# Outlawing bi-weekly paychecks, could it work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 24, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477 "2011-02-24T18:33:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/81 "2011-02-28T15:10:17Z")
On reflection, I guess you could just insist that employees hand over information about their various credit cards and utility bills and the attendant billing schedules and have the company just pay them directly, taking the money out of the employee’s salary. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/82 "2011-02-28T15:38:36Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > On reflection, I guess you could just insist that employees hand over information about their various credit cards and utility bills and the attendant billing schedules and have the company just pay them directly, taking the money out of the employee’s salary. Even better yet, we could have companies establish “Company Stores” like the coal mines did in the Appalachians. You buy all your good/services from the company store and the company just deposits your pay into your account. You wouldn’t have to “manage” all that dirty money on your own - just let the Company take care of everything for you…:dubious: As Tennessee Ernie Ford sang: “I owe my soul to the Company Store” ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/83 "2011-02-28T15:45:39Z")
My first job paid semi-monthly (which is, obviously, different from bi-weekly). That was fine. I had some bills that got paid out of the first one, such as the rent; others that got paid out of the second one (the credit cards). The company talked about switching everyone to a monthly pay cycle, as a cost savings measure (longer float for them, less processing expenses). That first month would have been grim - paid at the end of the previous month, then nothing for a month. It would have been quite tough to save up a half month’s worth of expenses to cover it… They quashed that plan because of a requirement in one of their states of operation, that people below a certain level HAD to be paid more often. Phew. Fast forward: working in DC, living in VA. Getting paid semi-monthly. Promotion, meant paycheck is now monthly (though, oddly, on the 25th vs the last). Since we were a 2-income household that switch wasn’t too painful after the first month. **Typo Knig** has, oddly, had nothing but biweekly paychecks for the past 18+ years. Those are kind of an annoyance. You plan on using the first one of the month for the mortgage, and the second one for other stuff, but the dates creep up every month and pretty soon the mortgage one is coming on the 22nd, the 21st… then the 15th etc. It’s pretty bizarre. On the other hand, some months you get an “extra” paycheck. All in all, though: give me semi-monthly! ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/84 "2011-02-28T21:54:18Z")
I got paid monthly at my first job outta college. (I don’t remember what I needed to do that first while before I got paid - probably mooched off the parents if I needed to.) It was OK. We managed. El Hubbo was still in school, and there were a few months where that last $20 (or $10, or none) had to last us the week before the 1st rolled around again. If I had to go back to it, I could make it work, probably. Currently, El Hubbo gets paid semi-monthly, I get paid fortnightly. It often works out that the paychecks come alternate weeks, so it rather feels like we get paid every week. It’s kind of nice. ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/85 "2011-03-01T16:29:08Z")
Jesus, this _is_ stupid. I can’t for the life of me figure out why getting paid once a month would be any different than twice a month. Either the money’s in your account when you pay the bills, or it’s not. Are you so fiscally immature, so lacking in basic adult life skills, so irresponsible, that you need your company/government to ration out your pay for you, to prevent you from 'spending it all? :rolleyes: There are lots of advantages to paying once a month - first and foremost, it cuts payroll dept time, cost, and labor by more than half, since they’re doing the payroll 12 times a year instead of 26. This can be significantly cheaper for smaller businesses that may well be using payroll services that charge per-payroll. The vast majority of bills/rents/leases etc are settled monthly. There’s no good reason why wages shouldn’t be the same way. If you’re forcing companies be less efficient and more costly simply out of laziness and and a lack of basic planning skills that every adult should have before they’re allowed to reproduce…well, sucks to be you. ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/86 "2011-03-01T16:38:17Z")
> [@I\_Am\_The\_Lorax](#): > > When the paycheck comes in (every other Friday in our case), we pay rent and bills first, and eat what’s left. Sometimes that means I have to feed a family of five for two weeks on $100. And take money for gas out of that, and money for field trips, and car repairs. The next check can never come soon enough. > > If we had to wait three weeks or so for more money, we’d be in a constant state of panic, and hunger. Huh? if you previously had $100 for a bit under two weeks, you’d now have $200 + whatever would have been left over from the second paycheck, to last a bit under four weeks. You’re getting paid the same amount of money. Unless you’re saying you don’t trust yourself to not waste the money if you have it all at once. That’s a different problem. A galatically stupid problem, but different. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/87 "2011-03-01T19:53:45Z")
