My last paycheck bounced, what do I need to do?

First, tell your employer what happened and ask for them to re-issue the check (and also they should compensate you for any bounced check fees). It's possible it was completely innocent--a mistiming of moving funds into a payroll account. If you don't understand or agree with what your payroll or HR person says or does, you may need to go over his/her head to resolve the matter.

However, if they won't reissue the check or don't have an explanation that you find believable or acceptable, that may mean the company is out of money or there is fraud involved. If the company doesn't pay you what it owes you, your only recourse would be to sue, which would be difficult if there's no money to win. In that case, you should first start looking for other employment while deciding on the legal action.