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Final Paycheck Laws in Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, final wages are paid on the employer's regular pay schedule whether the employee is fired or quits, and earned vacation must generally be paid out if the employer has a written vacation policy without a written forfeiture rule.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Wisconsin at a glance

Deadline if fired
Regular pay schedule
Deadline if employee quits
Regular pay schedule
Accrued vacation paid out
Depends on written policy
Generally owed if a written vacation policy exists and it has no written forfeiture policy. Vacation itself is not required.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Wisconsin

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

Deadline if fired in Wisconsin: Regular pay schedule.

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

Deadline if employee quits in Wisconsin: Regular pay schedule.

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

Depends on written policy. Accrued vacation paid out in Wisconsin: depends on written policy. Generally owed if a written vacation policy exists and it has no written forfeiture policy. Vacation itself is not required.

Where do the Wisconsin final paycheck laws come from?

The rules above come from Wis. Stat. ch. 109. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

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.