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 Mississippi, there is no state law that dictates the frequency with which employers must pay their employees, meaning there is no requirement for semi-monthly, bi-weekly, weekly, or monthly wage payments under state law. Employers are free to establish their own pay schedules. However, federal law, specifically the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), does require that wages be paid on the regular payday for the pay period covered. Regarding the final paycheck for an employee who has been terminated or has quit, Mississippi does not have a specific law that requires an employer to provide the final paycheck within a certain timeframe. Therefore, in the absence of a state statute, the payment of final wages would typically be expected on the next regularly scheduled payday or possibly according to any terms outlined in the employer's established policies or an employment contract, if applicable.