This has got to be one of the stupidest OPs I’ve ever read. It tries to solve a problem that doesn’t exist with a solution that wouldn’t work. Dumb, dumb, dumb. If people can’t or won’t budget due to lack of funds, lack of maturity, or lack of planning paying them more or less often won’t make any difference at all. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/88 "2011-03-01T23:59:56Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Not really, no. My bills come in monthly (one of them quarterly), but not on the first. They’re scattered all over the calendar. For your scheme to have value, the employer would have to inquire what the employee’s expenses and billing cycles were, and I don’t see a whole lot of employees coughing up said info, nor that all employees would have similar (or similar _enough_) finances to make it worthwhile. (I was being sarcastic, and this is not my scheme.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/89 "2011-03-02T00:22:09Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > Jesus, this _is_ stupid. I can’t for the life of me figure out why getting paid once a month would be any different than twice a month. Either the money’s in your account when you pay the bills, or it’s not. Are you so fiscally immature, so lacking in basic adult life skills, so irresponsible, that you need your company/government to ration out your pay for you, to prevent you from 'spending it all? :rolleyes: > > There are lots of advantages to paying once a month - first and foremost, it cuts payroll dept time, cost, and labor by more than half, since they’re doing the payroll 12 times a year instead of 26. This can be significantly cheaper for smaller businesses that may well be using payroll services that charge per-payroll. > > The vast majority of bills/rents/leases etc are settled monthly. There’s no good reason why wages shouldn’t be the same way. If you’re forcing companies be less efficient and more costly simply out of laziness and and a lack of basic planning skills that every adult should have before they’re allowed to reproduce…well, sucks to be you. Please lose that self righteous, judgmental, wagging finger, and report back when your shit don’t stink. I’ve grew up in exactly the situation you ignorantly and condescendingly dismiss. There’s a certain income level where it’s a constant struggle to keep food, let along gas or bus fair to get to work going, lord help you if you want a roof to come back to. With 2 weeks if you have a bad check, well it sucks, but at least it isn’t all month. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Am\_The\_Lorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19adc/32.png) [@I\_Am\_The\_Lorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Am_The_Lorax)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/90 "2011-03-02T00:54:49Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > Huh? if you previously had $100 for a bit under two weeks, you’d now have $200 + whatever would have been left over from the second paycheck, to last a bit under four weeks. You’re getting paid the same amount of money. > > Unless you’re saying you don’t trust yourself to not waste the money if you have it all at once. That’s a different problem. A galatically stupid problem, but different. A month is four and a half weeks, not “a bit under four” and where is this leftover money coming from? And if you think a box of generic diapers is “wasting”, then yeah, I pretty much guarantee we would “waste” some money. :rolleyes: Sure, same amount of money, but when you have less than enough, having less than enough less often is going to hurt for a lot longer. You seem to think it’s a budgeting problem, and I’m trying to tell you it’s not, it’s an income problem for sure. I mean, I can budget that $200ish for a month, but will I be able to stick to it when my husband is heading out the door for work without even a sandwich for the fourth day in a row? No. You have a “galactically stupid problem”, thinking everyone’s situation is just like yours. Just for shits and giggles, try making a meal for five people for $3.50. Imagine doing it everyday, and managing unexpected expenses. Then tell me how well your budget is working. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/91 "2011-03-02T01:37:09Z")
My husband and I own 17 rental properties; of these 17, I’d say four of my tenants have regular jobs. The rest are on disability or government assistance of some kind. Let me tell you what I observe with them: most of them _do_ pay their rent the 1st of the month (or the 3rd if they are on disability), and then they have plenty of cigarettes and beer for the next 2-3 weeks. The last week of the month, they’re wandering around, seeing who they can hit up for $20.00 to get them through. So, from my observations, getting paid monthly does _not_ help with budgeting. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/92 "2011-03-02T02:50:52Z")
**ENOUGH** with the “stupid” comments. While technically within the rules of attacking the post, not the poster, the way that several of you have waved the word “stupid”\* around, it is pretty clear that your intention is to insult the poster. Knock it off. There is no need to attack any person regarding the scheme in the OP. Stick to legitimate arguments. [/Moderating] - _I.e._, “stupid” and any derivation of the word. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/93 "2011-03-02T04:34:31Z")
I had a job for a small company once. We were paid monthly. The feds came in and shut them down (long story), and froze their accounts. My paycheck bounced, plus I was owed for working half a month. I lost six weeks of pay. If I were payed weekly, or even bi-weekly, I would have only lost two weeks of pay. Monthly pay does not benefit workers in any way. ---
