Payroll Frequency Change
On January 1, 2020, CUI’s Payroll Department will be converting all employees from a semimonthly to a biweekly payroll schedule. Employees will be paid every other Friday (once every two weeks), resulting in twenty six paychecks per year.
For additional information, please see the frequently asked questions (FAQs) collected below.
Please contact the Payroll Department with any additional questions at payroll-helpdesk@cui.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between semimonthly and biweekly?
CUI currently uses a semimonthly payroll cycle, where twenty-four paychecks are disbursed on the 5th and 20 th of each month over the course of the year with a varied number of days in each pay period. In a biweekly payroll cycle, twenty-six paychecks are disbursed every other Friday over the course of the year with the same number of days in each pay period. While total pay for the year is the same as the semimonthly cycle, the value of each paycheck is slightly less.
Why is CUI converting from semimonthly pay to biweekly pay?
Semimonthly pay periods cause inconsistencies in the number of days in each period, the day of the week on which pay is received, and submission and approval deadlines, as well as increased reporting errors.
With payroll occurring consistently every two weeks on a biweekly pay frequency, time sheet submission and approval deadlines will be predictable and routine. Also, biweekly pay is based on an eighty hour pay period, which simplifies all calculations. These simple changes will allow the payroll team to better serve employees and gain efficiencies across the campus.
How will I be paid during the conversion?
There will be three paydays in January. The final semimonthly payroll (from the December 16-31 pay period) will be paid on Friday, January 3. The first biweekly pay period will be a shortened period from Wednesday, January 1 to Saturday, January 11, which will be paid on Friday, January 17. The second biweekly pay period will be a regular pay period from Sunday, January 12 to Saturday, January 25, which will be paid on Friday, January 31.
Biweekly pay periods will run from Sunday to the following Saturday, and employees will be paid on Friday subsequent to the end of the pay period.
2020 Biweekly Payroll Calendar
How will this change impact when I will submit hours for pay?
All timesheets will be due by noon on the Monday following the end of the pay period.
2020 Biweekly Payroll Calendar
As a supervisor, how will this change impact when I will approve my employee’s time?
All timesheets will be approved by 5pm on the Monday following the end of the pay period.
2020 Biweekly Payroll Calendar
How will this change impact my personal budgeting?
The impact for personal budgeting will vary depending on the type of employee. Exempt Employees: With the increase in number of paychecks per year, the value of each paycheck will decrease proportionately.
Non-exempt Employees: With payroll occurring consistently every two weeks, both the number of hours reported and the value of each paycheck will be consistent. However, due to the increase in number of paychecks from twenty-four to twenty-six, each paycheck with be proportionately smaller. In order to estimate the quantitative change between a semimonthly paycheck and a biweekly paycheck, please view a step-by-step tutorial on how to read your current pay stub.
View Tutorial
Then, please feel free to use any of the following websites to familiarize yourself with the quantitative change in pay as of January 1.
Important note: The calculators and article referenced above are designed to resource employees with general guidance and estimates. They should not be relied upon to calculate exact taxes, payroll or other financial data. These calculators are not intended to provide tax or legal advice and do not represent any CUI service or solution. Please refer to a professional advisor or accountant regarding any specific requirements or concerns.
How will this impact my direct deposit?
There will be no lapse in direct deposit capabilities during this transition. However, if a flat rate, rather than a percentage is used to allocate between multiple bank accounts, please be aware the allocation between multiple bank accounts will need to be changed in order to reflect the new value of the biweekly paycheck.
Please review your current allocations for any necessary changes.
complete a Direct Deposit Form
How will this impact my benefits?
There will be no lapse in benefits during this transition. All benefits will be deducted from the first two paychecks of the month. The additional two paychecks each year will only have taxes withheld. Any “flat rate” or “percentage rate” deductions, such as 403(b), tuition deductions, etc. will be deducted from the first two paychecks of the month. Please review your current “flat rate” deductions for any changes to accommodate the new value of the biweekly paycheck.
Please contact HR for additional assistance regarding benefits at hr@cui.edu.
How will this impact my giving to CUI?
There will be no lapse in giving deductions during this transition. However, if a flat rate rather than a percentage is used to determine the gift value deducted from each paycheck, please review the value of the new biweekly paycheck to determine if any changes need to be made.
Please review your current allocations for any necessary changes.
Payroll Deduction Plan Form
How will this impact how I accrue leave time?
Eligible leave time will be accrued on each paycheck. The total annual hours of leave will be divided between twenty-six paychecks, rather than twenty-four, causing a proportionate decrease in the rate of accrual on each paycheck.