Here's how to check your paycheck for errors: compare the pay period, hours, rate and overtime with your records, then check each deduction and the net pay. If something's off, write down the difference, ask payroll in writing and keep copies. If it isn't fixed, your state labor department or the U.S. Department of Labor can help.
This is general information, not legal advice. Pay rules differ by state, and some jobs are exempt from parts of federal law, so check with your state labor department for the rules where you work.
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers must keep accurate records of hours worked and wages paid. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) notes that the FLSA doesn't require employers to give you a pay stub, though your state may. Either way, your own notes are the best thing to compare against.
The DOL's sample timekeeping format is simple: the day, the date, the time in, the time out and the total hours. Keep something like that for every shift, plus:
Every unpaid meal break, and whether you actually got it
Your pay rate for each type of work you did
Schedule screenshots and messages about extra shifts
Every pay stub or pay statement you receive
If you're starting from scratch, the Honest Little Apps guide on how to track hours worked shows a simple system.
Pay period and pay date. Make sure the dates on the stub cover the days you think they do. If hours seem to be missing, check whether those days fall in the next pay period before you raise it.
Hours. Total your own log for each workweek and compare. Under federal rules, hours worked include work you were allowed to do even if nobody asked you to, such as staying late to finish a task. Short rest breaks of 20 minutes or less also count as hours worked.
Pay rate. Check the rate on every line, especially after a raise or if you worked more than one role.
Overtime. Unless you're exempt, federal law requires at least one and a half times your regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. A workweek is a fixed 168-hour period and each one stands alone, so a short week can't be averaged against a long one. Your state may have its own overtime rules too. For the math, see the guide to calculating time and a half.
Premiums and extra pay. Look for any shift differential, holiday pay or other premium you were promised. The FLSA doesn't require premium pay for weekend or holiday work, so these depend on your employer's policy, your agreement or state law. Our sister site explains the night shift differential.
Deductions. Make sure you recognize every line. Under the FLSA, deductions for things like cash shortages, employer-required uniforms or tools of the trade can't take your pay below the federal minimum wage or reduce overtime you're owed.
Net pay and year-to-date totals. Confirm that the net pay matches what reached your bank account, and that the year-to-date figures went up by this check's amounts.
A late finish or early start that never made it into the system
Overtime hours paid at your regular rate instead of the overtime rate
An automatic meal break deducted on a day you worked through lunch. The DOL's own example is an employee who eats at their desk while regularly answering the phone: that time counts as work and must be paid.
An old pay rate still being used after a raise
A differential or premium you were promised that was left off
A deduction you don't recognize or didn't agree to
Write it down. List the dates, the hours and rate you expected, what the stub shows, and the difference. Example (made-up numbers): "Week of March 2: my log shows 44 hours, but the stub shows 40, so 4 overtime hours are missing."
Ask in writing. Email or message payroll or your manager using the template below, and keep a copy.
Check the next pay stub to see whether the correction shows up.
Template you can copy: "Hi [name], I'm checking my pay for [pay period]. My records show [number] hours, including [number] overtime hours, but my pay stub shows [number]. I've attached my notes. Could you look into this and let me know whether a correction will be made, and on which payday? Thank you, [your name]."
If it still isn't fixed, you can contact your state labor department or the DOL's Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243. The DOL says its services are free and confidential, whether or not you're documented, and that your employer can't fire you or discriminate against you for filing a complaint. It helps to have this ready:
Your name, address and phone number
The company's name, location and phone number, and a manager's or owner's name
The type of work you did, and how and when you were paid (for example, by check every Friday)
Copies of pay stubs and your own records of hours worked
Don't wait too long. Under the FLSA, a 2-year limit generally applies to recovering back wages, or 3 years for willful violations. State deadlines can be different.
Under the FLSA, the wages it requires are due on the regular payday for the pay period covered. Rules for correcting a short paycheck vary by state, so ask your state labor department.
Federal law says no. Employees who file complaints or give information can't be fired or discriminated against for it, and if it happens, they or the Secretary of Labor can sue for relief, including getting the job back and lost wages.
Under the FLSA, generally 2 years, or 3 years if the violation was willful. State laws may allow a different period.
Your own records matter even more. Log every shift and the cash you received. The DOL says copies of pay stubs, your personal records of hours worked and other information about your employer's pay practices all help with a complaint.
EarnCheck: Shift & Pay Tracker has a Payday Check that compares your pay statement lines by gross amount and labels each one Match, Difference to Review or Incomplete Information, with deductions kept separate. For differences, it suggests possible explanations, tracks their status and drafts an editable message for payroll, though it never contacts your employer for you. Its Record Vault keeps checked pay periods, with PDF and CSV export when you need to share them.
Get EarnCheck free on the App Store
Information You Need to File a Complaint (U.S. Department of Labor)
Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping Requirements under the FLSA (U.S. Department of Labor)
Fact Sheet #22: Hours Worked Under the FLSA (U.S. Department of Labor)
Questions and Answers About the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor)
Handy Reference Guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor)