Paychecks and deductions

Paycheck issuance

When employment ends (fired, laid off, job ended), your paycheck is to be issued within 24 hours of your demand for wages (see Minnesota Statutes 181.13).

If you quit, your wages are due within the next pay period that is more than five days after quitting. However, wages must be paid within 20 days of separation (see Minnesota Statutes 181.14).

In cases where the discharged or quitting employee was entrusted with money or property during employment, the employer shall have an additional 10 calendar-days after the date of the employee's separation to audit the accounts of the employee before the employee's wages are to be paid.

Payroll cards in Minnesota

As of June 3, 2005, employees in Minnesota may receive their wages via a payroll card.

If any company issues or plans to issue payroll cards as a method of paying employees' wages, they are required to file notice of doing business with the commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry and must complete the agency's registration form (above).

The Minnesota law allows employers to offer the option of payroll cards to their employees, as long as the employee has the right to collect wages in an alternative form, such as cash, check or direct deposit.

Instead of receiving a check on payday, the employee's wages are deposited into an account accessible through the payroll card. A payroll card can be used similar to a debit card. An employee can keep a balance on the card to either use at an automated teller machine (ATM) or a retail establishment.

Deductions

No employer can make any deduction from an employee's wages without voluntary written authorization to do so, signed by the employee after the particular debt or loss occurs.

Even with permission, no employer can make any deduction that would bring the employee's gross wages below the minimum wage (see Minnesota Statutes 181.79 and Minnesota Rules 5200.0090).