Frequently Asked Questions

All career employees are paid on the first day of each month. What happens when the first of the month falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday?

Payday is always the first day of each month for career employees. If the first falls on Saturday, Sunday, or a public holiday, then payday will be the Friday before the first of the month or the day before the public holiday. An exception to this rule is January 1. PayDay will be the first scheduled work day after the holiday.

How do I complete the W-4 form to arrive at the correct number of allowances to claim for federal and state tax withholding?

The Payroll Division is not qualified to answer this question. You should contact a tax accountant.

I am an exempt employee. Am I allowed to be compensated for overtime?

Exempt employees are not allowed to be compensated for overtime. According to Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) Policy 31, "Hours of Work":

EXEMPT EMPLOYEES
The workweek for full-time exempt employees is normally considered to be 40 hours, and for part-time employees the proportion of 40 hours equivalent to the appointment percentage; however, greater emphasis is placed on meeting the responsibilities assigned to the position than on working a specified number of hours. Exempt employees do not receive overtime compensation or compensatory time off, or additional compensation beyond the established salary for the position except as provided in Staff Policy 30.I, Administrative Stipend for Temporary Assignments.

I am an exempt employee. Am I allowed to accrue compensatory time for hours worked over 40 in a work week?

The accrual of compensatory time for exempt employees violates University Personnel Policies for Staff Members Policy 31, "Hours of Work":

Why are there additional lines on the DPE for my biweekly employees?

The vacation leave assessment for biweekly employees occurs every other pay cycle because for biweekly employees their leave accrual eligibility is based on a four-week cycle (two biweekly pay cycles). In order to perform the assessment the payroll system must reference both a B1 and B2 pay cycle this means that sometimes it must refer to a prior months pay cycle in order to know the full gross pay on which to base the assessment. This occurs anytime the B1 and B2 do not fall into the same month.

For example, in April there were 3 biweekly pay periods that ended in April.

The pay periods ending 4/16 and 4/30 form one four-week cycle on which to base an assessment, but the 4/2 pay period is missing a B1. In this case the payroll system will pull in the prior months B1 in order to reference the hours and pay rate the employee received.

This reference line is then included on the DPE in order to fully disclose what hours were included in leave assessment calculation. Notice that all of the other benefit fields and gross earning field show "0", this is a good way of identifying when this process has occurred. To predict when this will occur refer to the Payroll Processing Schedule. Anytime you see that the first BW in a month is a B2, expect that the payroll system will need to reference a prior months pay cycle in order to calculate the leave assessment.

How do UCSB employees stop United Way Payroll Deductions?

UCSB employees should contact Liz Molina at liz.molina@bfs.ucsb.edu

Biweekly Pay: Overview

What do "nonexempt" and "exempt" mean?

Nonexempt employees are eligible for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and record their actual time worked. Exempt employees are not eligible for overtime. If you are unsure of your exemption status, you can: check with your supervisor or if you know your title code you can go to https://tcs.ucop.edu/tcs/jsp/nonAcademicTitlesSearch.htm and you will be able to determine whether you are exempt or nonexempt there.

Why are exempt employees remaining monthly?

Exempt employees receive a predetermined salary each pay period, regardless of the amount of time worked. Exempt employees are not paid by the hour and they are not eligible for overtime. Exempt employees are required to report only non-productive time, such as vacation or sick time.

Can I choose not to go to the biweekly pay schedule?

All nonexempt employees in the following units will be making the switch to biweekly pay:

99 – Non-represented
CX – Clerical
RX – Research Support Professionals
SX – Service
TX – Technical
PA – Police
NX – Nurses
HX – Health Care Professionals
EX – Patient Care Technical

Transition to biweekly pay for other exclusively represented employees is subject to collective bargaining.

Why is UC making this change to biweekly pay?

The transition is part of a systemwide plan to bring employees at all UC locations onto a standardized pay schedule, with the goal of improving the quality and efficiency of UC’s business processes. The new system provides several benefits, including:

A systematic approach to payroll time reporting
Standardized payroll cycles across all UC locations
More efficient and effective time reporting
Fewer manual adjustments and under or overpayments

What is the advantage to me in transitioning to biweekly pay?

