Most states have laws that require employers to pay employees their wages with some minimum frequency—usually either twice a month (semi-monthly) or every other week (bi-weekly)—and some states require weekly or monthly payment of wages.

These laws are known as payday laws and also dictate when an employee who has been fired/terminated or quit must be paid their final paycheck—in some states, immediately; in some states within a certain number of days; and in some states on the next regularly-scheduled payday.

Payday laws vary from state to state and are usually included in a state’s statutes—often in the labor code or other statutes governing employer-employee relations.

In Delaware, the state's Wage Payment and Collection Act stipulates that employers must pay their employees at least once every month on regularly scheduled paydays. Employers are required to establish and maintain regular paydays, and they must notify employees of these paydays. When it comes to the final paycheck for an employee who has been terminated or has quit, Delaware law mandates that the final wages must be paid on the next regular payday either through the usual paying channels or by mail if the employee requests it. The law does not require that the final paycheck be provided immediately upon termination or resignation. These regulations are designed to ensure that employees receive their earned wages in a timely manner and provide a clear framework for the final payment of wages upon the end of employment.