Minnesota · Compliance · Updated April 2026

MN pay frequency: at least every 31 days.

Minnesota requires employers to pay wages at least every 31 days on a regular payday set in advance — under Minn. Stat. § 181.101. This is a more permissive cadence than New Jersey's twice-monthly requirement, allowing weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly cadence (since monthly satisfies the 31-day max). The simpler cadence is balanced by Minnesota's stricter Wage Theft Act exposure on any timing slip — late pay even by a single day triggers civil liquidated damages and potential criminal liability.

Maximum Cadence
31 days
Cadence Choice
Weekly to monthly
Authority
Minn. Stat. § 181.101
Active

Pay Frequency Configuration

Validates pay cadence at 31-day maximum. Allows weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly cadence. Validates regular payday is set in advance. Surfaces Wage Theft Act exposure on any timing slip.

Block cadence beyond 31 days
Late pay = Wage Theft Act exposure
Always running

What those rules do as cadence is configured and run.

The hero card configuration: Block on non-compliant cadence, Critical on Wage Theft Act exposure.

Block · cadence beyond 31 days

When a worker is configured for a cadence that exceeds 31 days between paydays, the configuration is blocked. Weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, and monthly cadences all qualify.

Critical · late pay = wage theft exposure

Any paycheck delivered after the scheduled payday triggers Wage Theft Act exposure under Minn. Stat. § 181.03. Civil: liquidated damages + attorney fees. Potential criminal: gross misdemeanor or felony based on amount.

Skip the configuration

Deploy Minnesota pay frequency in your Teambridge.

Tell us about your Minnesota workforce. We'll spin up cadence validation, payday timing alerts, Wage Theft Act exposure tracking, and 21 other Minnesota policies in a sandbox tenant.

Or book a 30-min walkthrough. We respond within 4 business hours.

The rule, plainly stated

31-day maximum, regular payday set in advance.

The 31-day maximum is more permissive than most states (NJ twice-monthly, CA biweekly), but the Wage Theft Act's criminal exposure makes timing precision essential.

Minn. Stat. § 181.101 — Wages, How and When Paid: Every employer doing business in this state shall pay all wages or commissions earned by an employee at least once every 31 days on a regular payday designated by the employer.

31-day maximum cadence

Minnesota allows wages to be paid at least every 31 days. This effectively permits any cadence from weekly to monthly: weekly (every 7 days), biweekly (every 14 days), semi-monthly (twice per month), or monthly (every 30-31 days). Most operators run weekly or biweekly. Monthly cadence is uncommon but legal under the 31-day rule. The choice is the employer's, subject to the requirement that the payday be set in advance and not changed without notice.

Regular payday set in advance

The payday must be designated by the employer in advance. Workers must know when they will be paid; surprise cadence shifts are not permitted. Changing the payday cadence (e.g., switching from biweekly to semi-monthly) requires advance notice. The 'set in advance' requirement is the operational defense in wage timing disputes.

On autopilot

Teambridge enforces the 31-day cadence and gates payroll close on payday timing.

Late pay timing — not cadence configuration — is where most operators encounter Wage Theft Act exposure.

01 · Cadence at hire

31-day maximum enforced.

When a new worker is added, pay cadence is set: weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly. Cadences beyond 31 days are blocked.

02 · Payday calendar set in advance

Designated paydays scheduled.

Each cadence has a fixed payday calendar set in advance. Changes require advance notice — no surprise cadence shifts.

03 · Pre-payroll deadline countdown

Critical alerts before payday.

As the payday approaches, Teambridge surfaces Critical alerts if payroll has not been finalized. Late close = Wage Theft Act exposure.

04 · Wage Theft Act exposure on slip

Civil + criminal liability tracked.

If a paycheck slips past the scheduled payday, the exposure is calculated immediately: civil liquidated damages + attorney fees, plus potential criminal threshold tracking.

Free · No commitment

Still evaluating? Get a free Minnesota compliance audit.

Send us your existing Minnesota scheduling and pay configuration. Our compliance team returns a written audit within 5 business days — every Minnesota-specific exposure ranked by risk and back-pay liability.

FAQ

People also ask.

What is Minnesota's pay frequency requirement?
At least every 31 days on a regular payday designated by the employer. This effectively permits any cadence from weekly to monthly: weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly all qualify.
Can Minnesota employers pay monthly?
Yes — monthly cadence (every 30-31 days) qualifies under the 31-day rule. Most operators run weekly or biweekly, but monthly is legal.
What's the exposure on late pay?
Wage Theft Act civil exposure (liquidated damages + attorney fees) plus potential criminal exposure (gross misdemeanor for $1,000-$5,000; felony above $5,000) under Minn. Stat. § 181.03. Even a single day late on a single paycheck creates civil exposure.
Can the payday be changed?
Yes, with advance notice to workers. The new payday must be designated before the change takes effect; surprise cadence shifts can create wage timing claims.
Do final pay rules follow the 31-day cadence?
No. Final pay rules (immediate on termination per § 181.13; next-payday on quit per § 181.14) override the 31-day cadence. Final paychecks are governed by separate statutes.