My worker hasn't been paid: what should I check?
Last updated: November 4, 2026
Applies to: staffing Partners whose worker, or several workers, says a payment hasn't arrived. If you are the worker, see I wasn't paid this period: who do I contact? instead.
Summary: The most common reason is that the worker's hours for that week were never entered or are not approved yet. A payment is only created from approved hours, so check the worker's timesheet first. If the hours are approved and the worker's payday has passed with nothing sent, email support@ascen.com with the worker's name, the client and the work week, and we will trace the payment.
Check these in order
Were the hours entered? If there is no timesheet for that week, no payment was created. The worker submits their hours, or you email them to timesheets@ascen.com. See Emailing timesheets to us: where to send them and what happens next. Once the hours are entered and approved, they are paid on the assignment's normal schedule.
Are the hours approved? A timesheet in Awaiting Approval has not gone to payroll yet. The approver on the assignment, you or your client, needs to approve it. See Approving timesheets: dashboard, email, and deadlines.
Has the worker's payday arrived? Approved hours are paid on the assignment's schedule: weekly assignments on the regular payday, daily pay assignments on business days, and independent contractors on their net terms. Once a deposit is sent, the worker's bank decides when it appears. See Your worker's hours are approved: when do they get paid? and How independent contractors are paid (net terms).
Is only part of the pay missing? A stipend or expense is paid only after it is approved, and that approval is separate from the timesheet. A stipend or expense still waiting for approval does not hold up pay for the hours.
Is it only this worker? If other workers at the same client were paid and this one was not, the cause is usually something on the worker's own record rather than payroll timing: an unfinished onboarding step, identity verification, details that don't match across their records (for example, the name or Social Security number on their background check and on their profile), or a problem with their bank account. The worker usually has a task in their portal or an email from us about it. Share Why your pay might be on hold (and how to fix it) with them.
What the worker's paycheck status means
If the worker can see their paycheck under Paychecks in their portal, the status tells you where it is:
No paycheck for the week: none has been created yet, almost always because the hours are not entered or approved. Go back to steps 1 and 2.
Pending or Pre-processed: the paycheck is queued or being processed. Nothing has been sent to the bank yet. This is normal before payday.
Processed: the money has been sent. If it still hasn't arrived by the end of that business day, the worker should follow My payment shows as Paid but I haven't received my direct deposit.
Failed: the deposit did not go through, usually because of a closed or wrong bank account. The money comes back to Ascen and is resent once the worker's bank details are confirmed. See My payment failed: what do I do?.
If several workers say they weren't paid
You can check your whole group yourself in the partner portal under Finance, then Reports. See Partner reports: what's available and how to run them. These help most:
Hours Worked: flags workers with missing hours, so you can chase timesheets before payroll closes.
Missing Direct Deposit: workers who have not set up direct deposit yet.
Onboarding: which workers are still on an onboarding step.
Payroll Timesheets: which timesheets were included in a given payroll run.
Reports are available to partner users with the Owner, Admin, Manager, Finance or Recruiter role.
What to send us
Send one email to support@ascen.com and list every worker you are asking about. For each one, include:
The worker's full name as it appears on their Ascen record
The client and assignment
The work week or shift dates
What the worker expected, for example the hours or the amount
An internal timesheet or contractor ID on its own usually costs a round trip, because those IDs are not how we search. Please send pay questions to support@ascen.com rather than to one person's inbox, where they can sit while that person is away.
We can confirm where each payment is, whether it made a given payroll run, and what is holding it. If something is stuck on our side, such as hours we received but have not entered yet, we fix it. If the hold is on the worker's own record, the worker usually needs to act, and we will tell you whether anything is needed from them.
Where to get help
Email support@ascen.com for anything about a worker's pay, a paycheck, or their bank details.
Email timesheets@ascen.com with hours that still need to be entered.