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California pay periods and regular payday timing
A payroll calendar should show when work is earned, when inputs are approved and when wages are paid. Review the pay-period arrangement before assuming a software processing schedule meets California payday rules.
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General information, not legal or tax advice.
Map the standard semimonthly periods
DIR says California wages generally must be paid at least twice each calendar month on established paydays. For the standard split, wages earned from the 1st through the 15th are due by the 26th; wages from the 16th through month-end are due by the 10th of the next month.
Sources: DLSE FAQ - Paydays, pay periods, and the final wages
Check alternate payroll-period timing
DIR describes a seven-calendar-day limit after the period ends for weekly, biweekly and other semimonthly arrangements outside the standard split. Map approval and processing dates backward from the applicable payday. Do not treat the payroll provider’s submission deadline as the legal wage-payment deadline.
Sources: DLSE FAQ - Paydays, pay periods, and the final wages
Handle missing timecards and overtime deliberately
DIR says the employer must pay known wages on the established payday even when a timecard is missing. Its overtime rule permits payment by the next regular payroll period’s payday, while straight-time pay cannot be delayed on that basis. Keep an exception log and resolve missing detail promptly.
Sources: DLSE FAQ - Paydays, pay periods, and the final wages
Document calendar changes and employee communication
DIR permits frequency changes with prior notice and compliance with payday rules. It also describes a posted payday notice and an itemized wage statement with payment. Keep approvals and communications with the payroll calendar, and use the separate final-pay guide for employment separations.
Sources: DLSE FAQ - Paydays, pay periods, and the final wages
Coordinate paydays with an effective-date change
DIR confirms the statewide minimum wage becomes $17.40 per hour on January 1, 2027. As a payroll-calendar control, identify any period spanning that date and preserve the approved rate change with the time detail. The payday schedule and rate-effective date answer different questions and should both be visible to the payroll preparer.
Sources: DIR: confirmed 2027 minimum wage and exempt salary announcement
Sources: map the standard semimonthly periods
Related records and decisions
Organize a workable payroll calendar
Tidwell helps organize payroll inputs, review records and support payroll reporting. We coordinate tax questions with your CPA and leave employment-law interpretation with your legal adviser.