# Michigan new hire paperwork: MI-W4, sick time notice and the new hire report

[Home](/) / [Document guides](/documents) / [New hire paperwork](/documents/new-hire-paperwork) / Michigan

By [Arthur Teboul](/authors/arthur-teboul), Founder, DokuTrak. Published 2026-11-04, updated 2026-11-04.

> **In brief:** Michigan new hire paperwork adds three state items to the federal Form I-9 and Form W-4: the employee’s MI-W4 withholding certificate ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)), a written Earned Sick Time Act notice at hiring, and a report to the Michigan New Hires Operation Center. Employers of minors also need the state’s registration and authorization for each minor.

## What is the Michigan new hire paperwork?

In Michigan, the state layer of the packet is short but specific. **Form MI-W4** is the Michigan Employee’s Withholding Exemption Certificate, published by the Department of Treasury ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)). It sits next to the federal Form W-4 because Michigan taxes wages and uses its own exemptions.

The second item is a notice the employer hands over rather than a form the employee fills in. Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act requires written notice to each employee at the time of hiring ([MCL 408.968, Earned Sick Time Act, written notice and poster](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-408-968.pdf)). The third is the new hire report, which the employer files with the state and the employee never sees.

The federal items stay as they are everywhere: Section 1 of Form I-9 by the first day and the employee’s choice of documents. The [new hire paperwork](/documents/new-hire-paperwork) guide covers that federal layer.

## Who sends it, and when

The Michigan Department of Treasury publishes the MI-W4, the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity publishes the sick time notice and poster, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services runs the child support program behind new hire reporting ([Michigan DHHS, Child Support Program Quick Reference Guide for Employers (DHS-Pub-95)](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/DHS-Pub-95_506089_7.pdf)). The employee completes and signs the MI-W4, and the employer keeps a copy with its records ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)).

## Where to get the Michigan new hire paperwork

1. Download the current Michigan withholding certificate from the Department of Treasury and add it to the federal packet.
2. Print the state’s earned sick time notice, fill in your benefit year and give a copy to the new hire.
3. For a minor, register the minor and your business with the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, and wait for its notice before the first shift.
4. Report the hire through the Michigan New Hires Operation Center, online or by fax or mail.

## Wrong files people send instead

- Using the federal Form W-4 alone and leaving Michigan withholding without exemptions because no MI-W4 was filed ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)).
- Posting the sick time poster but never handing the written notice to the new employee.
- Letting a minor start before the state registration and authorization are in place, or relying on an old school-issued work permit.
- Reporting a Michigan worker to the state where the head office sits, not the state where the employee works.

## The Michigan items at a glance

Here is what Michigan adds, who acts and when. Federal forms are left out of the table on purpose.

| Item | Who acts | When | What happens to it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Form MI-W4 ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)) | Employee | On or before the date employment begins ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)) | Employer keeps a copy; Treasury gets one in some cases |
| Earned sick time written notice | Employer | At the time of hiring ([MCL 408.968, Earned Sick Time Act, written notice and poster](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-408-968.pdf)) | Given to the employee; poster displayed at work |
| New hire report | Employer | Within 20 days of hire or rehire ([Michigan DHHS, Child Support Program Quick Reference Guide for Employers (DHS-Pub-95)](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/DHS-Pub-95_506089_7.pdf)) | Michigan New Hires Operation Center |
| Registration and authorization for a minor | Minor and employer, with the state labor department | Before employment starts ([MCL 409.104a, Youth Employment Standards Act, registration of minors](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-409-104a.pdf)) | The department sends its determination to the employer, minor and parent |

## How the MI-W4 works

The employee submits the MI-W4 on or before the first day of work ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)). If they fail or refuse, the employer must withhold Michigan tax with no exemptions at all ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)). So a missing form does not stop payroll, but it usually means higher withholding.

The employer keeps a copy with its records. It must also send a copy to the Department of Treasury when the employee claims 10 or more exemptions or claims to be exempt ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)). An employee whose residency changes or whose exemptions drop files a new certificate within 10 days ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)).

- The instructions on the form explain who may claim to be exempt; walk through them with the employee if asked.
- Check the revision date printed on the form against the version Treasury posts before you reuse old copies.

