Hi all --

My new job has a lagging semi-monthly payroll schedule, which I hate and is taking a long time to get used to. I had never heard of it before and definitely never been subject to one. For example:

• Pay Period: 1st-15th of the month,
• I'll get paid: somewhere between the 16th-26th.
• Pay Period: 16st-end of the month,
• I'll get paid: somewhere between the 1st -10th.

I've talked to my HR person about this and they've said "this is really common, just google 'simi-monthly payroll' and check it out". So, I did, and found that while it is out there, almost every reference is from a college (.edu) or government institution (.gov).

Is this really common in the non-edu non-gov world? And why is it so popular in those institutions? What advantage does this give my company, as it certainly give me nothing but a headache... "I wonder if my rent check will bounce this month...."

Yes this is not that uncommom, esp in sales jobs

Normally what is not common is that the pay is not on the same day, say the 18th and the 4th

What would have been more common would be that you would not have gotten any pay check on the first pay period, and would have had to wait a month for your first check, then you would have gotten one every two weeks. It appears this firm tries to pay you for each pay cycly without having to wait a month to get a pay check.

What you have to do is budget properly paying all of the first of the month expenses out of the check you get 16th to 26th,

If you spend that money and don't have it saved, then there is your problem, learning to properly budget


There are also monthly pay systems that only pay once a month.

I agree with Fr Chuck.

Mainly non-government places employ this type of practice.

Where I use to work, the pay period would be from the 1st-14th and we would be paid on the 21st.

You need to learn how to budget it better and to anticipate the money coming at you.

While you need money to pay your rent and stuff, your company also needs money to pay all of its bills. The street works both ways.