I work for a company in Seattle, WA that has recently threatened to withold my paycheck until the next pay period if my timecard is not turned in by a certain regular day & time. (It's a new department-wide policy, not directed at me personally.)

My understanding, based on this law (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=296-126-023), is that my employer may only withold wages from up to seven days before a payday.

Our pay periods are every two weeks, with the pay period ending on a Sunday and the payday falling on the following Friday (5 days later). If a paycheck were witheld until the following payday, the company would be paying me 19 days after the end of the pay period and 33 days after the beginning of the pay period.

Am I correct that this is not allowed in Washington state?

Thank you!

You are correct. However, no law has been violated until someone's pay is ACTUALLY withheld.

May I suggest a very simple solution to the problem? Don't turn in your timecard late.

:) Good suggestion, and I take the point. Actually, I've never turned in a timecard late. A few people in my department have had continuous problems with this, and management has decided to respond with a department-wide threat, which irritates me. Just wanted to make sure I have my facts straight. Thanks again!

Threatening to withhold employees' paychecks is dumb (since the employer can't lawfully withhold pay) but on the other hand, I thoroughly appreciate how frustrated payroll/management is when employees submit timecards late again and again and again. It causes all sorts of problems and additional administrative costs.

The proper thing for the employer to do however is to discipline repeat offenders, not threaten to withhold paychecks.