Compensation disputes often begin with a simple sentence: “They did not pay me what they promised.” The legal analysis depends on what the compensation was, what agreement or plan governed it, when it was earned, and what happened when employment ended.
Identify the compensation term
For a commission, preserve the written plan, offer letter, amendments, quota or crediting rules, sales records, payment statements, and any language about when a commission becomes earned. For a bonus, identify whether it was discretionary, formula-based, performance-based, promised for completing a period, or tied to company results.
Termination creates a timing problem
When employment ends, disputes often arise over final wages, commissions on work already performed, bonuses tied to a completed period, unused paid time if governed by policy or law, deductions, expense reimbursement, or later customer payment. Do not rely only on the final paycheck; preserve the underlying plan and the transactions that generated the compensation.
Watch for changed explanations
If payroll says one thing, HR says another, and the compensation plan says something else, save each version. A later explanation may resolve an ambiguity—or it may reveal that the governing rule was applied differently after the fact.
State law matters
Final-pay timing and some commission rules vary by state. Nevada and Idaho workers should use the state-specific hub and current official sources rather than assuming one national rule governs every final-pay dispute.