When your job ends, you have the right to be paid for all of the work you've done. Whether you quit, you were laid off, or you were fired, your employer must give you a final paycheck that includes all of the wages you have earned. The deadlines and contents of your check depend on Kentucky law.
When Is Your Final Paycheck Due?
Federal law does not set a deadline for your final paycheck. But some states require employers to pay your final paycheck within a set number of days after termination or resignation. And, these deadlines sometimes differ depending on whether you were fired or resigned.
If you leave your job for any reason in Kentucky, whether by your own choice or your employer's action, your employer must pay your final paycheck on the next regular payday or 14 days after the termination or resignation, whichever is later.
What Must Your Final Paycheck Include?
Regardless of any deadlines, your employer must pay you all wages you earned. In some states, this includes any accrued vacation time that you haven't used yet; in others, it does not.
Under Kentucky law, accrued vacation time must be included in your final paycheck.
If you believe a former employer has not paid you all wages you earned, see How Can I Find a Wage and Hour Lawyer in Kentucky?