The deadline, and what it depends on
By your next regularly scheduled payday. The date depends on your pay schedule, not on when you were let go.
It depends on your pay schedule, not on the day you left. Two people who leave on the same day can have deadlines a week or more apart.
The statute tells a discharged employee's employer to pay immediately, as soon as the amount can with due diligence be determined, and Michigan's labor department applies both quits and discharges as the regular scheduled payday for the pay period. The only fixed deadline is 3 days, and it covers employees engaged in any phase of the hand harvesting of crops who leave voluntarily.
What “next regular payday” means
“Next regular payday” means the next date your employer would normally have paid you had you stayed. It is not a fixed number of days: paid weekly, it is at most a week away; paid monthly, it can be a month.
That is why the calculator asks for your pay schedule first. Take any recent payday from a pay stub and it works out the date for you.
Unused PTO — is it owed?
Only if your employer's written policy or agreement promises it. Michigan treats vacation as a fringe benefit, not wages: it is owed only under a written contract or written policy, and must then be paid on those terms. Check your handbook, offer letter or any PTO policy you signed; if it says accrued time is paid out, that promise is enforceable.
What happens if they are late
The state must order the unpaid wages and fringe benefits plus a penalty of 10% a year, running from when the employer is notified of your complaint until it pays. Where the violation is flagrant or repeated it may also order up to twice the wages and benefits as exemplary damages (MCL 408.488).
How to file a claim in Michigan
File a written complaint with the Michigan LEO Wage and Hour Division within 12 months of the violation — 30 days for a retaliation complaint. The department must issue a determination within 90 days. Filing is free, and you do not need a lawyer.
- Ask in writing first. Email creates a dated record.
- Send a short demand letter naming the amount, the deadline, and any penalty that applies in Michigan.
- File the wage claim. Keep copies of pay stubs and your schedule — the time card calculator can total the unpaid hours for you.
Michigan final paycheck: common questions
Can they hold my last check until I return my equipment?
No. In Michigan your final wages are due by the deadline on this page whether or not you have returned a laptop, uniform or keys. Your employer can ask for the equipment back or pursue its cost separately, but federal law bars deductions for it that would cut your pay below minimum wage or eat into overtime.
Do I get paid for unused vacation?
Only if your employer's written policy or agreement promises it. Michigan treats vacation as a fringe benefit, not wages: it is owed only under a written contract or written policy, and must then be paid on those terms. Check your handbook, offer letter or any PTO policy you signed; if it says accrued time is paid out, that promise is enforceable.
What if I quit without notice?
No. Quitting without notice does not forfeit anything you earned in Michigan. Your final pay is due by your next regular payday, exactly as if you had given notice. Notice only changes the timing, and only where state law says so.
When is my final paycheck due in Michigan if I am fired?
By your next regularly scheduled payday. The date depends on your pay schedule, not on when you were let go. Everything you earned is due on that deadline, along with any unused vacation your state or your policy makes payable.
What happens if my final paycheck is late in Michigan?
The state must order the unpaid wages and fringe benefits plus a penalty of 10% a year, running from when the employer is notified of your complaint until it pays. Where the violation is flagrant or repeated it may also order up to twice the wages and benefits as exemplary damages (MCL 408.488).
Spotted something wrong? Report an error.
Other states that also tie the deadline to your next payday: Arizona, Delaware and Illinois.
Worked across a state line? Indiana final paycheck law, Ohio final paycheck law and Wisconsin final paycheck law.