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 Rhode Island, the state's payment of wages law requires employers to pay employees at least once every calendar week, unless the Department of Labor and Training has approved payment at longer intervals, which cannot exceed once every month. Employers must pay wages within nine (9) days after the end of the pay period during which the wages were earned. This is outlined in Rhode Island General Laws Section 28-14-2.3. When an employee is terminated or fired, the employer is required to pay the employee all wages due by the next regular payday, as per Section 28-14-4. If an employee quits, the final paycheck is also due by the next regular payday. These regulations ensure that employees receive timely payment for their work and that final wages are disbursed promptly upon the end of employment.