Anonymous wrote: Is it standard to wait and pay vacation on next pay day, the week before the vacation is taken, or immediately once employee returns?
It is standard to get paid on your next pay check. There is nothing special about vacation pay that makes it payable in advance.
If they don't usually mail your paycheck, instead they give it to you in person, they may have been hesitant about doing so. You should let them know that in the future, if you aren't going to be there for pay day that they can mail it to you. Honestly, I wouldn't do that since mail can be so unreliable.