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Kansas sets its own deadline, its own penalty, and its own rule on unused vacation. Here is what the statute says, what it is worth to you, and where to file if the money never arrives.
When an employer discharges an employee, earned wages must be paid not later than the next regular payday (Kan. Stat. § 44-315(a)).
If you quit or resign, earned wages are due not later than the next regular payday.
Kansas requires payout of accrued vacation only where the employer's written policy or contract creates the right.
Commissions earned under the agreed plan are wages under § 44-315 and are due by the next regular payday at separation.
Kan. Stat. § 44-315(b): where the failure to pay is wilful, the employer is liable for the wages plus a penalty of 1% of the unpaid wages for each day, excluding Sundays and legal holidays, that the failure continues after the eighth day.
This state does not impose a separate statutory penalty for late final pay. Treat that number as leverage in the letter, not as a promise: a court or agency decides what is actually owed, and the penalty provisions usually require the employer to have acted wilfully or without good cause.
File with the Kansas Department of Labor, which handles wage claims administratively, usually at no cost. The alternative is small claims court, where the limit for an individual in Kansas is $4,000. Both routes go better with a dated written demand and a certified-mail receipt, because the first question either forum asks is when the employer knew.
When an employer discharges an employee, earned wages must be paid not later than the next regular payday (Kan. Stat. § 44-315(a)).
If you quit or resign, earned wages are due not later than the next regular payday.
Kansas requires payout of accrued vacation only where the employer's written policy or contract creates the right.
Two routes: file a wage claim with the Kansas Department of Labor (https://www.dol.ks.gov/labor-laws), or sue in small claims court where an individual's claim limit is $4,000. A dated written demand sent first is what makes either route easier, because it fixes the date the employer was on notice.
Only official sources are used: the state labor agency, the statute itself, and where relevant the U.S. Department of Labor. Third-party summary sites are deliberately excluded because they disagree with each other on penalty formulas.
Reviewed 2026-11-03 · reviewed again every 90 days.
being fired · resigning · a layoff · unused PTO · unpaid commissions
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