**Author:** ![DragonAsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DragonAsh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DragonAsh)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/94 "2011-03-02T09:55:21Z")
> [@I\_Am\_The\_Lorax](#): > > Sure, same amount of money, but when you have less than enough, having less than enough less often is going to hurt for a lot longer. You seem to think it’s a budgeting problem, and I’m trying to tell you it’s not, it’s an income problem for sure. I mean, I can budget that $200ish for a month, but will I be able to stick to it when my husband is heading out the door for work without even a sandwich for the fourth day in a row? No. > > You have a “galactically stupid problem”, thinking everyone’s situation is just like yours. Just for shits and giggles, try making a meal for five people for $3.50. Imagine doing it everyday, and managing unexpected expenses. Then tell me how well your budget is working. Gee, sounds like you have it pretty tough, getting a small payment early in the month, then having to wait for the second small payment to arrive later in the month. I’ll bet you wish that payment would arrive sooner. In fact, I’ll bet you wish you could have the money, you know, _all at once._ Just for shits and giggles, let’s assume you get $1,250 after tax on the 5th each month, and $1,250 after tax on the 20th. Now let’s assume your company says, from March we’re giving you one payment a month, and you’ll get $2,500 on the 5th. You go through the first two weeks like normal, but now, instead of waiting on pins and needles for the next check to arrive in case a sudden expense arises, _you already have the money. It’s sitting there, in your bank account._ What part of this do you not understand? If you’re spending more than you’re making, well - sucks to be you; getting paid monthly, weekly, even daily ain’t gonna change that. But don’t expect the rest of us to be very sympathetic about having to subsidize your lack of basic budgeting skills. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/95 "2011-03-02T13:10:54Z")
\*slight hijack… My favorite pay scheme is the bi-weekly one, but you budget for 2 paychecks per month. Then twice a year you get an “extra” paycheck that month to save, blow, fix the care or do whatever with. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/96 "2011-03-02T13:19:56Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > \*slight hijack.. > > My favorite pay scheme is the bi-weekly one, but you budget for 2 paychecks per month. Then twice a year you get an “extra” paycheck that month to save, blow, fix the care or do whatever with. I like this too. That’s how my hubby gets paid, so yeah, twice a year, he gets a ‘bonus’ pay check! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/97 "2011-03-02T13:26:44Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > no, but to me, that’s what makes it easier. you get your pay. you pay your recurring, known bills, you have whatever’s left over. then you plan accordingly for the next 4 weeks. It isn’t quite that easy. My bills come due sometime between about the 20th of the month and the 5th of the following month, so getting one larger lump sum on the 1st wouldn’t necessarily be better for me. As it is, (paid bi-weekly), the check nearest the end of the month pays rent and stuff like student loans, phone bill/internet, and the mid-month check pays things that hit more toward the middle- electricity,gas, water, and satellite tv. Having one big check would actually require tighter budgeting for me than getting paid bi-weekly does. I’d have to hold out enough through the 31st to pay any bills that occur that late. Bi-weekly means I only have to deal with 2 weeks worth at a time. It’s all sort of theoretical though; since I have a good cushion in the account and my wife and I have a joint account, it’s not a very big deal when during the month I get paid. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/98 "2011-03-02T13:27:19Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > but now, instead of waiting on pins and needles for the next check to arrive in case a sudden expense arises, _you already have the money. It’s sitting there, in your bank account._ What part of this do you not understand? The part where your employer gives you money in advance of doing work. Generally, one gets paid after working. If you get paid bi-monthly, you work for 15 days… get paid. Work another 15 days… get paid. On a monthly salary it’s work for 30 days… get paid. So, instead of getting $2,500 on the 5th, they’re actually getting $2,500 on the 20th and spend 2 weeks eating ramen noodles so they don’t wind up delinquent on their mortgage. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/99 "2011-03-02T13:55:50Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > …If you’re spending more than you’re making, well - sucks to be you; getting paid monthly, weekly, even daily ain’t gonna change that. But don’t expect the rest of us to be very sympathetic about having to subsidize your lack of basic budgeting skills. Please be more careful with that “the rest of us” phrase. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477/100 "2011-03-02T14:37:04Z")
This whole thread is just a little bit bizarre to me. I’ve been working professionally for over 15 years and had never, until today, even heard of someone getting paid on a fortnightly basis. I have no particular issue with it, but I’m really not seeing the point or any advantage it brings. I’ve always been paid monthly in office positions, and always had to do a month’s work in lieu before the first pay check. That’s just how it is, really - no biggie. Bills are no problem as they can all be paid by DD on dates I have designated (for me, all grouped around the 10th-15th of the month), so it’s all just money in-money out without it really being any kind of issue at all. Any other spending for variables like food or petrol I can use my debit card or, in the event of a larger purchase I don’t have the money to cover immediately, a credit card with a 0% rate. Easy peasy. The only other pay structure I faced was in casual, manual jobs (as a student) when I was paid on a weekly basis, usually in cash. This makes sense as I could be moving on at any time and the position wasn’t subject to official contract. Maybe the UK just has much stronger employment legislation (protecting workers) than the US has, so no one can be unreasonably exploited by unscrupulous employers, as seems to be the fear? (but I wouldn’t like to state this as anything but supposition) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outlawing-bi-weekly-paychecks-could-it-work/572477.md?page=6)