One rule · checked 19 October 2026
Fire someone in California and their final pay is due immediately.
California Labor Code 201 makes every dollar earned due at the moment of discharge, not on the next payday. An employee who quits gets a different deadline.
The short version
Under Labor Code 201, when you discharge an employee, every dollar they've earned is due immediately. Have the check ready at the meeting.
If they quit without notice, you have 72 hours. If they gave 72 hours' notice, pay them on their last day.
Miss it willfully, and their daily wage keeps running as a penalty, up to 30 days.
In numbers
| What happened | Final pay is due |
|---|---|
| You discharge the employee | Immediately |
| They quit with at least 72 hours' notice | At the time they quit |
| They quit without notice | Within 72 hours |
| You willfully pay late | Their daily wage keeps running as a penalty, up to 30 days |
Sources
Checked on 19 October 2026.
"If an employer discharges an employee, the wages earned and unpaid at the time of discharge are due and payable immediately."
California Labor Code section 201. Subdivision (a). "his or her wages shall become due and payable not later than 72 hours thereafter, unless the employee has given 72 hours previous notice of his or her intention to quit, in which case the employee is entitled to his or her wages at the time of quitting."
California Labor Code section 202. Subdivision (a), for an employee without a written contract for a definite period. "the wages of the employee shall continue as a penalty from the due date thereof at the same rate until paid or until an action therefor is commenced; but the wages shall not continue for more than 30 days."
California Labor Code section 203. Subdivision (a), when an employer willfully fails to pay.
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