confused about getting paid at work?

Because employers need time to calculate how many hours each person works and then to run payroll, calculate deductions, and issue pay checks. This usually takes about a week. So you work two weeks and finish the pay period (make believe payday is Friday), you close your time sheet, the employer runs payroll and pays you for those two weeks the next Friday. Meanwhile you have worked another (the 3rd) week. However, this week is not lost, you just get it when you quit/retire. Eventually, you get paid for every hour you work.

The third and fourth week will be on the 2nd check. You get paid for all of the time but there is a processing week to make up the checks.

You started your employment at the beginning of pay period A. Don't worry, you aren't being cheated out of your pay.

Week 1 of pay period A. 1st week of employment

Week 2 of pay period A

Week 1 of pay period B. You'll be paid on Fri for pay period A.

Week 2 of pay period B

Week 1 of pay period B is also the same week that your pay is calculated for pay period A; you'll be paid on Friday of that week. You'll be paid for pay period B on the Friday of the 1st week of pay period C. Sounds confusing, but that's how it works.

Because payrolls run on a cycle (typically biweekly) and there's a cutoff and "lag time" between the end of the payroll cycle and the actual issuance of checks.

Each week, you get paid for the previous two weeks.

At the end of the third week, they pay for the first 2 weeks.

At the end of the 5th week, they pay for the 3rd and 4th weeks.

At the end of the 7th week, they pay for the 5th and 6th weeks.

Etc.

your payday is probably the Friday of the 3rd week, they can't pay you for the 3rd week on the last day of the workweek when the 3rd week isn't even finished yet - Payroll is always one week behind at every business