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 New York, the state's labor laws require employers to pay manual workers on a weekly basis, with wages due no later than seven calendar days after the end of the week in which the wages were earned. Non-manual workers must be paid at least semi-monthly. For employees who have been terminated, New York law mandates that employers must provide the final paycheck no later than the regular pay day for the pay period during which the termination occurred. If an employee quits, they should also receive their final paycheck by the next regular payday. These regulations are designed to ensure that employees receive their earned wages in a timely manner and are protected under the New York Labor Law, which outlines specific provisions for the frequency and timing of wage payments.