Why did my pay arrive on a different day than usual?

Applies to: Workers paid through Ascen on a regular payroll cycle: US and Canadian employees, and independent contractors paid on net terms. If you are employed outside the US and Canada your pay runs on your country's local schedule, so ask your in-country payroll contact instead.

Summary: Weekly employees are paid usually on Friday, and some weeks on Thursday. Thursday happens when hours are approved early, because of your staffing partner's settings, or when a bank holiday falls on the Friday. An early payment is not a new payday: if you have got used to Thursday and nothing has arrived, you are most likely looking before your actual payday, not missing a payment. Pay can also arrive later than usual when your hours were approved late or when a weekend or holiday is involved.

Your payday is set on your assignment

Your pay frequency and payday are set on your assignment, not by you, and they stay the same for as long as the assignment runs. Paydays can differ between assignments, so a colleague's payday is not necessarily yours. To check yours, log in at app.ascen.com, open Paychecks, and look at the check dates on your recent paychecks. When do I receive my paycheck? covers what is typical for each worker type.

Why it is sometimes earlier

Payroll depends on your hours being approved first. When approvals come in early in the week, we often process payroll ahead of Friday, so the deposit reaches you on Thursday. When approvals land later, payroll runs on its normal timetable and you are paid on Friday.

Two things follow from that:

• Early is not guaranteed. It depends on when your time is approved, which changes week to week. Nothing has gone wrong on a week when it does not happen.

• Early does not move your payday. If you were paid on Thursday for several weeks, your payday is still usually Friday. Plan around Friday rather than the earliest day you have ever been paid.

Submitting your hours by your weekly deadline is the one thing that reliably keeps you on schedule. Late time can push your pay into a later run.

Why it is sometimes later

• Your hours were approved late, or your time was submitted after the deadline. Hours approved after the day's payroll cutoff are processed the next business day.

• Your payday falls on a weekend or a bank holiday. See How US holidays affect pay dates and our turnaround times.

• Your bank has not posted it yet. Once we send the payment, when it becomes available is up to your bank. Allow until the end of the business day. See How long does direct deposit take to reach my bank?.

• Your paycheck still shows "pending". That is normal before payday. See My upcoming paycheck shows "pending": will I get paid?.

Before you report a missing payment

1. Check your actual payday in Paychecks, rather than the day you usually receive money.

2. Check the paycheck status. Where is my paycheck? How to check your pay status explains what each status means and which one means the money has been sent.

3. Check where your pay goes. If you are set up on a pay card or wallet rather than your own bank account, the money lands there and not in your bank. See How you can get paid.

4. If your payday has passed and the paycheck has not been sent, email support@ascen.com with the work dates involved.

If your pay is genuinely short or a deposit never arrived, work through My Payment Shows as "Paid" But I Haven't Received My Direct Deposit.

Who to ask

Pay dates, paychecks, deposits and pay corrections are handled by Ascen: email support@ascen.com. Your staffing partner handles your schedule and getting your timesheet approved. See Who to contact and when.