Minnesota Sales Representative

Minnesota Statutes

LABOR, INDUSTRY

CHAPTER 181. EMPLOYMENT

PAYMENT OF WAGES

GO TO MINNESOTA STATUTES ARCHIVE DIRECTORY

Minn. Stat. § 181.13 (2012)

181.13 PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO PAY WAGES PROMPTLY

(a) When any employer employing labor within this state discharges an employee, the wages or commissions actually earned and unpaid at the time of the discharge are immediately due and payable upon demand of the employee. If the employee’s earned wages and commissions are not paid within 24 hours after demand, whether the employment was by the day, hour, week, month, or piece or by commissions, the employer is in default. The discharged employee may charge and collect the amount of the employee’s average daily earnings at the rate agreed upon in the contract of employment, for each day up to 15 days, that the employer is in default, until full payment or other settlement, satisfactory to the discharged employee, is made. In the case of a public employer where approval of expenditures by a governing board is required, the 24-hour period for payment does not commence until the date of the first regular or special meeting of the governing board following discharge of the employee.

(b) The wages and commissions must be paid at the usual place of payment unless the employee requests that the wages and commissions be sent 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 are paid as of the date of their postmark.

181.14 PAYMENT TO EMPLOYEES WHO QUIT OR RESIGN; SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES

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. 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 an additional sum equal to the amount of the employee’s average daily earnings provided in the contract of employment, for every day, not exceeding 15 days in all, until such payment or other settlement satisfactory to the employee is made.

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 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. If, upon such audit and adjustment of the accounts of the employee, it is found that any money or property entrusted to the employee by the employer has not been properly accounted for or paid over to the employer, as provided by the terms of the contract of employment, the employee shall not be entitled to the benefit of sections 181.13 to 181.171, but the claim for unpaid wages or commissions of such employee, if any, shall be disposed of as provided by existing law.

Subd. 5. Place of payment. –Wages and commissions paid under this section shall be paid at the usual place 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.

181.145 PROMPT PAYMENT OF COMMISSIONS TO COMMISSION SALESPEOPLE

Subdivision 1. Definitions. –For the purposes of this section, “commission salesperson” means a person who is paid on the basis of commissions for sales and who is not covered by sections 181.13 and 181.14 because the person is an independent contractor. For the purposes of this section, the phrase “commissions earned through the last day of employment” means commissions due for services or merchandise which have actually been delivered to and accepted by the customer by the final day of the salesperson’s employment.

Subd. 2. Prompt payment required.

(a) When any person, firm, company, association, or corporation employing a commission salesperson in this state terminates the salesperson, or when the salesperson resigns that position, the employer shall promptly pay the salesperson, at the usual place of payment, commissions earned through the last day of employment or be liable to the salesperson for the penalty provided under subdivision 3 in addition to any earned commissions unless the employee requests that the commissions be sent to the employee through the mails. If, in accordance with a request by the employee, the employee’s commissions are sent to the employee through the mail, the commissions shall be deemed to have been paid as of the date of their postmark for the purposes of this section.

(b) If the employer terminates the salesperson or if the salesperson resigns giving at least five days’ written notice, the employer shall pay the salesperson’s commissions earned through the last day of employment on demand no later than three working days after the salesperson’s last day of work.

(c) If the salesperson resigns without giving at least five days’ written notice, the employer shall pay the sales-person’s commissions earned through the last day of employment on demand no later than six working days after the salesperson’s last day of work.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c), if the terminated or resigning salesperson was, during employment, entrusted with the collection, disbursement, or handling of money or property, the employer has ten working days after the termination of employment to audit and adjust the accounts of the salesperson before the salesperson can demand commissions earned through the last day of employment. In such cases, the penalty provided in subdivision 3 shall apply only from the date of demand made after the expiration of the ten working day audit period.

Subd. 3. Penalty for nonprompt payment. –If the employer fails to pay the salesperson commissions earned through the last day of employment on demand within the applicable period as provided under subdivision 2, the employer shall be liable to the salesperson, in addition to earned commissions, for a penalty for each day, not exceeding 15 days, which the employer is late in making full payment or satisfactory settlement to the salesperson for the commissions earned through the last day of employment. The daily penalty shall be in an amount equal to 1/15 of the salesperson’s commissions earned through the last day of employment which are still unpaid at the time that the penalty will be assessed.

Subd. 4. Amount of commission disputed.

(a) When there is a dispute concerning the amount of the salesperson’s commissions earned through the last day of employment or whether the employer has properly audited and adjusted the salesperson’s account, the penalty provided in subdivision 3 shall not apply if the employer pays the amount it in good faith believes is owed the salesperson for commissions earned through the last day of employment within the applicable period as provided under subdivision 2; except that, if the dispute is later adjudicated and it is determined that the salesperson’s commissions earned through the last day of employment were greater than the amount paid by the employer, the penalty provided in subdivision 3 shall apply.

(b) If a dispute under this subdivision is later adjudicated and it is determined that the salesperson was not promptly paid commissions earned through the last day of employment as provided under subdivision 2, the employer shall pay reasonable attorney’s fees incurred by the salesperson.

Subd. 5. Commissions earned after last day of employment. –Nothing in this section shall be construed to impair a commission salesperson from collecting commissions on merchandise ordered prior to the last day of employment but delivered and accepted after termination of employment. However, the penalties prescribed in subdivision 3 apply only with respect to the payment of commissions earned through the last day of employment.

181.171 COURT ACTIONS; PRIVATE PARTY CIVIL ACTIONS

Subdivision 1. Civil action; damages. –A person may bring a civil action seeking redress for violations of sections 181.02, 181.03, 181.031, 181.032, 181.08, 181.09, 181.10, 181.101, 181.11, 181.12, 181.13, 181.14, 181.145, and 181.15 directly to district court. An employer who is found to have violated the above sections is liable to the aggrieved party for the civil penalties or damages provided for in the section violated. An employer who is found to have violated the above sections shall also be liable for compensatory damages and other appropriate relief including but not limited to injunctive relief.

Subd. 2. District court jurisdiction. –An action brought under subdivision 1 may be filed in the district court of the county wherein a violation is alleged to have been committed, where the respondent resides or has a principal place of business, or any other court of competent jurisdiction.

Subd. 3. Attorney fees and costs. –In an action brought under subdivision 1, the court shall order an employer who is found to have committed a violation to pay to the aggrieved party reasonable costs, disbursements, witness fees, and attorney fees.

Subd. 4. Employer; definition. –“Employer” means any person having one or more employees in Minnesota and includes the state and any political subdivision of the state. This definition applies to this section and sections 181.02, 181.03, 181.031, 181.032, 181.06, 181.063, 181.10, 181.101, 181.13, 181.14, and 181.16.

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