Short answer. Fired or laid off: In full on the day of discharge. Quit: On the next regular payday.
Massachusetts final pay at a glance
- Fired or laid off
- In full on the day of discharge.
- Quit
- On the next regular payday.
- Law
- M.G.L. c. 149, 148
- Agency
- Massachusetts Attorney General's Fair Labor Division
In Massachusetts's words
Fired or laid off
"shall be paid in full on the day of his discharge"
Quitting
"you must be paid on the next regular payday"
Example with dates
Suppose a Massachusetts employee's last day is Saturday, November 7, 2026 and the weekly payroll's next payday is Friday, November 13, 2026. The final check would be due:
- Fired or laid off: Saturday, November 7, 2026
- Quit: Friday, November 13, 2026
Your own dates: open the calculator set to Massachusetts.
Unused vacation in Massachusetts
Earned vacation pay is listed among wages in the Attorney General's guide to workplace rights.
Massachusetts commissions at separation
Commissions are listed among wages in the Attorney General's guide to workplace rights.
If a Massachusetts final paycheck is late
M.G.L. c. 149, 150 provides mandatory triple damages for wage law violations, plus court costs and attorneys' fees.
Worth knowing in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is one of the few states where a firing means payment the same day, on the last day of work.
Not stated on the Massachusetts pages we read: how the check is delivered.
Official Massachusetts sources
- Mass.gov: Massachusetts law about employment termination (checked November 2026)
- Mass.gov: Massachusetts law about wages (checked November 2026)
- Massachusetts AG: Guide to Workplace Rights and Responsibilities (checked November 2026)
Massachusetts rules as published on the pages above, checked November 2026. General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. A union contract or written agreement can change the timing.
Massachusetts final paycheck questions
How soon is a final paycheck due after a firing in Massachusetts?
In full on the day of discharge. Massachusetts Attorney General's Fair Labor Division puts it as "shall be paid in full on the day of his discharge."
When does an employee who quits in Massachusetts get the last check?
On the next regular payday. Notice doesn't change it on the page we checked.
Is unused vacation paid out at the end of a job in Massachusetts?
Earned vacation pay is listed among wages in the Attorney General's guide to workplace rights.
What about commissions in a Massachusetts final paycheck?
Commissions are listed among wages in the Attorney General's guide to workplace rights.
What does Massachusetts law say about a late final paycheck?
M.G.L. c. 149, 150 provides mandatory triple damages for wage law violations, plus court costs and attorneys' fees.
All states: final paycheck laws by state · Hawaii · Minnesota