W.Va. eliminating paper checks for state employees in fall switch to electronic payment

Starting this fall, paper paychecks will be a thing of the past for West Virginia state employees.

State Treasurer John Perdue said Friday that beginning in October, employees will be paid by direct deposit or with a Visa debit card.

Perdue's office says eliminating written checks is expected to save the state $500,000. The move is aimed at streamlining the process of paying state employees and giving them immediate access to their money.

State officials told The Charleston Gazette that for the next pay period in August, about 4,000 of the nearly 45,000 on the state's payroll will be paid by check.

The treasurer's office says the state would have to make costly changes to a new software system if it were to keep using paper checks.