West Virginia Code 21-5-2 – Semimonthly payment of wages by railroads
Every railroad company, authorized to do business by the laws of this state shall, on or before the first day of each month, pay the employees thereof the wages earned by them during the first half of the preceding month, ending with the fifteenth day thereof; and on or before the fifteenth day of each month, pay the employees thereof the wages earned by them during the last half of the preceding calendar month: Provided, That if, at any time of payment, any employee shall be absent from his regular place of labor, and shall not receive his wages through a duly authorized representative, he shall be entitled to such payment at any time thereafter upon demand upon the proper paymaster at the place where such wages are usually paid and where the next pay is due, and the proper mailing in the United States post office of such payment in time to reach the usual post office of the employee by the time aforesaid, in the usual course of the mails, shall be a compliance with this section.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 21-5-2
- Employee: means any public employee of the state, or any state agency. See West Virginia Code 21-3A-2
- employees: includes any person suffered or permitted to work by a person, firm, or corporation, except those classified as an independent contractor pursuant to §. See West Virginia Code 21-5-1
- railroad company: includes any firm or corporation engaged primarily in the business of transportation by rail. See West Virginia Code 21-5-1
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
- wages: means compensation for labor or services rendered by an employee, whether the amount is determined on a time, task, piece, commission, or other basis of calculation. See West Virginia Code 21-5-1
It shall not be lawful for any railroad company to enter into or make any agreement with any employee for the payment of wages of any such employee otherwise than as provided in this section, except to pay such wages at shorter intervals than herein provided. Every agreement made in violation of this section shall be deemed to be null and void.