated by Republican repeal of paid sick leave