## The Earned Sick Time Act notice

Michigan law lists what the written notice must cover ([MCL 408.968, Earned Sick Time Act, written notice and poster](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-408-968.pdf)). The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity publishes a notice and a poster that contain it, so you rarely write your own.

- The amount of earned sick time the employee receives.
- How the employer counts its year for accrual.
- The terms on which sick time may be used.
- That retaliation for requesting or using sick time is prohibited.
- The employee’s right to file a complaint with the department.

1. Give the notice in English and Spanish, plus any language that is the first language of at least 10% of your workforce, where the state has translated it ([MCL 408.968, Earned Sick Time Act, written notice and poster](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-408-968.pdf)).
2. Display the poster in a conspicuous place employees can reach, in the same languages ([MCL 408.968, Earned Sick Time Act, written notice and poster](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-408-968.pdf)).
3. Keep a signed receipt of the notice in the personnel file, so you can show it was handed over.

## Reporting the hire in Michigan

Michigan’s quick guide for employers sets the window at 20 days from the date of hire or rehire ([Michigan DHHS, Child Support Program Quick Reference Guide for Employers (DHS-Pub-95)](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/DHS-Pub-95_506089_7.pdf)). In that guide, the **date of hire** is the date the employee first performed services for pay ([Michigan DHHS, Child Support Program Quick Reference Guide for Employers (DHS-Pub-95)](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/DHS-Pub-95_506089_7.pdf)). Employers that report electronically send two transmissions a month, 12 to 16 days apart ([Michigan DHHS, Child Support Program Quick Reference Guide for Employers (DHS-Pub-95)](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/DHS-Pub-95_506089_7.pdf)).

The report carries the federal minimum: employee name, Social Security number, address and hire date, with the employer’s name, address and FEIN ([Michigan DHHS, Child Support Program Quick Reference Guide for Employers (DHS-Pub-95)](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/DHS-Pub-95_506089_7.pdf)). The state guide lists four ways to send it, and the website shows the current options.

- Online at mi-newhire.com.
- By fax or telephone to the Michigan New Hires Operation Center.
- By mail to the center’s post office box in Lansing.
- Multistate employers may register with the federal office and report every hire to one state electronically.

## Hiring a minor in Michigan

Michigan changed how minors are cleared to work. Under the Youth Employment Standards Act, school officers issued work permits, and the employer kept a copy on file at the workplace ([MCL 409.104, Youth Employment Standards Act, work permits (as amended)](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-409-104-amended.pdf)). That system ran until 18 months after the amendment took effect on April 2, 2025 ([MCL 409.104, Youth Employment Standards Act, work permits (as amended)](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-409-104-amended.pdf)).

Now the minor registers with the state, and so does the employer. Under the new rules, an **authorization** is the department’s notice that the job complies with the act, and the employer needs it before the minor starts ([MCL 409.104a, Youth Employment Standards Act, registration of minors](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-409-104a.pdf)). The director sends a determination within 5 days; with no notice by then, the employer may start the minor the next day ([MCL 409.104a, Youth Employment Standards Act, registration of minors](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-409-104a.pdf)). A minor already working legally at the switch keeps working until a change such as a new employer or main work site, or until they turn 16 ([MCL 409.104a, Youth Employment Standards Act, registration of minors](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-409-104a.pdf)).

## The template: Michigan new hire packet cover letter

**Not advice.** This page is general information, not tax, legal or HR advice. Rules change: check the cited source and ask your own professional before you rely on it. Last reviewed October 25, 2026.

