On September 12, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a bulletin reminding employers that they cannot require their employees to receive wages on a payroll card. The bulletin also explains some of the federal consumer protections that apply to payroll cards, such as fee disclosure, access to account history, limited liability for unauthorized use and error resolution rights. The CFPB has heard  

reports of employers, particularly in the retail and food service industries, distributing wages solely through payroll cards. Federal law, however, prohibits employers from mandating that employees receive wages exclusively on a payroll card.… Some employees receiving wages on employer-sponsored payroll cards have complained of unexpected fees for activities such as ATM use, teller withdrawals, and checking the balance of a card.… Payroll card holders are entitled to receive disclosures of any fees that they may incur for electronic transfers of funds to or from the card. These disclosures must be clear, in writing, and in a form that consumers may keep.  

A complete copy of the bulletin is available here.