You will be paid every other week.
Any overtime hours you work in the pay period will be paid more frequently.
Your vacation and sick leave balances will be current.

Do we know what our paydays will be once converting to biweekly paychecks?

The UCSB Biweekly Payroll Calendar is located on the Biweekly Pay Resources Page.

What is the justification behind moving from annual based calculations to hourly based calculations for nonexempt employees?

Biweekly conversion requires calculations be made based on an hourly rate, thus the conversion from annual to hourly.

Biweekly Pay: How Will This Change Impact Me?

I am now paid monthly. Will I convert to the biweekly pay schedule?

Not all employees will convert to the biweekly pay schedule; only if your job is defined as nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will you convert to biweekly. Employees whose job titles are exempt will continue to be paid monthly.

How many biweekly paychecks will I get?

You will receive a minimum of 26 and a maximum of 27 paychecks in a year. Because biweekly periods do not always line up exactly to the calendar year, there is often a biweekly pay period that crosses over from December to January. Because of this, the gross pay reported on an annual W-2 tax form may not match exactly to your annualized pay (hourly rate x 2088 hours), and occasionally there will be 27 periods in one year.

What should I do to prepare for the change?

It is important that you review your personal budget situation and determine your income needs based on the new biweekly pay schedule. In preparation for the conversion, we suggest that you take the following steps:

Review your current tax withholding elections to make any necessary changes. Pay particular attention to additional tax withholding amounts.
Request that creditors adjust your automatic withdrawal or bill-pay dates to align with your new pay schedule.

What if I pay some of my bills through automatic bill pay?

If you have automatic bill pay set up for any regular expenses, such as mortgage payments, student loan payments or car payments, we encourage you to work directly with your financial institution(s) to change payment dates as needed.

I'm now being paid semi-monthly. Will I convert to the biweekly pay schedule?

If your job is defined as nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), you will convert to the biweekly pay cycle.

Why must "nonexempt" employees report time?

FLSA regulations require nonexempt employees to track their hours worked so they can be paid overtime for eligible hours. To ensure that the university meets these regulations, nonexempt employees report their actual time worked each day.

Biweekly Pay: Benefits and Deductions

Will the change in pay frequency affect my sick and vacation accruals?

Your sick and vacation accruals may be calculated based on a factor accrual rate. This means that your sick and vacation accrual amount will vary each pay period based on your factor and the hours you work.

I pay benefits once a month. Will this change?

Yes, Payroll deductions will be split across the biweekly paychecks. Deductions are either a fixed amount (e.g. $25) or a percentage of earnings (e.g. 2%). Fixed deductions are divided and deducted twice monthly. Percentage based deductions are deducted every check. During the initial transition, benefits deductions will be taken from all three paychecks received in February.

What about months with three biweekly paychecks? How will my deductions be calculated?

For months with three paychecks, one paycheck will have no fixed deductions taken (e.g. transit and parking deductions, credit union deductions, 403(b) loan payments, etc.). These paydays, referred to as “benefits-deduction holidays,” will occur twice a year. Please refer to the 2013 UCSB Payday Calendar.

I have a garnishment deduction. How will the transition to biweekly pay affect the amount deducted for my garnishment?

If the garnishment deduction is calculated as a percentage of your earnings, a deduction will occur each pay period, up to the maximum deduction allowed based on federal and state regulations.

For example, if your garnishment deduction is 25%, that amount will be deducted each payday. If the garnishment deduction is a fixed flat dollar amount, the amount will be recalculated to a biweekly amount. That calculation is then divided into two payments. For example, a monthly $250.00 garnishment payment will become $125.00, deducted against each biweekly paycheck.

I contribute to my 403(b) and 457(b) plans. When will my contributions be taken?

If you set up your contributions as a percentage deduction, the percentage amount will be taken each payday. For example, if your current 403(b) contribution is set at 5% per month, a 5% contribution will be made each biweekly payday. If you set up your contributions as a flat dollar amount, it will be divided in half and taken in the first two bi-weekly pay periods in a month but not taken during the “benefits holiday” pay period, which occurs twice per year.

