Payroll delay upon hiring -- Oregon, USA

[Whistle]

Location: Lane County, Oregon, USA

Situation: Employee working for Company for 6 months through a 'Temp' service. Employee has been told they will be hired on "permanent" as an employee of the Company. Employee is currently paid weekly through the 'Temp' service.

Employee was told that "getting them in the payroll system" takes 5 weeks, and they will receive no paychecks during that 5 week period. Their first check from the Company will cover all hours worked in that 5 weeks, and they will henceforth be paid bi-weekly.

5 weeks with no pay presents a significant hardship for the Employee. Is this legal? Are there any precedents of this practice being challenged?

[AFFA]

I wish to inform you that if your employer had not paid you any salary then he may be liable for the payroll. It is the duty of employer to pay employees on time. You may demand salary and if your employer refuses then you may institute lawsuit for the amount of salary. You may alternatively file a wage complaint with the department of labor of your state.

AFF

[Whistle]

That would make sense if the employer was not paying the Employee at all, but merely delaying pay for 5 weeks. I'm quite familiar with suits brought against employers for failure to compensate, but this is, to me, distinctly different.