The Ambiguity of ‘Biweekly’ and ‘Bimonthly’

It allows employees to receive their wages regularly while also providing employers with a manageable payroll process. A semi-monthly payroll schedule pays employees twice a month, totaling 24 cheques for the whole year. This type of payroll is more suited towards companies who pay their employees a high salary and don’t need to worry about missed days due to bank holidays. Employees are paid twice a month on specific dates, what is bi weekly with many companies choosing the 1st and the 15th of the month.

Although not as commonly used, biweekly may also refer to a magazine or newspaper that publishes once every two weeks. Hyphens are not used after the prefix bi- unless the root word starts with the letter I. So while most people use it to mean once every two weeks, both definitions are grammatically correct.

If your employees punch in and out and work a different amount of hours each week, then a bi-weekly payroll will make more sense. Keep in mind that employees who volunteer to work more hours may be doing so because they need more cash flow that week. There are some important differences when it comes to semi-monthly vs. biweekly payroll.

What are some common uses of the word biweekly?

• A game/app developer releasing bug fixes twice a week seems too often to me, so I think once every two weeks is a more reasonable timeline to code things to improve the app.
• In addition, depending on where you’re located and who you hire, you may be legally required to pay your workers more than once per month.
• There are also many similar words to biweekly, like biennial for intervals happening every two years or bi-hourly for breaks happening every second hour.
• Understanding how bi-weekly payroll works, its advantages, and its implications for both employers and employees is essential for effective payroll management.

This means that the employee would receive $2,000 every two weeks before any deductions such as taxes, health insurance, or retirement contributions are taken out. Every now and then, though, a month might have five Wednesdays and the meeting might fall on the first, third, and fifth Wednesdays. So you should still learn the difference between bi-weekly and semi-monthly.

Paycheck calculators by state

This can become particularly complicated in situations where employees work varying hours each week. This complexity can lead to errors if not managed properly, resulting in potential legal ramifications and employee grievances. In general, bi-weekly payrolls are used by companies that pay their employees a low to average hourly wage.

However, many states have their own laws regarding payroll frequency, which can vary significantly. A biweekly payroll schedule will typically be seen in the eyes of your employees as “dependable” and “consistent”. Also, your payroll clerk will be able to keep a consistent schedule and pace with how they distribute them.

Wordplay

This system is popular among many businesses because it simplifies payroll processing and aligns well with the typical budgeting cycles of both employers and employees. Employers must be diligent in their efforts to stay compliant and ensure that their payroll practices align with legal requirements. By doing so, they can avoid potential legal issues and create a fair and efficient payroll process for their employees. This automation minimizes the risk of human error, ensuring that employees are paid accurately and on time.

More Frequent Paychecks

The bi-weekly payroll system has a significant impact on employee paychecks, particularly in terms of the amount received and the timing of payments. Since employees are paid every two weeks, their paychecks may vary in size depending on the number of hours worked, overtime, and deductions. Semi-monthly payroll may be a great choice for businesses with employee benefits deductions, such as health insurance and retirement contributions. Paydays align with monthly financial reporting, making it easier to deduct and report deductions from employees’ paychecks. As mentioned above, bi-weekly payroll distributes employee paychecks every other Friday. Paying employees once in two weeks results in 26 pay periods per year.

So many speakers and writers use the term this way that there is now widespread confusion regarding the true meaning of the term. If you want to learn more about using the English language properly, feel free to check out The Word Counter blog! We’re constantly putting up new content that can help you to understand not only what words you’re saying but why you’re saying them and where they come from! Our goal is to provide people with an invaluable resource and wealth of knowledge for speaking in the most educated way possible in the world today.