Skip to content
Oakclause

Final Paycheck Laws in Tennessee

In Tennessee, final wages are due by the next regular payday or 21 days after separation, whichever is later, whether the employee is fired or quits, and vacation pay is owed if the employer's policy or labor agreement provides for it.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Tennessee at a glance

Deadline if fired
Later of next payday or 21 days
Piece work and commission pay is due by the last day of the following month.
Deadline if employee quits
Later of next payday or 21 days
Piece work and commission pay is due by the last day of the following month.
Accrued vacation paid out
Only if policy or labor agreement provides it
Final wages include vacation pay owed under company policy or a labor agreement, but employers need not offer vacation.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Tennessee

When is a final paycheck due in Tennessee if the employee is fired or laid off?

Deadline if fired in Tennessee: Later of next payday or 21 days. Piece work and commission pay is due by the last day of the following month.

When is a final paycheck due in Tennessee if the employee quits?

Deadline if employee quits in Tennessee: Later of next payday or 21 days. Piece work and commission pay is due by the last day of the following month.

Does Tennessee law require employers to pay out accrued vacation when a job ends?

Only if policy or labor agreement provides it. Accrued vacation paid out in Tennessee: only if policy or labor agreement provides it. Final wages include vacation pay owed under company policy or a labor agreement, but employers need not offer vacation.

Where do the Tennessee final paycheck laws come from?

The rules above come from Tenn. Code Ann. 50-2-103(g) and Tenn. Code Ann. 50-2-103(a)(4). Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Note the exact last day of work and how the job ended, since the deadline often runs from that date and may differ for a firing, a layoff or a resignation. Some statutes also change the deadline when an employee quits without giving notice.

Read the employer's written vacation or paid time off policy and any employment contract. Where state law leaves vacation payout to the employer, the policy terms usually decide whether unused time is paid out or forfeited.

If a final paycheck is late or short, the state labor department usually accepts wage claims, often without a lawyer. Some statutes add penalties for late payment, such as extra daily wages, so keep pay stubs, timesheets and any written communication about the final pay.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.