Paycheck, sick leave, and final pay check

First moves

1. 1

   Save your pay stubs, schedule, time records, texts, offer letter, handbook, sick leave balance, and final check.

2. 2

   Write down the pay period, payday, hours worked, rate of pay, tips, commissions, and any piece-rate work.

3. 3

   Compare the pay stub to your own notes: regular hours, overtime, deductions, net pay, and sick leave.

4. 4

   Check the state minimum wage. Then check if your city, county, industry, or job has a higher rate.

5. 5

   For sick leave, check how much you earned, how much you used, and what the pay stub shows.

6. 6

   If the job ended, write down whether you were fired, laid off, or quit, plus your last day and any 72-hour notice.

7. 7

   If you earned vacation or PTO, check whether it was paid with the final check.

8. 8

   If payroll does not fix it, check the Labor Commissioner's wage-claim page and gather the support documents.

Watch for

1. 1

   The 2026 statewide minimum wage is $16.90 per hour. Some local, fast-food, and health-care rates can be higher.

2. 2

   State payday rules generally call for regular paydays. Some pay schedules have special timing rules.

3. 3

   The state paid sick leave page says many workers get at least 40 hours or five days each year. Local rules can give more.

4. 4

   If you are fired, final wages are usually due right away. If you quit, the 72-hour notice rule matters.

5. 5

   Earned vacation or PTO is treated like wages. Sick leave usually is not paid out when the job ends unless a policy says so.

6. 6

   A late final check can raise waiting-time penalty questions, but the Labor Commissioner or court decides the real result.

7. 7

   Off-the-clock work, missed overtime, meal or rest breaks, tips, commissions, and piece-rate pay need careful records.

8. 8

   Do not rely on a verbal promise to fix it later if a deadline or proof problem is building.