The state of Michigan, like most states, has rules in place that specify when employers must pay employees. Companies that do not follow the state's laws on processing payroll checks can incur penalty fees. Additionally, Michigan has strict laws relating to bounced checks, and depending on the circumstances involved, your employer may violate labor laws and criminal laws by issuing checks that bounce.

Pay Day

Under Michigan labor law, your employer must pay you for the hours you work during the first 15 days of the current month on or before the first day of the next month. Your employer must pay you on or before the 15th day of the next month for the work you perform between the 16th day and the last day of the current month. If you harvest crops for a living, your employer must pay you for the work performed during the current week, on or before the second day of the following week.

Termination

When you resign from your job voluntarily or are fired, your employer must pay you for the hours you worked using the same payroll schedule that would have applied if you were still employed. If you work as a crop harvester, and you lose your job or resign, your employer must pay you any outstanding wages within one day of your termination of employment. If an employer terminates a contracted employee, the employer must estimate the wages that are due to that employee and pay that employee at the time of termination. The employer must make any necessary adjustments after the employee's contract comes to an end.

Penalties

In the state of Michigan, you can file a civil lawsuit or you can file a complaint with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs if your employer fails to pay your wages in compliance with state law. If your employer pays you late or your paycheck bounces, the Department of Labor can open a civil suit on your behalf and compel your employer to pay the unpaid wages as well as a matching amount to cover legal fees and damages. The state of Michigan can also conduct an inquiry to find out whether other employees were paid late or not at all.

Bad Checks

In instances involving paychecks that bounce, you should contact your employer and seek your unpaid wages as well as compensation to cover any returned check fees that were imposed by your bank. In some instances, bounced checks occur because of simple clerical errors, but employers that willfully issue bad checks can face stiff penalties. In Michigan, you commit fraud if you issue a check even though you know the account lacks the necessary funds to cover the check. Guilty parties face fines of up to $500 and the writers of the checks can face up to two years in prison.