No. Pay for a calendar month must be settled no later than ten working days after the month ends, unless labour law rules or the employment contract provide otherwise. If pay is late through the employer's fault, default interest is paid with it, and from 1 November 2026 new rules apply: it is counted for every calendar day of delay and is likely to be higher. If the full pay is not paid for two months in a row, the employee can leave on five working days' notice and receive severance pay. Pay cannot be cut without the employee's written consent, and an employee's refusal to work for less is not a lawful reason for dismissal.<\/p>\r\n
That pay is made at least twice a month, that men and women are paid equally for work of equal value, and by when final settlement is due on dismissal, we have already answered in the FAQ of our labour law consultations page<\/a> (in Lithuanian). How to raise pay is covered in our article on changing employment terms and raising pay<\/a>. This article covers the other side: late payment, pay cuts and set-off.<\/p>\r\n Article 146(1) of the Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania (DK) sets two rules. First, pay is made at least twice a month, or once a month if the employee asks. Second, pay for work in a calendar month cannot be settled later than ten working days after the month ends, unless labour law rules or the employment contract provide otherwise. The payment dates and procedure must be stated in the information on working conditions that the employee receives before starting work (DK Article 44(1)(9)).<\/p>\r\n Pay is made in money, by transfer to the payment account the employee names (DK Article 139(3)). At least once a month the employer must give the employee, in writing or electronically, information on the amounts calculated, paid and deducted (DK Article 148(1)).<\/p>\r\n The first consequence is default interest (delspinigiai<\/em>). Where pay or other employment-related payments are paid late through the employer's fault, default interest is paid with them. Its rate is set every year by the Minister of Social Security and Labour (DK Article 147(1)).<\/p>\r\n From 1 November 2026 this rule becomes stricter. Default interest is paid from the day the amount fell due, for every calendar day of delay. When setting the rate, the Minister must take into account the consumer inflation index (vartotoj\u0173 kain\u0173 indeksas<\/em>) for the previous calendar year published by the State Data Agency (Valstyb\u0117s duomen\u0173 agent\u016bra<\/em>), multiplied by 5 (DK Article 147(1), DK as in force from 1 November 2026). It is the index that is multiplied by 5, not the rate the Minister has already approved, so the approved rate must not be multiplied again.<\/p>\r\n The new rules do not apply to every debt. Where an amount was due on or before 31 October 2026, default interest on its late payment is calculated under the earlier rules (Article 39(10) of the Law No XV-1058 amending the Labour Code, XV-1058 Article 39(10)). So late payment from November is likely to be more expensive for the employer, but the exact default interest depends on the rate the Minister approves.<\/p>\r\n The second consequence is that the employee can leave. Article 56(1)(2) of the Labour Code (DK) allows the employee to terminate the contract by a written notice given at least five working days in advance if, for two months in a row or longer, the employee has not been paid the full pay due. The employer must then pay severance pay (i\u0161eitin\u0117 i\u0161moka<\/em>) equal to two months' average pay, or one month's average pay if the employment lasted less than one year (DK Article 56(2)).<\/p>\r\n The third is a dispute. For unpaid amounts, the employee must apply to the Labour Disputes Commission (darbo gin\u010d\u0173 komisija<\/em>) within three months from when they learned, or should have learned, of the breach of their rights (DK Article 220(1)).<\/p>\r\n After the employment ends, the sanction is different. If the employer delays settlement for reasons not caused by the employee, it pays a penalty (netesybos<\/em>): the employee's average monthly pay multiplied by the number of months of delay (DK Article 147(2)). If the unpaid amount is less than one month's average pay, the unpaid amount itself is multiplied instead. If the delay is shorter than one month, the penalty is calculated pro rata (DK Article 147(2)).<\/p>\r\n The deadline for settlement is set by Article 146(2). All payments are made when the employment contract is terminated, and no later than the end of the employment. The parties may agree that settlement will be made within ten working days (DK Article 146(2)).<\/p>\r\nBy when pay must be made<\/h2>\r\n
What happens if pay is late while the employee is still working<\/h2>\r\n
What happens if final settlement on dismissal is late<\/h2>\r\n