N
The Global Insight

Are companies required to pay commission after quitting?

Author

Robert Miller

Updated on April 06, 2026

If your employment terminates (because you quit, are laid off, or are fired), your employer must pay you all earned commissions. If you are fired or laid off, your employer must immediately pay you all commission amounts that can be reasonably calculated.

Can an employer keep your commission?

As a general rule, employers may not take away or reduce any commissions that an employee has already earned. There are often terms in the commission agreement that allows an employer to deduct commission in certain situations.

Can a company refuse to pay commission?

Under California law, an employer must disclose the terms of a commission agreement in writing. An employer cannot refuse to pay a commission because, for example, the employer is not happy with the employee’s overall performance.

Can my company withhold my bonus if I resign?

Some companies require that you be employed at the time bonuses are paid and some pay regardless, so you may not be risking your bonus if you give notice now. If you give notice before bonuses are allocated and your last day is after they are paid, it is highly unlikely that your company will stiff you.

Can a company withhold commission pay?

Employee Laws on Collecting Commissions Typically, an employer cannot withhold already earned but unpaid commissions when an employee leaves their position unless the employment agreement states otherwise.

What happens if a company doesn’t pay commission?

If their employer violates their commission agreement, they can file a wage claim with the State of California’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Aggrieved employees might also have the right to file a lawsuit against their employer.

Can a company take back your bonus?

An employer absolutely can ask you to give back your bonus after you have left work. This contract governs bonuses, when you receive them, how much they are and what actions can allow a company to reclaim the bonus. Leaving a company suddenly is a common reason cited in contracts as are various forms of misconduct.

Can you sue a company for not paying bonus?

When you’re not given the earned bonus you were promised, you can sue your employer to get that money, even if you left the company before you were paid. You’ll only be able to sue for the unearned bonuses that were handed out while you worked there.

Do you have to pay commissions when you leave a job?

Generally, whether the employee left the job, was terminated or the position was no longer needed will not impact the employer’s responsibility to pay the employee. While state law may define commissions as wages and all wages may be required to be paid upon termination, commissions have unique characteristics in the employment context.

Can a company withhold commissions from terminated employees?

Typically, an employer cannot withhold already earned but unpaid commissions when an employee leaves their position unless the employment agreement states otherwise. If the employer terminates a commissioned position just to avoid paying those commissions, however, the terminated employee may still be eligible under state law to get paid.

When do you get your commission from an employer?

Often, employers cannot calculate the total amount due to the employee until all payments on the sale have been received by the employer. Once employers receive payments from the customer, the employee’s commission should be paid. This may result in the employee receiving multiple commission checks.

When to pay sales commissions after employment termination?

Connecting … What Is Payment of Sales Commissions after Employment Termination? In certain industries, employee compensation is based on commissions from actual sales. When these commissions are paid varies by employer, but generally payment is only made after a sale has closed and the company has received payment for the sale.