# Retrieving my last paycheck - Do they have to mail it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909 "2005-03-10T22:01:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/1 "2005-03-10T22:01:27Z")
Long story short: I worked part-time for a really crappy company for awhile while I was out of work and needed the money. Basically, they treated me like crap and the pay was crap so I quit. Now to get my last paycheck they want me to drive 30 miles across town, during the day, during the week, to one of their other locations that I’ve never even been to, much less worked at. They make transfers between the stores about 2-3 times a week, but they won’t transfer it, and they’ll only let me pick it up during those brief hours that the general manager is there, which I can’t do. I know they’re just being stubborn because I quit. Now, I thought I heard somewhere once that an employer has to mail your last paycheck to you if you request it, but I may be getting paychecks mixed up with W2’s. Do I have any options? ---
**Author:** ![Ooner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@Ooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ooner)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/2 "2005-03-10T22:10:31Z")
Not on topic, but here’s as good a place as any to complain: Once upon a time I quit a job and wanted the last check mailed to me. They did so. A month after the “void after 90 days” date. Granted, it was only for one day of work, but still pretty stupid of them (and me for not picking it up earlier). I would think that they would have to mail it. What if you had moved far far away? It’s not as if there’s any issue of security, there is an address on the check that’s your address on file with the company, right? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/3 "2005-03-10T23:05:39Z")
Just to take the employer’s side. We once had an employee walk off the job after a week. She not only didn’t tell us she was quitting, she wouldn’t return any of our phone calls. Finally we sent her a certified letter telling her that we had her paycheck, but would hold it until she actually came in and verified that she didn’t want to work for us anymore. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/4 "2005-03-10T23:15:19Z")
When I left my ambulance company and moved to a different state, they were happy to mail me may last few checks (left while on vacation). I do believe that they are required to mail the check if necessary, but this is just from my experience. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/5 "2005-03-10T23:27:24Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Finally we sent her a certified letter telling her that we had her paycheck, but would hold it until she actually came in and verified that she didn’t want to work for us anymore. Why is that sufficient reason to hold her check? Was there really any confusion on the matter? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/6 "2005-03-10T23:31:06Z")
Perhaps if you offer to send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to your former company, it may be willing to post the cheque to you (even though you shouldn’t really have to). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/7 "2005-03-11T02:23:11Z")
> [@iamthewalrus(:3=](#): > > Why is that sufficient reason to hold her check? Was there really any confusion on the matter? Because our lawyers would not allow us to take her off the payroll without some sort of documentation that she had either quit voluntarily or we had terminated her. And we weren’t about to fire an employee who didn’t want to work for us and have it go against us when our unemployment insurance premiums were up for review. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/8 "2005-03-11T16:32:24Z")
I appreciate all the anecdotal advice (I really do), but does anyone know the answer? ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/9 "2005-03-11T17:12:17Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I appreciate all the anecdotal advice (I really do), but does anyone know the answer? Assuming you are in US, what state do you live in? This sort of thing would be governed by state regs. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/10 "2005-03-13T08:05:07Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > Assuming you are in US, what state do you live in? This sort of thing would be governed by state regs. Sorry, for some reason thread wasn’t showing new posts, so I didn’t check it. I’m in Arizona. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/11 "2005-03-14T04:45:25Z")
I would asume that they will eventually mail it to you. When i quit work to head to college, they maikled me my last check about two months after ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/12 "2005-03-14T04:46:49Z")
I would asume that they will eventually mail it to you. When I quit work to go to college, they mailed me my last check about two months after I quit. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/13 "2005-03-14T04:56:31Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Because our lawyers would not allow us to take her off the payroll without some sort of documentation that she had either quit voluntarily or we had terminated her. Then your lawyers didn’t know what they were talking about. Three days no-show no-call is a valid termination, with no unemployment comp due. And to the OP, the two or three times I just walked, my check was always mailed to the last address they had. For what it’s worth. Check with your state’s department of employment - you should be able to find an FAQ on their web site. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/14 "2005-03-14T05:25:32Z")
They’ve made it pretty clear that they will not mail it willfully. What I’m trying to figure out is if they _have_ to or not. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/15 "2005-03-14T05:39:23Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > What I’m trying to figure out is if they _have_ to or not. Well, what the fuck state do you live in?!?! Almost all employment regulations/laws are determined by the state, and without that info _nobody_ can give you an answer. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/16 "2005-03-14T05:45:20Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Well, what the fuck state do you live in?!?! Almost all employment regulations/laws are determined by the state, and without that info _nobody_ can give you an answer. **Cisco** has already said that the state is **Arizona**. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/17 "2005-03-14T05:56:04Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > **Cisco** has already said that the state is **Arizona**. You are correct. My apologies, **Cisco**. This is probably not helpful: > [@](#): > > When must an employer pay someone who has quit? > Employees who quit are to be paid on the regular payday for the pay period during which the termination occurred. Perhaps you could call this number: > [@](#): > > Labor 542-4515 ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/18 "2005-03-14T08:13:27Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Perhaps you could call this number: Thank you . . . Do you have a link to where you got that? I can guess the area code with 99.9% confidence but I’d like to make sure, and it’d be nice to know exactly who I’m calling. Thanks :). ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/19 "2005-03-14T08:47:13Z")
Here’s the website: [http://www.ica.state.az.us/Labor/labortop.htm](http://www.ica.state.az.us/Labor/labortop.htm) (Includes phone number above) ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909/20 "2005-03-14T08:50:05Z")
For a slight phenomenal fee I will call them on your behalf. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retrieving-my-last-paycheck-do-they-have-to-mail-it/293909.md?page=2)