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California final paycheck timing
A departure can create a payroll deadline outside the normal run. Record whether the employee was discharged or resigned, the notice given and the actual departure time before organizing final wages and accrued vacation.
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General information, not legal or tax advice.
Prepare for immediate payment on discharge
DIR states that a discharged employee must receive all wages, including accrued vacation, immediately at termination. Arrange the payroll review before a planned discharge so the final payment does not wait for the next routine payroll cycle.
Sources: DIR Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE) FAQ - Paydays/Final Pay
Use the resignation notice to establish timing
An employee who gives at least 72 hours’ notice and quits on the stated day must be paid at quitting. Without that notice, final wages are due within 72 hours; the employee may request mailing to a designated address. Preserve the notice and any mailing request in the separation file.
Sources: DIR Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE) FAQ - Paydays/Final Pay
Reconcile the final wage components
Gather time through departure, unpaid earnings and the accrued vacation record. The DIR payday guidance includes accrued vacation in final wages. As a practical control, reconcile those inputs with the most recent payroll to identify items already paid and items still outstanding.
Sources: DIR Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE) FAQ - Paydays/Final Pay
Understand the waiting-time exposure
For a willful failure to pay final wages, DIR describes a penalty based on the employee’s daily pay for each calendar day unpaid, up to 30 days. Weekends and holidays count. The daily rate includes regularly scheduled overtime, though not occasional overtime. Direct a disputed calculation to counsel promptly.
Sources: DIR Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE) FAQ - Paydays/Final Pay; DIR Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE) FAQ - Waiting Time Penalty
Keep delivery evidence with the payroll record
Retain the final calculation, approval and payment evidence together. Give the reviewer the actual sequence of events rather than a reconstructed summary. If there is uncertainty about a special separation situation, ask counsel to determine the rule before assuming the ordinary payroll calendar controls.
Sources: final wages
Prepare departure records before payroll is due
Tidwell helps assemble final payroll inputs and payment records under the employer’s reviewed instructions.