How does the change in pay frequency affect my Federal and State taxes?

Your income will continue to be taxed according to the Federal W-4 and State DE-4 forms you currently have on file. Your biweekly earnings will be taxed based on the biweekly tax schedules set by the Internal Revenue Service and the Franchise Tax Board. To review your current W-4 and DE-4 elections, visit At Your Service Online.

Will the wages on my W-2s change?

Beginning with W-2s for 2013, slightly different pay periods will be reported than in the past due to the fact that your wages are reported based on when the funds have been made available to you. With a monthly schedule, the entire month of December is reported in the next tax year, because you always receive the funds for the entire month of December in January.

With a biweekly schedule, some of the constructive receipt of funds for December work will happen in December, and some in January. W-2s for 2012, which will be sent out in January 2013, will not be affected by the biweekly conversion, since the conversion is happening in 2013.

What is a Benefits-Deduction Holiday?

A Benefits-Deduction Holiday is the third payday in a month that has three biweekly pay period end dates within the month. This paycheck will have no fixed benefits/deductions taken, only percentage based deductions will be taken.

What accrual method will be used in UC Path?

Factor accrual methodology will be used to accrue vacation and sick leave for all employee populations in UCPath except faculty.

PPS currently supports factor accrual for all populations, and table accrual for monthly. Campuses with BW pay cycles typically use table accrual for the academic titles (who are on the MO cycle) and factor accrual for all other employees.

Staff policy, explained in the following document (which applies to PSS not covered under bargaining unit contracts, MSP, and SMG), supports factor accrual: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010406

Biweekly Pay: Miscellaneous

California Labor Code Section 204 requires employers to pay employees no later than 7 days after the end of a payroll period within which wages are earned. Based on the transition payment schedule, is UC in violation of Section 204?

Section 204 of the state labor code applies to private sector employees, and not to the University. Many public agencies within California pay employees on a schedule similar to that being implemented by the University. The University’s legal obligation is to pay employees on announced pay dates.

If a researcher is appointed on a variable appointment with time reported, does that mean they will go on the biweekly pay schedule?

As an exempt employee, the researcher will remain on monthly. The department may continue to report time or may choose to change the appointment to a fixed appointment so that pay is automatically generated each month.

Does this mean that supervisors will have to approve timesheets every other week?

Supervisors of employees on the biweekly cycle will approve timesheets every other week. Unless affected by holidays, biweekly approvals will be due every other Monday, beginning with February 4, 2013. The approval schedule for monthly timesheets will not change.

I keep hearing that we will not receive a paycheck for a 6-week period after the new conversion. Is this true?

Monthly to Biweekly:
Your last full monthly paycheck will be on January 2, 2013. On February 1, you will receive a partial paycheck covering the period between January 1 and January 19. You will receive your first biweekly paycheck on February 13 - covering the pay period between January 20 and February 2.

Semi-monthly to Biweekly:
Your last full semi-monthly paycheck will be on January 23, 2013. On February 8, you will receive a partial paycheck covering the period between January 16 and January 19. You will receive your first biweekly paycheck on February 13 - covering the pay period between January 20 and February 2.

Monthly Arrears to Biweekly:
Your last full monthly arrears paycheck will be on January 8, 2013. On February 8 (February 7 for Southern campuses), you will receive a partial paycheck covering the period between January 1 and January 19. You will receive your first biweekly paycheck on February 13 - covering the pay period between January 20 and February 2.

Currently, pay is based on 2088 hours in a calendar year. When we switch from monthly paychecks to biweekly paychecks, there will be a different number of hours in each calendar year. How will my earnings be affected?

Employees will be paid for every hour worked. Because there are 365 days in a year, there will be a different number of pay periods each calendar year so earnings will vary slightly from one year to the next. There will be 26 pay periods in some years (like 2013) and 27 pay periods in others (like 2014). The number 2088 is used to calculate your hourly rate. This does not mean you are being paid 8 hours less than you were as a monthly paid employee.

For employees who have alternative work schedules (e.g., 9/80), do campuses have the flexibility to temporarily modify these employees' workweeks in order to avoid paying overtime?

