Michigan · Unpaid wages · Updated Oct 2026

Michigan wage claims: how to get your unpaid pay

Not paid for all your hours, no overtime, or no final paycheck? Here is Michigan’s minimum wage, the final-paycheck rules, the deadlines and where to file, in plain English.

$13.73minimum wage in 2026
$5.49tipped cash wage
Nodaily overtime
See the rulesfinal pay if fired
See belowtime limit to file (see details)

Where to file in Michigan

Wage claims in Michigan go to this state office. Filing is usually free.

Office
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) - Wage and Hour Division
Phone
855-464-9243
Languages
Complaint form available in Spanish; Spanish and Arabic minimum wage publications (LEO)
File onlineOfficial wage claim page

For federal minimum wage and overtime you can also contact the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: 1-866-487-9243. How federal claims work.

How to file a wage claim in Michigan

  1. Gather your records

    Dates and hours worked, your pay rate, pay stubs or bank deposits, texts or schedules, and the employer's name and address.

  2. Ask in writing first (optional)

    A demand letter gives your employer a deadline to pay and shows you tried. Use the free letter on this page.

  3. File with Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity

    File a free complaint with the Wage and Hour Division online (michigan.gov/wageclaim), in person at a Wage and Hour office, or on the paper Wage and Benefit Complaint Form; call 1-855-4MI-WAGE (855-464-9243) to get a form. Include pay stubs and your record of hours. The Division notifies the employer, investigates and tries to settle; if that fails it issues a written decision (usually within 90 days for unpaid wages and fringe benefits), and either side can ask for a review and a hearing within 14 days. For minimum wage and overtime you can also sue in court yourself.

  4. Watch the deadline

    Unpaid wages or fringe benefits (final pay, late pay, vacation, illegal deductions): file with the Wage and Hour Division within 12 months (MCL 408.481). Minimum wage and overtime: file a claim or sue within 3 years (MCL 408.939). Retaliation under the wage payment act: complain within 30 days (MCL 408.483).

Minimum wage and overtime in Michigan

Michigan's minimum wage is $13.73 an hour since January 1, 2026, for employers with 2 or more employees (workers 16 and older). Minors 16-17 may be paid 85% ($11.67), and new workers under 20 may get a $4.25 training wage for their first 90 days. It rises to $15.00 on January 1, 2027, then is adjusted for inflation each year starting in 2028.

Minimum wage (2026)
$13.73
Tipped cash wage
$5.49
Next change
$15.00 on January 1, 2027 (tipped rate rises to 42% of the minimum wage)

Overtime

Non-exempt workers must get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a 7-day workweek. Michigan has no daily overtime.

Paydays: At least twice a month on set dates (wages for the 1st-15th by the 1st of the next month, and for the 16th-end of month by the 15th), or on a regular weekly or biweekly payday no more than 14 days after the work period ends; monthly pay must come within 15 days after the month ends (MCL 408.472).

Your final paycheck in Michigan

If you are fired or laid off
By law, immediately - as soon as the amount can be figured out with due diligence (MCL 408.475(2)). The Wage and Hour Division says you must receive your wages on the regular payday for the pay period in which you were discharged.
If you quit
As soon as the amount can be figured out with due diligence (MCL 408.475(1)); the Division says by the regular payday for the period in which you quit. Hand-harvest farm workers who quit must be paid within 3 days.
Law
MCL 408.475

When was your final paycheck due in Michigan?

Enter how your job ended and your last day of work. We show your state’s rule and, when the rule is a simple number of days or your next payday, the date.

Enter your last day of workThe result appears when you pick a date.

Dates are approximate: we skip weekends for business and working days but not holidays. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Penalties your employer may owe

For unpaid wages and fringe benefits, the state orders the employer to pay what is owed plus 10% a year from the time the employer is notified of the complaint; if the violation is flagrant or repeated, up to twice the amount owed as extra (exemplary) damages; and it may order attorney and hearing costs and a civil fine up to $1,000 (MCL 408.488). For minimum wage or overtime violations, you can recover the unpaid amount plus an equal amount as liquidated damages, costs and reasonable attorney fees (MCL 408.939).

Retaliation and immigration status

Your employer may not fire or discriminate against you because you filed a wage complaint, started or testified in a proceeding, or used your rights under the wage payment law. File a retaliation complaint with the Division within 30 days; it can order you rehired with back pay (MCL 408.483).

Federal law also makes it illegal to fire or punish you for filing a wage complaint or cooperating in an investigation (US DOL Fact Sheet #77A).

The US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforces federal wage law without regard to immigration status, and its services are free and confidential whether you are documented or not (US DOL).

Deductions and tips

Except for deductions required by law or a union contract, your employer cannot deduct anything without your full, free written consent; deductions for the employer's benefit need consent for each paycheck and cannot drop your pay below minimum wage. Overpayments from math or clerical errors can be taken back only within 6 months, with 1 pay period's written notice and no more than 15% of a paycheck (MCL 408.477). Tipped workers can be paid $5.49 an hour in 2026 (40% of the minimum wage) only if they are told about the tip rules, receive and report tips, and tips plus wages reach $13.73; otherwise the employer must make up the difference.

