Wages (Arbeitsentgelt). Wages — also called salary or pay — are the monetary compensation an employer pays for the work performed by an employee. Only services from dependent employment qualify.
Difference between wage and salary
Whether you receive a wage or salary depends on your employment contract. If you receive a fixed amount each month, it is a (fixed) salary. If the compensation varies according to actual hours worked, it is a wage payment.
If wages are repeatedly paid late or not at all
If your salary is repeatedly paid late or fully outstanding, immediate legal steps are necessary. We send formal demands, set deadlines, take legal action and, where appropriate, file an extraordinary termination on the part of the employee (§ 626 BGB) — your claim to wages remains in force.