No, campuses do not have the flexibility to temporarily modify employees’ workweeks in order to avoid paying overtime. This applies whether the employee is on an alternate work schedule or not. Under the FLSA, hospitals and residential care establishments can use a fixed work period of 14 consecutive days, instead of the 40 hour workweek, for purposes of calculating overtime. To do this, the employer must have an agreement with the affected employee before the work is performed that defines that employee’s workweek, i.e. when that employee’s 14-day period will start and end.

The 14-day period can begin at any hour of any day of the week, e.g. at a time that does not coincide with the start of a day, such as 2 a.m. The 14-day period must be established with the intent that the period be permanent or used for a substantial period of time.

The University does have the flexibility to change the schedule of a non-exempt, non-represented employee to avoid paying overtime. For example, if an employee on a 40 hour per week schedule usually works 8 hours per day, and during a particularly busy Monday that employee works 10 hours, the University can change that employee’s schedule to only work 6 hours on Friday of that week to avoid overtime.

The ability of the University to change the schedule of a represented employee will depend on that employee’s labor agreement.

How are we handling nonexempt staff who are also exempt lecturers?

The determining factor will be the employees’ primary purpose at the University. For some employees, their primary purpose is to serve as a faculty member and they also work in a second appointment as a staff member. For others, their primary purpose is to serve as a staff member and they also teach sporadically. These situations will be handled on a case by case basis.

Will the transition to biweekly pay impact the ERIT program?

No, the transition to biweekly pay will not impact the ERIT program.

Hire Entry & Follow-Up

Do I need to include the employee's SSN when submitting the Full Hire Template prior to the employee's first day?

The Full Hire Template can be submitted without the SSN so long as the department explains the reason for not including it in the template's comment box. The comment should explain that the SSN will be updated via the Personal Data Change Template on the employee's start date. However, if you choose not to include the SSN, you must complete the DOB to help identify the new employee, should the same name already exist in the UCPath system.

What type of documentation needs to be provided when updating the SSN on the employee's first day?

None. You will submit the SSN using the Personal Data Change Template on the employee's start date. Since we validate all DOB, SSN and Name Changes through the Social Security Number Verification System (SSNVS), no documentation needs to be attached. Please Note: The person submitting the Personal Data Change Template is responsible for validating the documentation before completing the template. If we discover an error in the information that is contained on the template, we will cancel the template, explain why we are cancelling it and ask for you to re-verify any supporting documentation.

Work Authorization

How does my employee know how to complete their Work Authorization?

The Department is to inform the employee that they will be getting an email from Tracker, and that they need to complete Section 1 online before, or on, their first day. The employee should then go to Business and Financial services to complete Section 2 by their third day of work (e.g., if your employee starts on Monday, and Section 1 is done Monday morning, Section 2 must be done by Thursday at 3:30 pm).

My student employee does not have their original documents on campus. What can be done?

The employee will have to get their original documents before completing their I-9. Per USCIS regulations, only Original documents are acceptable for I-9 documentation.

What do I need to do to make sure the employee gets their Tracker email?

Go to Service Now and submit a Tracker I-9 ticket to Trigger the I-9 before the employees start/effective date. This can be done without Path approval just enter TBD where it asks for the ID #. You can then update BFS later with the EEID once you get it back from Path.

How do I know if the employee has completed their I-9?

In UC Path, go to People Soft > Workforce Administration> Personal Information> Security Clearance. Under Security Clearance, it will say "U14 I-9 Complete," the date will be listed, and the Source will say "Tracker." If the Security Clearance field says "U14 I-9 complete" and the date is within the last 3 years, the employee does not need to be in Tracker (their original I-9 is still valid).

If an employee mistakenly deletes their Tracker email, what do we need to do?

Please open a ServiceNow ticket to request BFS to resend the email.

I have an employee whose work authorization is approaching it's expiration date. What do I need to do?

Please contact BFS via Service Now and include the employee's name, employee ID, original start date, and email address. You will receive an email when the employee can visit a worksite to complete their re-verification.

What time can employees visit BFS to be verified?

