Opinion ID: 874386
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Statutory Wage Claim

Text: Gray also argues that the district court erred in granting summary judgment against him on his statutory wage claim. Gray asserts that under Idaho's Wage Claim Statute, Tri-Way is required to pay him bonus compensation. In its order granting summary judgment to Tri-Way, the district court found that Gray had failed to introduce any evidence that the parties actually agreed on the terms of his bonus and, therefore, dismissed Gray's statutory wage claim on summary judgment. Claims for wages are governed by Chapter 6 of Title 45 of the Idaho Code. Pursuant to Idaho's Wage Claim Statute, employers are required to pay all wages due to their employees at least once during each calendar month or on regular paydays designated in advance by the employer. I.C. § 45-608. The term wage is broadly defined under I.C. § 45-601(7) as compensation for labor or services rendered by an employee, whether the amount is determined on a time, task, piece or commission basis. § I.C. 45-601(7). In Paolini v. Albertson's Inc., 143 Idaho 547, 149 P.3d 822 (2006), we held that I.C. § 45-608, by its terms, is not limited to wages earned during a calendar month or to wages that are normally paid every calendar month. 143 Idaho at 549, 149 P.3d at 824. This Court went on to state that it applies to all wages due during the month. Id. Thus, [w]ages earned over a longer period of time, such as an annual bonus based upon net profits, will come due during a specific calendar month and are covered by the statute. Id.; see also Johnson v. Allied Stores Corp., 106 Idaho 363, 367, 679 P.2d 640, 644 (1984) (citing Thomas v. Ballou-Latimer Drug Co., 92 Idaho 337, 342, 442 P.2d 747, 752 (1968)). We find that there is no basis for Gray's statutory wage claim. Idaho Code § 45-606, which governs the payment of wages upon separation of employment, requires that an employer pay all wages due the employee by the earlier of the next regularly scheduled payday or within ten days of termination by either the employer or employee. In this case, it has previously been determined that no enforceable employment contract exists. Thus, under a contractual basis, Gray has failed to establish that a bonus was actually due from Tri-Way upon his separation of employment. As such, we affirm the district court's summary judgment dismissal of Gray's statutory wage claim.