There is a commandment from the Torah for a person to pay his workers on time. The Pasuk (verse) says, “Don’t have the payment of your workers stay with you till the morning.” You’re obligated to pay him right away. This Mishnah will talk about what is considered late when paying your workers. The Mishnah says: Somebody who was hired to work for an entire day and then finishes at Shekiah, when sunset hits, collects his payment throughout the entire night that follows. The night right after he finishes working is the proper time to pay him. If the worker does not pay him before the next morning, before Alot HaShachar, before dawn, then the employer violates a Torah commandment to pay his worker on time.
If somebody was hired to work for an entire night and then finishes the job at dawn, he would be paid the entire day that follows. The day afterward is the right time to pay him. If his employer did not pay him during that day, before sunset, then the employer violated the laws of the Torah. If somebody was hired to work only a few hours, he has to be paid when he finishes his work. If he finishes his work during the nighttime, he would collect his payment throughout the entire night, before dawn. If he finishes his work during the day, then he would have to be paid during that day, before sunset. So whenever he finishes his work, during that Onah, either day or night, he would be obligated to be paid.
Here, though, we’ll talk about somebody who works for longer periods of time, when that is payment work for them: Sachir Shabbat, Sachir Chodesh, Sachir Shana, Sachir Shavua. If somebody was hired to work for a week, or for a month, or for a year, or for a full Shavua, a seven-year period, the Halacha (Jewish law) is as follows. Yatza Bayom Goveh, Kol Hayom: if he finished working during the day, he left during the day, and he would collect his payment any time during that day. He has to be paid before sunset. So we don’t wait a long period of time. Even though he’s working for a long period, long-term, you have to pay him every single day. Yatza Balayla Goveh Kol Halayla veKol Hayom: if he finishes his work during the nighttime, he would collect his payment any time during that entire night and the entire next day. He basically has to be paid before the next sunset.