Good to know in Michigan

  • Watch the 12-month deadline: claims for unpaid wages and fringe benefits to the state are much shorter than the 3 years allowed for minimum wage and overtime.
  • Michigan's tipped wage is rising each year: 40% of minimum wage in 2026, 42% in 2027, reaching 50% in 2031 (LEO FAQ).
  • Your employer must give you a pay statement showing hours worked, gross wages, deductions and pay dates (LEO Payment of Wages page).

Forms

Wage-theft calculator for Michigan

Work out what you should have been paid: at least the minimum wage for every hour, plus overtime. Then compare it with what you got.

If a higher city or county minimum wage applies where you work, enter that rate if it is more than you were promised.

Before taxes, if you know it. Leave it empty to see only what you were owed.

Fill in your pay, hours and weeksThe result appears as you type.

Michigan overtime rule: Non-exempt workers must get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a 7-day workweek. Michigan has no daily overtime.

Penalties your employer may also owe in Michigan: For unpaid wages and fringe benefits, the state orders the employer to pay what is owed plus 10% a year from the time the employer is notified of the complaint; if the violation is flagrant or repeated, up to twice the amount owed as extra (exemplary) damages; and it may order attorney and hearing costs and a civil fine up to $1,000 (MCL 408.488). For minimum wage or overtime violations, you can recover the unpaid amount plus an equal amount as liquidated damages, costs and reasonable attorney fees (MCL 408.939).

Tipped workers: this calculator does not count tips. In many states your employer may pay a lower cash wage if your tips make up the difference to the minimum wage; see your state’s page.

An estimate from the numbers you enter and Michigan’s rules, not legal advice. Nothing you type in this calculator is sent anywhere.

Free demand letter for unpaid wages

A short, firm letter asking your employer to pay what it owes by a deadline. Many workers get paid at this step, and in some states a written demand starts penalties or makes the employer pay your attorney fees later. Fill this in, then download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it), sign it, keep a copy and send it in a way you can prove, such as certified mail or an email you keep.

When you download or copy the letter, the details you typed are saved on our server. See our privacy policy.

The name on your pay stubs, checks or the business sign. If you only know the owner’s name, use that.

Use the calculator above if you are not sure.

We suggest 10 days.

What were you not paid? (required)

One or two sentences with dates, hours and amounts.

Questions about wage claims in Michigan

Where do I file a wage claim in Michigan?

With Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) - Wage and Hour Division. Phone: 855-464-9243. File a free complaint with the Wage and Hour Division online (michigan.gov/wageclaim), in person at a Wage and Hour office, or on the paper Wage and Benefit Complaint Form; call 1-855-4MI-WAGE (855-464-9243) to get a form. Include pay stubs and your record of hours. The Division notifies the employer, investigates and tries to settle; if that fails it issues a written decision (usually within 90 days for unpaid wages and fringe benefits), and either side can ask for a review and a hearing within 14 days. For minimum wage and overtime you can also sue in court yourself.

What is the minimum wage in Michigan in 2026?

Michigan's minimum wage is $13.73 an hour since January 1, 2026, for employers with 2 or more employees (workers 16 and older). Minors 16-17 may be paid 85% ($11.67), and new workers under 20 may get a $4.25 training wage for their first 90 days. It rises to $15.00 on January 1, 2027, then is adjusted for inflation each year starting in 2028.

Does Michigan have daily overtime?

Non-exempt workers must get 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a 7-day workweek. Michigan has no daily overtime.

When is my final paycheck due in Michigan if I'm fired?

By law, immediately - as soon as the amount can be figured out with due diligence (MCL 408.475(2)). The Wage and Hour Division says you must receive your wages on the regular payday for the pay period in which you were discharged.

When is my final paycheck due in Michigan if I quit?

As soon as the amount can be figured out with due diligence (MCL 408.475(1)); the Division says by the regular payday for the period in which you quit. Hand-harvest farm workers who quit must be paid within 3 days.

How long do I have to file a wage claim in Michigan?

Unpaid wages or fringe benefits (final pay, late pay, vacation, illegal deductions): file with the Wage and Hour Division within 12 months (MCL 408.481). Minimum wage and overtime: file a claim or sue within 3 years (MCL 408.939). Retaliation under the wage payment act: complain within 30 days (MCL 408.483).

What can my employer owe besides my wages in Michigan?

For unpaid wages and fringe benefits, the state orders the employer to pay what is owed plus 10% a year from the time the employer is notified of the complaint; if the violation is flagrant or repeated, up to twice the amount owed as extra (exemplary) damages; and it may order attorney and hearing costs and a civil fine up to $1,000 (MCL 408.488). For minimum wage or overtime violations, you can recover the unpaid amount plus an equal amount as liquidated damages, costs and reasonable attorney fees (MCL 408.939).

Can my employer fire me for filing a wage claim in Michigan?

Your employer may not fire or discriminate against you because you filed a wage complaint, started or testified in a proceeding, or used your rights under the wage payment law. File a retaliation complaint with the Division within 30 days; it can order you rehired with back pay (MCL 408.483).

Employer still won't pay? Small claims court is often the next step for amounts under the state limit.

Small claims in Michigan
Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.

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