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The Mandate Monitor

What employers in Wisconsin must do

Checked November 8, 2026From the agencies that run each program

Short answer

Most employers in Wisconsin must pay at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour; Wisconsin doesn’t set a higher one.

Wisconsin has no state paid family and medical leave insurance program.

Running payroll in Wisconsin? See the do-it-yourself route and list prices for the 8 payroll systems that say they file payroll taxes.

Wisconsin requirements at a glance

RequirementStatusWhat it means for you
Minimum wageIn effect$7.25 an hour for most workers

Pay rules Wisconsin employers must follow

Paydays
At least once a month, with no more than 31 days between paydays. Logging and farm workers: at least every three months.
Final paycheck, fired
By the next regular payday.
Final paycheck, quit
By the next regular payday.
Meal breaks
No state requirement for adults, except migrant workers (a 30-minute meal period within 6 hours of continuous work). The state recommends a 30-minute meal break near the usual mealtime.
Rest breaks
No state requirement for adults, except migrant workers not employed only in farm work (at least 10 minutes within each 5 hours of continuous work). Breaks shorter than 30 minutes must be paid.
Overtime
Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. The state overtime law doesn’t apply to most non-profit organizations, though it does cover employees at places such as restaurants and hotels they run.
New hire reporting
Within 20 days of hire, to the Wisconsin New Hire Reporting Center

From the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 8, 2026.

Upcoming Wisconsin deadlines

No dated Wisconsin deadlines on file right now. Federal year-end filings still apply.

Deadline calendar for every state · How to hire your first employee · Employer law changes for 2027 · All states

Sources

  1. Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Equal Rights Division (Labor Standards)
  2. State Payday Requirements (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  3. Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  4. Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  5. State Minimum Wage Laws, including premium (overtime) pay after designated hours (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  6. Wages (Labor Standards), Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (read Nov 7, 2026)
  7. Breaks and meal periods, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (read Nov 8, 2026)
  8. Reporting Fundamentals, Wisconsin New Hire Reporting Center (read Nov 7, 2026)
  9. Hours of Work and Overtime, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (read Nov 8, 2026)
  10. Wis. Stat. § 103.935, Hours of labor (migrant workers), Wisconsin Legislature (read Nov 8, 2026)