What is Earned Wage Access?

Content Summary

For most of the 20th century, employees were paid weekly, but the shift to monthly paychecks came with the Payment of Wages Act in 1960, which forced employers to pay by check rather than cash. This change benefited banks and companies by reducing administrative costs, but left employees struggling with cash flow gaps between paychecks.

Today, a growing number of companies are recognizing that this payment structure doesn’t align with how people earn money or incur expenses. Enter earned wage access (EWA), a financial service that allows employees to access portions of their already-earned wages before their scheduled payday. Also called on-demand pay, this benefit is increasingly offered across industries as employers seek ways to attract and retain workers in competitive labor markets.

Access this content

Choose an option below

Register to access this content

Your Work Email

Your Full Name

Your Company

Your Job Function

You might also be interested in

What Turnover Costs a 50-Person Company in 2026

If you run a 50-person company and you lost eight employees last year, you probably spent somewhere between $120,000 and $200,000 replacing them. That's not a guess pulled from a...

Workplace Gossip: What It Costs You and How to Shut It Down

If you’ve ever walked into the office on a Monday and felt like half your team already knew about a private HR conversation, you’re not imagining things. Workplace gossip travels...

Can an Employer Require a Doctor’s Note?

Yes, employers in the United States can request a doctor’s note to verify illness or prolonged absence. This document is often necessary to provide workplace accommodations for...