Getting Paid
MCL 408.472 — when wages are due, final pay, and deductions
Michigan's wage payment act sets the latest wages can be paid. An employer with a regular weekly or biweekly payday complies if wages are paid on that payday and it falls on or before the 14th day after the end of the work period. An employer with a monthly pay period complies if wages are paid within 15 days after it ends. An employer may always pay more often.
An employee who quits is paid all wages earned and due as soon as the amount can, with due diligence, be determined. An employee who is discharged is paid immediately, as soon as the amount can with due diligence be determined.
No deduction without written consent, with narrow exceptions. Apart from deductions required or expressly allowed by law or a collective bargaining agreement, an employer may not deduct from wages without the employee's full, free and written consent, obtained without intimidation or fear of discharge. A deduction for the employer's own benefit needs written consent for each paycheck and may not take pay below the state minimum wage rate.
An employer may take back an overpayment caused by a miscalculation, typing or clerical error without consent only within 6 months of making it, after giving a written explanation at least 1 pay period ahead, and the deduction may not exceed 15% of gross wages for that pay period or take pay below the minimum rate.
| The step | The time the act sets |
|---|---|
| The stepAn employee's written complaint to the department | The time the act setsWithin 12 months after the violation |
| The stepThe department's determination, if it cannot resolve the dispute informally | The time the act setsWithin 90 days after the complaint |
| The stepA request by either side for review of that determination | The time the act setsWithin 14 days after the notice, or it becomes final |
| The stepThe hearings officer's decision | The time the act setsWithin 30 days after the hearing ends |
Minimum wage, overtime and tips are governed by other acts and are not covered on this page.
Sources for this section (4)
- MCL 408.472 — When wages have to be paid
- MCL 408.475 — Final pay for an employee who quits or is discharged
- MCL 408.477 — Deductions from wages
- MCL 408.481 — Wage complaints to the department, and review
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Michigan attorney.