When you have recently secured a job and begun working, you must get curious about your first paycheck. The first paycheck is always thrilling as it is an outcome of your hard work. When can you receive the first Paycheck at A New Job? You can receive your paycheck in the first week or even a few months later depending on your firm.
Each firm has a unique pattern for the payment of its employees. So according to this pattern, you will most likely receive your payments. However, there might even be delays, since they are common with initial paychecks.
When Can You Expect Your First Paycheck?
The first paycheck is a glorious achievement, especially for first-time workers. It gives them a sense of accomplishment and is acknowledging their work. It is an exhilarating event, so no wonder people wait for it.
But when you can get your paycheck largely depends on the policy of your company. As we know, different firms have different payment patterns for their employees. So the payment timings get decided through that pattern.
Let’s say that the firm you work for follows the monthly payment pattern, then you will receive the first paycheck nearly a month later. You can count it from the day you began working at the firm.
However, you must not expect the check on the exact one-month mark. Since your performance till a month gets observed, you will receive the paycheck a couple of days after the one-month mark.
How Do Firms Pay Their Employees?
The payment for all employees depends on the type of work they do. Office jobs for employees usually come with a monthly payment pattern. At the same time, desk jobs like cashiers come with weekly patterns of payment.
Again, it depends on your firm and their payment policies when you will receive the payment for your work. If you look at it, there are broadly four payment patterns that most firms follow for paying their employees:
- Weekly Wages– As the name suggests, the payment gets processed every week for the employees. There is usually a specific weekday for the payment for employees. It is a common pattern for beginner workers working as cashiers or customer associates.
- Biweekly Wages– This payment pattern lets the employer pay their employee every other week. Similar to the weekly pattern, the payments get processed on one decided weekday.
- Bimonthly Wages– Bimonthly wages and biweekly wages are similar as they have almost a similar gap. However, bimonthly wages have pre-decided dates instead of days for payment.
- Monthly Wages– It is possibly the most common pattern of payment, and most firms follow it. In the monthly pattern, the employee receives their paycheck every month. The date is usually towards the beginning of a new month.
What Are the Legal Payment Requirements?
Currently, some states have certain rules and regulations regarding payment patterns. A few states in the USA require that an employee must receive their wages twice a month. On the other hand, some states have no such regulations for payment patterns.
The best way to know about this is to search up the laws of your state. The state you work in would have defined laws regarding the topic which you can find on the internet. Through them, you can understand when you must get paid.
If your firm does not follow the laws, you can talk with your employer about it. Though such cases are rare, most firms follow the state regulations carefully.
Why Are There Delays in Your First Paycheck?
As a new employee, you might be waiting for your first payday for a long time. But when payday comes by, you do not receive your wages then. It might be alarming to you, but it happens more frequently than you would imagine.
The reason for such delays is because you are new. Yes, new employees often face such minor delays in receiving their first paycheck. The reason is that the payment process takes the longest the first time around.
Your employer has to enter all your details into the system and then calculate and give out your wages. On the other hand, the information of older employees is already present in the system so for them, only the calculation remains.
It is why you might face a slight delay in receiving your first paycheck. But even if there is a delay like that, do not worry and wait for some time. If you still do not receive your payment, then you can visit your employer or HR manager to talk about it.
Conclusion
The wait for the first paycheck at your new job is long, so everyone wants to know the exact timings. Since the first paycheck is such an essential achievement for the worker, they would wonder about the time for it.
But the timings for receiving your first paycheck or regular paycheck differs in various firms. There is no set payment day decided for all companies. So the companies can choose the payment pattern they like. You can find out your firm’s pattern and know about the first paycheck.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do all firms have to pay their employees monthly?
No, there is no such rule for firms to pay their employees monthly. The firms can choose to pay their employees weekly, biweekly, monthly, or bi-monthly. Some states have some regulations regarding payment, but not all of them.
- What should I do if my first paycheck gets delayed?
It is alright if your first paycheck gets delayed slightly since it is possible. The first paycheck is technical as you are a new employee, and your data is not already present in the system. So the process may take longer for you than for a regular employee.
- How do I know when my firm will pay me?
The information about the payment pattern usually gets disclosed in the contract itself. If you look at the contract, you will find the section about the payment structure. There you can see the payment timing, amount, taxes, etc.
