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Ohio sets its own deadline, its own penalty, and its own rule on unused vacation. Here is what the statute says, what it is worth to you, and where to file if the money never arrives.
Ohio sets no separate deadline for a discharge. Wages must be paid on the employer's regularly scheduled payday, and most employers must pay at least twice a month (Ohio Rev. Code § 4113.15(A)) — so the final check is due on the next regular payday.
Same rule on resignation: the final wages are due on the next regularly scheduled payday, not on the day you leave.
Ohio does not require payout of unused vacation unless the employer's written policy or an employment contract promises it.
Earned commissions are wages under § 4113.15; a written plan can set when they are earned, but not erase commissions already earned.
Ohio Rev. Code § 4113.15(B): if wages stay unpaid for 30 days beyond the regularly scheduled payday, the employer is liable for liquidated damages equal to 6% of the amount still unpaid or $200, whichever is greater — but only for amounts not in good-faith dispute.
On $2,000.00 of unpaid wages, the liquidated damages would be $120.00 (the $200 floor only matters on small claims). Treat that number as leverage in the letter, not as a promise: a court or agency decides what is actually owed, and the penalty provisions usually require the employer to have acted wilfully or without good cause.
File with the Ohio Department of Commerce — Bureau of Wage & Hour Administration, which handles wage claims administratively, usually at no cost. The alternative is small claims court, where the limit for an individual in Ohio is $6,000. Both routes go better with a dated written demand and a certified-mail receipt, because the first question either forum asks is when the employer knew.
Ohio sets no separate deadline for a discharge. Wages must be paid on the employer's regularly scheduled payday, and most employers must pay at least twice a month (Ohio Rev. Code § 4113.15(A)) — so the final check is due on the next regular payday.
Same rule on resignation: the final wages are due on the next regularly scheduled payday, not on the day you leave.
Ohio does not require payout of unused vacation unless the employer's written policy or an employment contract promises it.
Two routes: file a wage claim with the Ohio Department of Commerce — Bureau of Wage & Hour Administration (https://com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/industrial-compliance/wage-and-hour), or sue in small claims court where an individual's claim limit is $6,000. A dated written demand sent first is what makes either route easier, because it fixes the date the employer was on notice.
Only official sources are used: the state labor agency, the statute itself, and where relevant the U.S. Department of Labor. Third-party summary sites are deliberately excluded because they disagree with each other on penalty formulas.
Reviewed 2026-11-03 · reviewed again every 90 days.
being fired · resigning · a layoff · unused PTO · unpaid commissions