House Bill 1958, also known as Senate Bill 2024, amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 50, Chapter 2, Part 1, regarding employee compensation. The bill modifies the payment schedule for wages earned by employees in private employment. Specifically, it stipulates that for employers who pay wages monthly, all wages earned and unpaid before the first day of any month must be paid by the fifth day of the following month. Additionally, for employees working on a piece-work or commission basis, their compensation is due by the last day of the succeeding month.

The bill also revises the payment timeline for employees who leave or are discharged from their jobs. It mandates that these employees must receive all earned wages by the next regular pay day or within twenty-one days of their departure, whichever is later. For piece-work or commission employees, their compensation is similarly due by the last day of the succeeding month after their departure. The legislation emphasizes that employers cannot exempt themselves from these payment requirements. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and will apply to wages earned on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 50-2-103(a)(2), 50-2-103, 50-2-103(g)