Due to COVID 19 precautions all I-9’s must have a remote section 2. Please use Service Now to provide the appropriate information to BFS.

How do I nominate employees for GLACIER?

The process has not changed. NRA employees should be nominated by the department. For more information, see https://www.bfs.ucsb.edu/accounts-payable/non-resident-alien-information.

UC Path alerted me that a position funding is requiring E-Verify. What needs to be done?

You will need to open a Service Now Ticket for Work Authorization and in the comment box let us know that the employee needs E-Verification. BFS will take care of the E-Verify process and inform you if we need any additional information from either the department or the employee to complete.

I have an employee that is working remotely from another state. How can we have their work authorization completed remotely?

The department will need to open a ServiceNow ticket for work authorization. Provide the name, employee ID, email, and start date of the Employee. In the additional comments section enter the name of a representative of a college or university local to the employee who is willing to assist us with the I-9 process; include the rep's email and title, plus the institution name. We will then send a special link to that representative to complete section 2 on UCSB’s behalf. This needs to be done prior to the employee's start date to ensure USCIS compliance of the I-9.

I have a remote employee working outside the United States, do they need a Tracker I-9?

No, only those employees living and working in the United States need an I-9. You must indicate in UCPath that the employee is living and working outside the US. If your employee moves to the US later and continues to work for UCSB, you will need to contact BFS to have us complete an I-9. It will be up to the home department to update the employee's status in UCPath in this situation.

I have a TA that is being paid over four months but not starting until the Fall quarter starts. Is there anything we need to do as far as the I-9?

Yes, Tracker does not inform BFS that this is a four payment TA, nor does UCPC. We need the departments to let us know so that we can correct the start date to the employee's first day of work.

I keep getting emails from BFS but my employee never started and changed their mind about the job. Can I just ignore them?

Please don't ignore these emails. You need to do a termination in UCPath, but also inform BFS by submitting an I-9 ServiceNow ticket. If the I-9 is not complete, UCPath will not put the termination over to Tracker so it stays on our dashboard. The same holds if you need to change the employee's start date - always inform BFS Tracker I-9 via an I-9 ServiceNow ticket.

What are some tips and solutions to prevent "out of compliance" I-9 issues with new hires/rehires?

Departments are not responding to the BFS Work Authorization Analyst's communications about their employees being late on Section 1 and/or Section 2 of their I-9.
- When our work authorization analyst reaches out to you, please respond so we can work together to have your employee in compliance. Even if the employee decided not to take the position, please respond letting us know.
Departments are hiring employees with a retroactive effective date due to late hire, or are not allowing enough time for the UCPath Center to approve the hire (UCPath approval times have increased as other campuses go live).
- Remember to future-date your hires; UCPath defaults to the same day which does not allow proper time.
- If your hire template is still pending, please contact BFS via ServiceNow to prevent a non-compliant I-9. We will manually send the employee Section 1 to start the I-9 process. Please note that a pending hire will need to have been entered into UC Path.
Departments are not selecting “Home” as the email type, which prevents the system from generating the Section 1 email to the employee.
- On every hiring template please select “Home” as the email type, no matter what the employee's email address is.
- Please confirm with your employee on the effective date if they received the I-9 email. If they have not, reach out to BFS via ServiceNow.
Departments are contacting BFS after the employees’ effective date to send or resend the employee the I-9 Section 1 email, or to request a remote Section 2 for the employee.
- As soon as you know your employee will not be working on campus, open a ServiceNow ticket to set up a remote Section 2. You can do this for a pending hire template if needed.
Employees are indicating to BFS that they are late due to not having time in their schedule to come in.
- Allow your employees time on their first day to come to BFS to complete their I-9. Our I-9 desk is open Mon-Fri from 8:30 am – 11:00 am and 1:30 pm-3:30 pm.

Paycheck Review

How come when I add up my paycheck stub it's not the same figure as I see on my W-2?

You may be adding the wrong paycheck stub. The first one you should be adding is the check you received Jan. 1 and the last one you will add is the one you received Dec. 1 (unless you received additional payments on the 5th working day in December or the supplemental payment paid on approximately December 19).

Why is my additional federal and state tax not included in the total federal and state tax amounts?

