Getting Paid
Labor Code 61.014 — six days after a firing, and 180 days to claim
A Texas employer pays an employee who is exempt from federal overtime at least once a month, and every other employee at least twice a month, with pay periods as nearly equal in days as possible.
| How the job ended | When the final pay is due |
|---|---|
| How the job endedThe employee was discharged | When the final pay is dueIn full, no later than the sixth day after the discharge |
| How the job endedThe employee left for any other reason | When the final pay is dueIn full, no later than the next regularly scheduled payday |
A wage claim has to be filed by the 180th day after the wages were due. An employee not paid as the chapter requires may file a wage claim with the Texas Workforce Commission, verified by the employee, no later than the 180th day after the date the wages became due. The code calls the 180 day deadline a matter of jurisdiction. The claim may be filed in person, by mail, by fax, electronically or by another method the commission adopts.
An employer may not withhold or divert any part of an employee's wages unless ordered to by a court, authorized by state or federal law, or given written authorization by the employee to deduct part of them for a lawful purpose.
Sources for this section (4)
- Labor Code 61.014 — Payment after termination of employment
- Labor Code 61.051 — Filing wage claim
- Labor Code 61.011 — Paydays
- Labor Code 61.018 — Deduction from wages
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Texas attorney.