Subdivision 1. Prompt payment required. (a) When any such employee quits or resigns employment, the wages or commissions earned and unpaid at the time the employee quits or resigns shall be paid in full not later than the first regularly scheduled payday following the employee's final day of employment, unless an employee is subject to a collective bargaining agreement with a different provision. Wages are earned and unpaid if the employee was not paid for all time worked at the employee's regular rate of pay or at the rate required by law, including any applicable statute, regulation, rule, ordinance, government resolution or policy, contract, or other legal authority, whichever rate of pay is greater. If the first regularly scheduled payday is less than five calendar days following the employee's final day of employment, full payment may be delayed until the second regularly scheduled payday but shall not exceed a total of 20 calendar days following the employee's final day of employment.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a), in the case of migrant workers, as defined in section 181.85, the wages or commissions earned and unpaid at the time the employee quits or resigns shall become due and payable within five days thereafter.
Subd. 2. Nonprompt payment. Wages or commissions not paid within the required time period shall become immediately payable upon the demand of the employee. If the employee's earned wages or commissions are not paid within 24 hours after the demand, the employer shall be liable to the employee for a penalty equal to the amount of the employee's average daily earnings at the employee's regular rate of pay or the rate required by law, whichever rate is greater, for every day, not exceeding 15 days in all, until such payment or other settlement satisfactory to the employee is made. The employer shall also be liable to the employee for the amount of wages and commissions that are earned and unpaid. An employee's demand for payment under this section must be in writing but need not state the precise amount of unpaid wages or commissions. An employee may directly seek and recover payment from an employer under this section even if the employee is not a party to a contract that requires the employer to pay the employee at the rate of pay demanded by the employee, so long as the contract or any applicable statute, regulation, rule, ordinance, government resolution or policy, or other legal authority requires payment to the employee at the particular rate of pay. The employee shall be able to directly seek payment at the highest rate of pay provided in the contract or applicable law, and any other remedies related thereto as provided in this section.
Subd. 3. Settlement of disputes. If the employer disputes the amount of wages or commissions claimed by the employee under the provisions of this section or section 181.13, and the employer makes a legal tender of the amount which the employer in good faith claims to be due, the employer shall not be liable for any sum greater than the amount so tendered and interest thereon at the legal rate, unless, in an action brought in a court having jurisdiction, the employee recovers a greater sum than the amount so tendered with interest thereon; and if, in the suit, the employee fails to recover a greater sum than that so tendered, with interest, the employee shall not pay the cost of the suit, otherwise the cost shall be paid by the employer.
Subd. 4. Employees entrusted with money or property. In cases where the discharged or quitting employee was, during employment, entrusted with the collection, disbursement, or handling of money or property, the employer shall have ten calendar days after the termination of the employment to audit and adjust the accounts of the employee before the employee's wages or commissions shall be paid as provided in this section, and the penalty herein provided shall apply in such case only from the date of demand made after the expiration of the period allowed for payment of the employee's wages or commissions. No employer shall make any deduction, directly or indirectly, from the wages due or earned by any employee, who is not an independent contractor, for lost or stolen property, damage to property, or to recover any other claimed indebtedness running from employee to employer, except as permitted by section 181.79.
Subd. 5. Place of payment. Wages and commissions paid under this section shall be paid in the usual manner of payment unless the employee requests that the wages and commissions be sent to the employee through the mails. If, in accordance with a request by the employee, the employee's wages and commissions are sent to the employee through the mail, the wages and commissions shall be deemed to have been paid as of the date of their postmark for the purposes of this section.
(4128) 1919 c 175 s 2; 1933 c 173 s 2; 1984 c 446 s 2; 1986 c 444; 1997 c 7 art 1 s 85; 1997 c 83 s 6; 1997 c 180 s 1; 2013 c 27 s 2
Structure Minnesota Statutes
Chapters 175 - 186 — Labor, Industry
Section 181.01 — Wages Of Minors; To Whom Paid.
Section 181.02 — Salary Or Wages Not To Be Paid By Nonnegotiable Instruments.
Section 181.03 — Certain Acts Relating To Payment Of Wages Unlawful.
Section 181.031 — Employers Not To Accept Consideration For Securing Employment.
Section 181.032 — Required Statement Of Earnings By Employer; Notice To Employee.
Section 181.04 — Assignment, Sale, Or Transfer Of Wages; When Not Effective.
Section 181.041 — Garnishment; Assignment, Sale, Or Transfer Of Wages; When Not Effective.
Section 181.05 — Consent Of Employer To Assignment Required.
Section 181.06 — Assignment Of Wages; Payroll Deductions.
Section 181.063 — Assignment Of Wages, Public Employees.
Section 181.07 — Assignment Of Unearned Wages As Security.
Section 181.08 — Public Service Corporations; Payment Of Wages, Requirements.
Section 181.09 — Recovery Of Wages, Costs.
Section 181.10 — Wages Paid Every 15 Days.
Section 181.101 — Wages; How Often Paid.
Section 181.11 — Discharged Employee Must Be Paid Within 24 Hours.
Section 181.13 — Penalty For Failure To Pay Wages Promptly.
Section 181.14 — Payment To Employees Who Quit Or Resign; Settlement Of Disputes.
Section 181.145 — Prompt Payment Of Commissions To Commission Salespeople.
Section 181.15 — When Employee Not Entitled To Benefits.
