Missouri Workers’ Compensation

• Is Missouri Workers’ Compensation insurance required?
• How does Workers’ Comp work?
• How much is Missouri Workers’ Compensation?
• Who is exempt from Missouri Workers’ Compensation insurance?
• How NEXT helps Missouri small business owners

Is Missouri Workers’ Compensation insurance required?

For most businesses In the state of Missouri, the law is that you are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance if you have five or more employees.

Employees who are full-time, part-time, seasonal, temporary or family members are all included in the overall employee count. If you are an officer in a corporation or a member of a limited liability company (LLC), you also count as an employee.

If you’re in the construction industry, then you must carry workers’ compensation insurance if you have one or more employees.

Employers that don’t have the required number of employees or who have employees in exempt categories may choose to decline coverage. However, exempt business owners who decide not to purchase workers’ comp insurance in Missouri or to self-insure remain exposed to civil lawsuits brought by employees who are injured during work.

While not always mandatory, all businesses can benefit from the important financial protection workers’ compensation insurance provides to both owners and employees.

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How does Workers’ Comp work?

If one of your employees ends up hurt or sick while at work, your Missouri workers’ compensation policy can help cover payments for:

• Emergency treatment
• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Death benefits

If an employee is injured at work, they must report their injury within 30 days or they risk receiving benefits.

If approved, the claim is processed and the injured employee receives benefits.

Workers’ comp benefits in Missouri include:

• Temporary total disability (TTD), which is when a doctor finds that workers are unable to return to work due to injury or they are off work recovering from surgery.

• Permanent partial disability means that a work injury affects a worker’s ability to do certain work tasks but they’re still able to work in some capacity (but not necessarily the job they were doing before the injury).

• Permanent total disability means that the worker is no longer able to work at any job.

There is a three-business-day waiting period when compensation is not paid if they’re unable to work. But if a worker remains unable to work for more than 14 days then the three-day waiting period will be paid. Disability payments and medical bills are paid by your workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation benefits are tax-free for employees in the state.

Missouri Workers’ Compensation death benefits

If an employee dies on the job, Missouri workers’ compensation laws allow the dependents, usually a surviving spouse or dependent children, to collect a death benefit that is 66 2/3% of the average weekly wage that was paid in the year immediately preceding their death. This amount is potentially subject to a maximum set by the state.

Employers, or their insurer, must also cover up to $5,000 in funeral expenses.

In Missouri, exact workers’ compensation rates can vary by both industry and profession. Even within your business, you might have employees who are classified within different risk levels. The state determines the specifics of rates based on a couple of different factors:

• The class codes of your employees.
• The number of employees you have.
• Your history of claims, if any.
• Where you operate your business.

Learn more about workers’ compensation coverage.

How much is Missouri Workers’ Compensation?

Workers’ compensation costs vary across industries. Factors that influence price include:

• The number of employees and the type of work they do.
• Your total payroll.
• Your insurance claims history.
• The locations where you do business.

Get a free instant quote in about 10 minutes from NEXT to see your workers’ comp insurance costs.

Who is exempt from Missouri Workers’ Compensation insurance?

According to Missouri state law, an employee may request an exception from workers’ compensation if they’re members of a recognized religious sect or division that are conscientiously opposed to accepting public or private insurance benefits.

Other exemptions include:

• Farm labor, domestic servants in a private home including family chauffeurs, or occasional labor in a private household.
• Qualified real estate agents and direct sellers.
• Prisoners or inmates, as well as patients or residents in a state mental health facility.
• Volunteers in a non-profit organization.
• Adjudunct workers, sports officials or contest workers for school programs.

How NEXT helps Missouri small business owners

NEXT offers an easy way to get a free workers’ compensation insurance quote, purchase coverage and instantly share a certificate of insurance in about 10 minutes.

NEXT strives to resolve every claim quickly. Learn more about our claims process and how our claims advocates will work with you after an employee injury.

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