What should you do if an employer is not paying you on time?

If employees are not receiving their paychecks in a timely manner, they should contact their state's labor department. Each state sets requirements on the length of time an employer has to pay employees after the end of the pay period.

Employees often rely on their employers to follow the law, but in some cases, employers may not realize their practices violate employee rights. For example, in some states, an employer who is late with payroll may owe its employees additional money on top of their wages as a penalty for being late. In that scenario, if an employer is not paying the penalty fee on top of wages, it is violating two different employee rights.