What are my rights for payroll?

Under the Texas Payday Act (Texas Labor Code Chapter 61), an employer must pay a salaried employee once per month and an hourly employee twice per month.  The employer must also give employees notice of the pay dates.  Your employer is probably trying to evade its obligation to pay employment taxes, overtime and workers compensation by treating you as a "1099 Employee" - There is no such thing, but we see it all the time.  You can report the employer to the Texas Workforce Commission - Labor Law Department, but you may well get fire for that report, as the Payday Act has no anti-retaliation provision in it.  If you allow yourself to be treated as a contract/1099 employee, you are going to have some future headaches with taxes owed to the IRS, if you are injured on the job or if the employer makes you work more than 40 hours per week.  You should give some consideration to finding a new job.