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House approves changes to wage-payment timing, adds attorney-fee clarification
Summary
The House passed second substitute House Bill 186, modifying employer deadlines to pay terminated employees and removing tax language on attorney-fee awards; the bill passed 68-0 after an amendment.
The Utah House on Feb. 20 approved second substitute House Bill 186, a measure that adjusts timing for employers to remit final wages to terminated employees and clarifies how fee awards operate in wage disputes.
Representative Greg Kristofferson, sponsor, said the bill changes an earlier 24-hour payment requirement to a three-business-day deadline for employers to issue final paychecks after termination. "Some of the people in the HR associations just... said 3 days they wanted a week. I just said 3 days they could do it. So it's kind of a compromise," Kristofferson said on the floor.
Representative Tiara Auxier offered Amendment 1 to strike language that would have taxed attorney-fee awards, explaining the change was intended to ensure employees are made whole when courts award fees. Kristofferson supported the amendment and the House adopted it.
After discussion, the chamber adopted second substitute HB186 and recorded a final passage vote of 68-0. The sponsor said the measure aims to make it easier for employees to receive pay when employment ends while balancing administrative needs of employers.
The bill applies only to terminated employees (not voluntary separations) and establishes the timeframe in statute; other enforcement and details remain governed by existing statutory remedies and civil process.
