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Final Paycheck Laws in Michigan

In Michigan, final wages are due on the regularly scheduled payday for the period in which employment ends, whether the employee quits or is fired, and vacation is paid out only as the written contract or policy provides.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Michigan at a glance

Deadline if fired
Next regular payday
Deadline if employee quits
Next regular payday
Accrued vacation paid out
Depends on written policy or contract
Vacation is a fringe benefit paid according to the written employment contract or written policy.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Michigan

When is a final paycheck due in Michigan if the employee is fired or laid off?

Deadline if fired in Michigan: Next regular payday.

When is a final paycheck due in Michigan if the employee quits?

Deadline if employee quits in Michigan: Next regular payday.

Does Michigan law require employers to pay out accrued vacation when a job ends?

Depends on written policy or contract. Accrued vacation paid out in Michigan: depends on written policy or contract. Vacation is a fringe benefit paid according to the written employment contract or written policy.

Where do the Michigan final paycheck laws come from?

The rules above come from Mich. Comp. Laws 408.475, Mich. Admin. Code R. 408.9007, Mich. Comp. Laws 408.471 and Mich. Comp. Laws 408.473. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

The statute (MCL 408.475) says wages are due as soon as the amount can with due diligence be determined; the state administrative rule sets the regularly scheduled payday for the period of termination. Hand harvesters have shorter deadlines.

What this means in practice

Note the exact last day of work and how the job ended, since the deadline often runs from that date and may differ for a firing, a layoff or a resignation. Some statutes also change the deadline when an employee quits without giving notice.

Read the employer's written vacation or paid time off policy and any employment contract. Where state law leaves vacation payout to the employer, the policy terms usually decide whether unused time is paid out or forfeited.

If a final paycheck is late or short, the state labor department usually accepts wage claims, often without a lawyer. Some statutes add penalties for late payment, such as extra daily wages, so keep pay stubs, timesheets and any written communication about the final pay.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.