Is it legal for an employer to change pay periods without notice in NC?
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Is it legal for an employer to change pay periods without notice in NC?
I’ve been working for a company in North Carolina for almost 2 years now, and the
entire time the pay period has been bi-weekly a check every 2 weeks. Well this
past Friday, instead of receiving the usual 2 week check we only received a 1
week check, being the end of the month this is causing considerable strain on my
ability to pay my rent. Is this legal? Is there anything I can do about it? We
have been told that we will receive the rest this next week. Also, when first
starting the job, it takes 6 WEEKS to receive your first check. 95 of employees
are 1099 sub-contracted if that makes a difference.
Asked on June 25, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, North Carolina
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
Yes, it is legal for the employer to change pay periods and to do so without notice: the law in your state allows bi-weekly (every two weeks) pay, semimonthly (twice a month, generally on or about the 15th and the 30th) or even monthly (once a month) pay, so any of those are legal, and also allows employers to change between them at will. Employment, in the absence of a written employment contract to the contrary, is "employment at will"; among other things, this means that the employer controls most facets of the job and can change them at will, including pay periods or frequency.
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