Getting Paid
Lab. Code 201 — the last check, 72 hours, and 30 days of waiting time pay
| How the job ended | When the last wages are due |
|---|---|
| How the job endedThe employer discharged the employee | When the last wages are dueImmediately |
| How the job endedThe employee quit and gave at least 72 hours' notice | When the last wages are dueAt the time of quitting |
| How the job endedThe employee quit without that notice | When the last wages are dueNot later than 72 hours after quitting, by mail if the employee asks and gives an address |
Wages paid late on the way out keep running as a penalty, for up to 30 days. If an employer willfully fails to pay the final wages of an employee who is discharged or quits, the employee's wages continue as a penalty at the same rate from the due date until they are paid or a suit is filed, for not more than 30 days. An employee who hides to avoid payment, or refuses it when fully tendered, loses the penalty for that time.
Most wages are due twice each calendar month on regular paydays set in advance. Work from the 1st through the 15th is paid between the 16th and the 26th of that month, and work from the 16th to the end of the month is paid between the 1st and the 10th of the next. Weekly, biweekly or semimonthly payroll paid within seven calendar days after the period closes also meets the rule.
- Gross wages earned, and net wages earned.
- Total hours worked, and each hourly rate in effect with the hours worked at it.
- Every deduction.
- The dates of the pay period.
- The employee's name and only the last four digits of the social security number, or an employee identification number.
- The name and address of the legal entity that is the employer.
An employee injured by a knowing and intentional failure to give an accurate wage statement may recover actual damages or $50 for the first pay period and $100 for each later one, up to $4,000. A current or former employee may ask to inspect or copy payroll records, and the employer complies within 21 calendar days.
Sources for this section (5)
- Lab. Code 201 — Wages due immediately on discharge
- Lab. Code 202 — Wages due when an employee quits
- Lab. Code 203 — Waiting time penalties for wages not paid on time
- Lab. Code 204 — Regular paydays
- Lab. Code 226 — The itemized wage statement
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed California attorney.