Section 181.16 — Construction Of Sections 181.13 To 181.171.
Section 181.171 — Court Actions; Private Party Civil Actions.
Section 181.172 — Wage Disclosure Protection.
Section 181.1721 — Attorney General Enforcement.
Section 181.275 — Regulating Nurses' Overtime.
Section 181.52 — Interference With Employment.
Section 181.53 — Conditions Precedent To Employment Not Required.
Section 181.535 — Armed Forces Reserves Or National Guard Status.
Section 181.54 — Commissioner Of Human Services, Safety Inspection Work.
Section 181.55 — Written Statement To Employees By Employers.
Section 181.56 — No Statement Given; Burden Of Proof.
Section 181.57 — Application Of Sections 181.55 And 181.56.
Section 181.58 — Surviving Spouse Paid Wages Due.
Section 181.59 — Discrimination On Account Of Race, Creed, Or Color Prohibited In Contract.
Section 181.61 — Medical Examination; Records, Costs.
Section 181.63 — Sale Or Use Of Silicate, Silica Dust, Or Silicon Flour For Certain Purposes.
Section 181.635 — Recruitment; Food Processing Employment.
Section 181.64 — False Statements As Inducement To Entering Employment.
Section 181.645 — Expenses For Background Checks, Testing, And Orientation.
Section 181.66 — Equal Pay For Equal Work Law; Definitions.
Section 181.67 — Wage Discrimination Based On Sex; Protection Of Employees Involved In Proceeding.
Section 181.68 — Actions; Limitations, Damages, Attorney Fees, Parties, Compromises.
Section 181.721 — Construction Bid Equity.
Section 181.722 — Misrepresentation Of Employment Relationship Prohibited.
Section 181.723 — Construction Contractors.
Section 181.73 — Migrant Labor; Health Insurance.
Section 181.74 — Failure Of Employer To Pay Benefits Or Wage Supplements, Penalty.
Section 181.75 — Polygraph Tests Of Employees Or Prospective Employees Prohibited.
Section 181.76 — Disclosure Of Lie Detector Tests Prohibited.
Section 181.78 — Agreements; Terms Relating To Inventions.
Section 181.79 — Wages Deductions For Faulty Workmanship, Loss, Theft, Or Damage.
Section 181.80 — Union Notice Of Injury Or Death.
Section 181.81 — Dismissal For Age; Prohibition; Exceptions; Remedies.
Section 181.82 — Benefits Based On Job Performance Prohibited.
Section 181.83 — Corn Detasselers; Termination Of Employment.
Section 181.84 — Corn Detasselers; Work Conditions.
Section 181.85 — Migrant Labor; Definitions.
Section 181.86 — Employment Statement.
Section 181.87 — Payment Terms.
Section 181.88 — Record Keeping.
Section 181.89 — Civil Actions.
Section 181.90 — Use Wagner-peyser System.
Section 181.91 — Preservation Of Existing Remedies.
Section 181.92 — Leaves For Adoptive Parents.
Section 181.93 — Notice To Employees And Applicants Of Bankruptcy.
Section 181.931 — Definitions.
Section 181.932 — Disclosure Of Information By Employees.
Section 181.933 — Notice Of Termination.
Section 181.934 — Employee Notice.
Section 181.935 — Individual Remedies; Penalty.
Section 181.937 — Reprisals For Failure To Contribute; Civil Action.
Section 181.938 — Nonwork Activities; Prohibited Employer Conduct.
Section 181.939 — Nursing Mothers, Lactating Employees, And Pregnancy Accommodations.
Section 181.940 — Definitions.
Section 181.941 — Pregnancy And Parenting Leave.
Section 181.9412 — School Conference And Activities Leave.
Section 181.9413 — Sick Leave Benefits; Care Of Relatives.
Section 181.942 — Reinstatement After Leave.
Section 181.943 — Relationship To Other Leave.
Section 181.9435 — Division; Investigations, Reports.
Section 181.9436 — Posting Of Law.
Section 181.944 — Individual Remedies.
Section 181.945 — Leave For Bone Marrow Donations.
Section 181.9456 — Leave For Organ Donation.
Section 181.9458 — Authorization For Blood Donation Leave.
Section 181.946 — Leave For Civil Air Patrol Service.
Section 181.948 — Leave To Attend Military Ceremonies.
Section 181.950 — Definitions.
Section 181.951 — Authorized Drug And Alcohol Testing.
Section 181.952 — Policy Contents; Prior Written Notice.
Section 181.953 — Reliability And Fairness Safeguards.
Section 181.954 — Privacy, Confidentiality, And Privilege Safeguards.
Section 181.955 — Construction.
Section 181.957 — Federal Preemption.
Section 181.960 — Definitions.
Section 181.961 — Review Of Personnel Record By Employee.
Section 181.962 — Removal Or Revision Of Information.
Section 181.963 — Use Of Omitted Personnel Record.
Section 181.9631 — Notice Of Employee Rights.
Section 181.964 — Retaliation Prohibited.
Section 181.9641 — Enforcement.
Section 181.966 — Additional Right Of Access To Records.
Section 181.967 — Employment References.
Section 181.970 — Employee Indemnification.
Section 181.9731 — Public Safety Peer Counseling.
Section 181.9732 — Critical Incident Stress Management.
Section 181.974 — Genetic Testing In Employment.