Print this on letterhead and put it on top of the packet you send a Michigan hire. Keep the minor clause only for an employee under 18.

```text
[Company legal name]
[Street address, city], Michigan [ZIP]
[Date]

To: [Employee full name]
Re: Your new hire paperwork, start date [start date]

Dear [Employee first name],

Welcome
Welcome to [Company legal name]. This packet holds the forms we need before your first paycheck, both federal and for the State of Michigan.

Federal forms
Please complete Section 1 of the enclosed Form I-9 by your first day, and bring original documents of your choice from the lists printed on it. Complete the federal Form W-4 for income tax withholding.

Michigan withholding
Please complete the enclosed Form MI-W4 and return it on or before your first day. Without it, Michigan law requires us to withhold state tax with no exemptions.

Earned sick time
The enclosed notice explains the earned sick time you will receive, how we count our year ([benefit year]), how to use it and your right to file a complaint. Please sign the receipt at the bottom.

Work permit (optional)
Because you are under 18, Michigan requires you and [Company legal name] to register with the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity before you start. We will confirm your first shift once the department sends its notice.

Company forms (optional)
Also enclosed are our direct deposit form, emergency contact form and handbook acknowledgment. A voided check or a bank letter completes the direct deposit form.

Return
Please return the signed forms to [Your name] by [date], in person or through [upload link]. We report your hire to the State of Michigan, as the law requires of every employer.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[Title]
[Phone] | [Email]
```

Download: [Word](https://dokutrak.com/downloads/pseo-v2/f6-document-guides/new-hire-paperwork/michigan.docx) · [PDF](https://dokutrak.com/downloads/pseo-v2/f6-document-guides/new-hire-paperwork/michigan.pdf)

## Questions people ask

### What paperwork does a new employee fill out in Michigan?

Section 1 of Form I-9, the federal Form W-4 and the Michigan MI-W4 ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)), plus your company forms such as direct deposit. A minor also needs state registration and authorization before starting ([MCL 409.104a, Youth Employment Standards Act, registration of minors](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-409-104a.pdf)).

### When is the Michigan new hire report due?

Within 20 days of the date of hire or rehire, counted from the first day the employee performs services for pay ([Michigan DHHS, Child Support Program Quick Reference Guide for Employers (DHS-Pub-95)](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/DHS-Pub-95_506089_7.pdf)).

### What happens if an employee does not turn in an MI-W4?

The employer must withhold Michigan income tax from wages without allowing any exemptions ([Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf)).

### Do Michigan employers have to give a sick leave notice at hire?

Yes. Employers covered by the Earned Sick Time Act give each employee a written notice at the time of hiring and display the state poster ([MCL 408.968, Earned Sick Time Act, written notice and poster](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-408-968.pdf)).

## Sources

- [Michigan Department of Treasury, Form MI-W4 and instructions](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/taxes/MI-W4_370050_7.pdf): MI-W4 is due on or before the date employment begins; without it the employer withholds with no exemptions; copies to Treasury for 10 or more exemptions or exempt claims.
- [Michigan DHHS, Child Support Program Quick Reference Guide for Employers (DHS-Pub-95)](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/DHS-Pub-95_506089_7.pdf): New hires and rehires are reported within 20 days to the Michigan New Hires Operation Center online, by fax, phone or mail, with the federal data elements.
- [MCL 408.968, Earned Sick Time Act, written notice and poster](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-408-968.pdf): Employers give written notice at hiring covering five items, in English, Spanish and languages of at least 10% of the workforce, and display a poster.
- [MCL 409.104, Youth Employment Standards Act, work permits (as amended)](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-409-104-amended.pdf): Amended section effective April 2, 2025: school-issued work permits kept on file at the workplace until 18 months after the amendatory act that added section 4a; issuing then moves to the director.
- [MCL 409.104a, Youth Employment Standards Act, registration of minors](https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/MCL-409-104a.pdf): From 18 months after the act took effect, a minor must be registered, the employer in compliance and authorized by the department; the director gives notice within 5 days; minors already employed are grandfathered until a change of employer or site, or age 16.

## More on this topic

- [New hire paperwork](/documents/new-hire-paperwork)
- [I-9 documents](/documents/i-9)
- [New employee onboarding checklist](/documents/new-employee-onboarding-checklist)

## About the author

Arthur Teboul (Founder, DokuTrak) is building DokuTrak after watching professionals lose hours chasing clients for documents over email. [Arthur Teboul](/authors/arthur-teboul).

How this page was made (methodology): it is built from the primary sources listed under Sources, and every rule and figure on it links to the source it comes from. Last updated October 25, 2026. Spotted an error or a rule that changed? [Contact us](/contact).

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