It can be confusing to understand the difference between a work week and pay period. A work week is the amount of consecutive days within a company’s official work schedule. This usually consists of five days, with breaks or holidays on some of those days. On the other hand, a pay period is the timeframe during which an employer processes payroll. Generally, the pay period will be either weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly or monthly. For example, if an employee works a full-time job with a five-day work week, their employer might process payroll every two weeks. Therefore, the employee would be paid twice per month, at the beginning and end of the pay period. Understanding these concepts helps employers and employees alike stay organized and on top of their finances!