In the past, it was customary to pay hired workers on a daily basis. When this is the case, the Torah establishes that this practice has the status of a law that is binding upon the employer, as it states: “You shall not keep the wages of a hired laborer with you overnight until morning” (Leviticus 19:13). It further states: “On his day you shall give his wage, and the sun shall not set upon it” (Deuteronomy 24:15). The meaning of these two verses is that if the laborer finished his work at the end of the day, the employer must pay him his wages before the next morning, and transgresses a prohibition if he delays payment. If the worker completed his work in the middle of the day, the employer must pay his salary before sunset.

Nowadays, it is customary to pay salaried workers on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis as established by law or agreement. In many workplaces, a certain date of the month is set as the day of payment for the previous month’s work. The prohibition against withholding wages applies in modern times as well: An employer must pay the salary at the end of the pay period, and if a fixed date has been agreed upon, he must abide by it.

If a worker was contracted to perform a job rather than being paid a wage calculated on a daily or hourly basis (this is common, for example, with electricians, plumbers, or dry cleaners), then once the worker has completed the work to the satisfaction of the customer, the customer must pay the worker on that same day, unless previously agreed otherwise.

Corresponding to the employer’s obligations, the worker also bears some responsibilities of his own.

An employee who has been hired to work for a certain number of days or hours must take care to make maximum use of the work time. He must make sure to eat and sleep properly, so that during the work hours he will be at his best and be as efficient as possible.

An employee must refrain from using his employer’s property for his own personal needs. This prohibition does not apply, of course, to cases where the employee receives permission of his employer.