MN Wage BuddyFree Minnesota wage tools

Wage theft checkup

A few plain questions, two minutes, and a straight answer, including "this looks lawful" when it does. Nothing you click here is stored or sent anywhere; the checkup runs entirely in your browser.

Are there hours you worked that never showed up on a paycheck?

Are there hours you worked that never showed up on a paycheck?

Off-the-clock prep, cleanup, travel between job sites, working through breaks, or shifts that simply vanished.

When you work past 40 hours in a week, what happens?

When you work past 40 hours in a week, what happens?

Does your employer take money out of your check that you never agreed to in writing?

Does your employer take money out of your check that you never agreed to in writing?

Register shortages, broken equipment, customer walkouts, uniforms, tools. In Minnesota these generally require your written authorization after the loss happens.

Did you leave a job and wait on your final paycheck?

Did you leave a job and wait on your final paycheck?

If you earn tips, do managers or the house take a share?

If you earn tips, do managers or the house take a share?

In Minnesota your tips are yours. Tip pooling among coworkers must be voluntary, and no tip credit against minimum wage is allowed.

Are you paid as an independent contractor (1099) while being treated like an employee?

Are you paid as an independent contractor (1099) while being treated like an employee?

They set your hours, supervise your work, provide the tools, and you work mostly or only for them, but there is no W-2, no overtime, no comp coverage.

Did you get a written notice of your pay when hired, and do your paystubs itemize hours, rate, and deductions?

Did you get a written notice of your pay when hired, and do your paystubs itemize hours, rate, and deductions?

Minnesota's wage theft law requires a written wage notice at hire and itemized earnings statements every payday.

Were you hurt at work, or did things change after you reported an injury?

Were you hurt at work, or did things change after you reported an injury?

Cut hours, worse shifts, write-ups, or termination after an injury report is its own protected-rights problem, separate from wage law.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as wage theft in Minnesota?
Failing to pay what the law or your agreement requires: unpaid hours, unpaid overtime, illegal paycheck deductions, keeping employee tips, misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor to avoid wage obligations, or refusing a final paycheck. Since 2019, intentional wage theft has also been a crime in Minnesota (Minnesota Statutes section 609.52).
Does the checkup send my answers anywhere?
No. The checkup runs entirely in your browser, and your answers are never sent to us or stored. If you choose to submit an inquiry at the end, only what you type into that form is transmitted, after you affirmatively agree.
What is the free state option?
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry investigates wage complaints at no cost to the worker. You can reach its Labor Standards unit at 651-284-5075 or dli.laborstandards@state.mn.us. For many small, clear-cut claims that is the fastest path, and this site will tell you so.