Honestly, payroll could be the simplest and complex part of the business based on how you handle it. You can surely use a check stub maker to ease your way. But, there are terms & aspects you should learn along. One of them is an outstanding paycheck. Let’s have a look.

Outstanding Paycheck Overview

As the term suggests, an outstanding paycheck is one that hasn’t been cashed by the receiver. For instance, if the employee receives the paycheck but didn’t deposit it with the bank then its amount is still with the employer. The firm owes the amount mentioned on the paycheck to the employee. Similar logic applies to independent contractors too.

An individual may hold outstanding paychecks for several reasons. One of the reasons is that the employee doesn’t bother to cash the paycheck unless necessary. It’s also possible that the paycheck received was to be cashed but it was lost in the mail.

Do paychecks even expire?

One common question remains in the outstanding paycheck scenario – ‘how do you know if you can still cash your paycheck?’ The answer lies with your state regulations. Some states have a six-month deadline for the outstanding paycheck to be cashed. In another scenario, your bank will decide whether they’ll cash the expired paycheck or not.

If the paycheck cannot be cashed in any conditions then the employer is liable to hand over the amount to the state for escheatment.

3 Ask-away for Handling Outstanding Paychecks

Simply creating paychecks using a paystub generator and delivering it to the employees does not mean your responsibility is over. You must keep a track of the paychecks left unclaimed. Here are the three basic questions you should ask yourself for dealing with those outstanding paychecks:

  1. Is the employee still working for you?

The best way to ease the process is to send a humble reminder to your employee for cashing the paycheck before it expires. In the case of former employees, you’ll likely have their details beforehand to send reminders. If you’re having any ex-employees outstanding paycheck then you may still consider reminding them. In both scenarios, track your reminders for further process.

  1. What is the expiry status of the paycheck?

If the paycheck has expired already then the bank may deny processing it. You may take responsibility for re-issuing the paycheck.

  1. What is the deadline for reporting expired paychecks?

Each state has specific rules for escheatment. So, if the paychecks go unclaimed for a longer period then they must be reported to the state government respectively. Mostly, if a paycheck isn’t claimed for 5 years from the date of issue then the employer must hand over the funds to the state government. After that, if the employee claims the paycheck, they must ask for it from the state itself.

Final Thoughts

Customizing paychecks with a paystub maker is one thing and handling the after-process is another. Make sure you abide by the laws and have a dedicated strategy to handle paychecks legally. In case if you haven’t tried the easiest paystub-making technique then you must start with paycheck stub maker today!

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