Bi-Monthly vs. Semi-Monthly (Differences and Examples)

The frequency of worker payment is a matter that requires your attention if you’re in charge of any company that hires individuals. Semi-monthly and bi-monthly pay strategies are the two most widely used pay plans. The two frequently confuse the minds of individuals.

Employers may pay their faculty bimonthly, monthly, weekly, or semi-monthly based on several norms. Read the article to learn bi-monthly and semi-monthly, bimonthly vs semi monthly, etc.

What is bi-monthly?

Workers get compensated every two months when the payroll is completed bi-monthly. This commonly happens on a particular day of the month. With this technique, they will obtain three paychecks in 2 months of the year and 2 paychecks in the remaining ones.

The fact that this compensation system doesn’t follow the calendar is one of its biggest drawbacks, which could result in the finance and accounting offices having a lot of complications.

The bi-monthly method wreaks havoc on business cost and budget analyses. This is because a year encompasses 52 weeks, and those weeks are not evenly allocated across the 12 months. There will be 3 paydays in specific months and two in others. This method is far more complex than the monthly payroll.

What is semi-monthly?

The workers are paid two times a month using this method. Only the fifteenth and the final day of every month are utilized for this. In contrast to bimonthly, payments are made less frequently under this method. This is due to only 24 payments being made per year. Nonetheless, most organizations ensure that the pay stays the same regardless of the method.

Semi-monthly vs. bi-monthly payroll

A semimonthly payroll is compensated 24 times yearly, while a bimonthly payroll is paid twenty-six times per year. This is the main distinction between the two types of payrolls. A semimonthly payroll is paid twice per month, often on the last day and 15th day of the month. The paycheck is distributed on Friday before if one of these payment dates falls on Sunday. A bimonthly payroll is distributed every other week, typically on a Friday.

The semimonthly payroll is superior from an efficiency standpoint because there are two fewer payrolls to prepare annually. The semimonthly method makes it easier to allocate wages and salaries to the appropriate months because the month-end adjustment is not as necessary.

The bi-monthly payment is ideal from the standpoint of worker relations because employees get used to receiving pay about twice a month and get two additional “free” paychecks a year. Additionally, it is simpler for staff to plan for money receipts every other Friday. This is more convenient than tokens that could be sped up or slowed down by holidays and weekends.

Since the processing stages consistently occur on the same day of each week, it is simpler for the payment team to create a biweekly payment from an organizational standpoint. Due to the salary date not being established on a single day, processing processes for a semimonthly payroll are frequently moved about among days of the week.

Advantages of a Bi-monthly Payroll System

Your workers will view a bimonthly payroll method as constant and reliable. They will know the exact time and date of their checks. Besides, your payroll clerk will be able to deliver them as per the pace and regular schedule. 

Advantages of a Semi-monthly Payroll System

A semimonthly is a beautiful choice for a company owner who wants to pay their workers the same monthly amount. The trade-off would be that you must confirm that your payroll clerk knows how payday is always altering. 

Conclusion 

Because federal pay laws require that you employ the same frequency throughout the year, choosing which pay frequency to use for your small business can be challenging.

Always remember that states have the last say in how frequently you must pay employees. Consult your state laws, as certain states do not allow the use of a semi-monthly pay schedule.