Employee Argues Bi-Weekly Paychecks Are Deceptive and Should Not Be Allowed

"People tend to have short-term memories and tend to think “that’s a lot of money.”

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• January 22, 2023

The video by Kyle criticizing bi-weekly pay periods has resonated with millions of US workers. As of January 2021, there are nearly 160 million US workers, and a majority of them receive a bi-weekly salary.

Bi-weekly pay periods are the most common in the US, and as Kyle pointed out, this can often be deceptive to workers. The bi-weekly pay period includes two 14-day pay periods, and workers are generally paid on two separate days of the month, typically the 1st and 15th.

In his video, Kyle featured a clip from TikToker user @deonte00_, who stated, “Bi-weekly paychecks should be illegal. I don’t bi-weekly work gimme my money.” Kyle agreed with this sentiment and went on to explain how bi-weekly paychecks are designed to deceive workers into thinking they make more money than they actually do.

He argued that people tend to have short-term memories and tend to believe “that’s a lot of money” when they receive their paycheck.

“But, if they actually handed us our hourly rate in cash every hour, we would start to rethink our choices,” he said. “We would start to think about how hard we worked over the last hour and was it worth it.”

Does this make sense to you? Read the full story and watch the videos below, and then decide.

Most workers in the US are paid bi-weekly

Kyle expressed his belief that bi-weekly paychecks can be deceiving, as they give the illusion that workers are earning more than they actually are. He highlighted the fact that people usually have short-term memories and, upon receiving their paycheck, often think “that’s a lot of money”, not considering the fact that they will only receive it every two weeks.

Kyle raised the point that employers tend to hire people on an hourly basis, but they pay them every two weeks. He questioned why they don't just employ someone on a bi-weekly rate instead, querying, “Why don’t they just hire you at a bi-weekly rate?”

“But, if they actually handed us our hourly rate in cash every hour, we would start to rethink our choices,” he said. “We would start to think about how hard we worked over the last hour and was it worth it.”

Watch the video:

Many viewers in the comments section of the video concurred that bi-weekly paychecks are not enough, but others highlighted the hurdles faced by employees who are paid monthly.

Many have stated that they are careful to keep track of their wages, regardless of when they are paid.

Employees in the United States face many injustices, one of which is low wages. Low wages can lead to a number of negative outcomes, such as poverty, unemployment, and inequality.

Low wages can also contribute to poor health and mental health conditions, as workers may not be able to purchase basic necessities. In addition, low wages can limit workers’ ability to save for retirement, buy a home, or start a business.

There are a number of reasons why wages are so low in the United States. One of these is the need for labor unions and collective bargaining.

Unions provide workers with the power to negotiate better wages and better working conditions, but in the United States, labor union membership has declined over the years.

In addition, employers have taken advantage of lax labor laws and regulations, allowing them to pay workers below the minimum wage and avoid providing benefits.

Damjan