My company hasn’t paid me my salary for several months and hasn’t yet paid me my severance pay. What can I do to recover what I’m owed?

The non-payment of wages should not be regarded as a mere internal difficulty of the company, especially when the delay extends for months. Compensation represents the countervalue for the work performed, and when the employer systematically fails to provide it, the employee can activate the tools provided by law to achieve the verification and recovery of their credit. The first step usually involves accurately reconstructing the amounts owed, checking pay slips, employment contracts, actual bank transfers received, any communications from the company, and documentation related to the employment relationship. Once the credit is determined, a formal demand for payment of the overdue wages can be made to the employer, with the possibility, provided the prerequisites are met, of subsequently proceeding in court to obtain an enforceable title and act against the employer’s assets. The situation becomes particularly relevant when the employment relationship has ended and the company has not paid the severance pay. The Severance Pay represents a credit of the worker that must be verified and quantified based on the history of the relationship and the payroll documentation. In cases where the employer is insolvent and the conditions provided by law are met, the INPS Guarantee Fund may also come into play, which ensures, in the cases specified, the payment of severance pay and certain work-related credits. The INPS specifies that the Fund can intervene for severance pay and, within certain limits and conditions, for the wages related to the last three months of the employment relationship. This means that, in the face of a non-paying company, it is not always necessary to limit oneself to informally urging the employer: it is essential to evaluate the financial situation of the company, the possible presence of bankruptcy proceedings, the continuation or cessation of the relationship, and the available documentation to identify the most effective strategy. If the relationship is still ongoing, the repeated non-payment of wages may also require specific evaluation regarding the continuation of the relationship and any actions the worker may take. If the relationship has ended, it is necessary to immediately verify the amount of severance pay, the last salaries, and any other end-of-employment entitlements, without neglecting any accrued leave, permits, additional salaries, and other sums resulting from the work documentation. In the event of insolvency, timing is particularly important, as the protection of the worker must be coordinated with the actual economic and procedural situation of the company. Therefore, the worker should not wait indefinitely for a promised payment that continues to be postponed: it is advisable to have the documentation reviewed by a professional and to promptly evaluate a formal request for payment, a possible judicial proceeding, and, when applicable, access to the guarantees provided by law. Recovering a salary or severance pay does not simply mean “asking the company to pay”: it means identifying the credit, documenting it, legally protecting it, and choosing the most effective path to transform an unsatisfied right into a recoverable sum.