Go back and add all of your pay check stubs. The additional federal and state tax, though listed separately on your check stub, is also added to the total federal and state tax amounts.

Why didn't I get paid?

There are several possible answers:

With all of the above possibilities, we would advise you to ask your department administrator to trace the problem for you. Once the problem has been identified and solved, a partial payment of the amount due can be made available by no later than 3PM the following day.

You did not turn in your timesheet to your department in time to meet the payroll deadline;
Your department did not report the time you worked to the campus Payroll Division by the deadline;
Your appointment ended and was not properly extended; or
The paperwork to establish your appointment for pay purposes has been delayed by one of the offices required to approve your appointment.

I need my 2019 W-2. How can I get it?

2019 W-2’s are now available on UC Path, here: https://ucpath.universityofcalifornia.edu. If you signed up for electronic W-2, you will find your W-2 under "Income and Taxes" on your UC Path dashboard.

If you did not sign up for electronic W-2 by January 18th, 2020, then it was mailed to you by the UC Path Center in Riverside by January 30th, 2020. Please contact the UC Path center at 1-855-982-7284 if you have trouble accessing your 2019 W-2.

How do I sign up for Electronic W-2?

There is an option to Enroll to receive online W-2 under the "Income and Taxes" menu on your UC Path dashboard. The deadline to enroll to receive your 2019 W-2 electronically was January 18th, 2020.

I am looking for a W-2 from a year prior to UCPath, how do I get it?

For W-2 forms from 2016, 2017 or Jan-Sept 2018, please open a ticket via ServiceNow at https://bfshelp.ucsb.edu with your request.

I have questions or a correction on my 2019 W-2, who do I contact?

Please contact the UCPath Center at 1-855-982-7284 for assistance with your W-2.

After leaving UC, how can you continue to access your past UC earning statements and W-2 forms through UCPath online?

Registering for UCPath online former employee access

You’ll be able to register for UCPath online access as a former employee once your location has finalized your separation with UCPath online. Make sure you’ve added your non-business email address to your UCPath profile before you leave UC — you’ll need it to register.

If UCPath has your non-business email address on file, you’ll receive a notification email as soon as you’re eligible to register. If you do not have a non-business email on file, call the UCPath Center to provide one and request your registration email.

Once you receive your former employee access registration email, follow the steps to register and activate your account. You must complete the registration process within the timeframe listed in your email message or you will lose access.

After you complete the first step to activate your account, you’ll receive a second email to complete the registration process. This step will include verifying your personal data and creating security questions for the account. When both registration steps are completed, you will be able to login to UCPath online through the Former Employee Access page.

Accessing your information

Once your registration is complete, you’ll be able to access your earning statements and W-2 forms for payroll information that UCPath processed. You’ll also be able to keep your personal contact information up to date.

You will have access to the Former Employee system for up to three years after your separation date, so make sure to download any information you need for your records.

https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/ucpat...

How does an employee receive a physical check if they work outside the country?

Checks are typically mailed via USPS to the home address on file (even if the home address is international)

UCPath can expedite checks on an as-needed basis if they are actively working outside the country. Department functional users can initiate a case through QCU no later than noon PST, two days prior to check date. Checks will be sent via UPS.
- Timing is important as UCPath has a very tight window to get these requests to Wells Fargo.
- Locations can provide a spreadsheet of multiple employees to expedite, if necessary.
Once UCPath has processed the request and obtained the tracking information, it will be shared with the department requestor.

UCPath Pre-Conversion

How do we compensate someone for time worked pre-conversion?

There are different scenarios to consider:

Employee is not in UCPath and should have been hired retro to a date before conversion: In this case, a New Hire template is done to hire the person on the real hire date (this can be pre-conversion). The template will NOT generate retro pay, so an off-cycle check will need to be requested for pay due. The pay period should be listed as the actual service period. In other words, if the pay is for July, use the July period, not the current pay period.
Employee is already hired and is owed back pay from pre-conversion: These are a bit trickier and must be looked at individually. Paypath corrections can be made to pre-conversion dates, but they will not generate retro-pay for the pre-conversion period. An off-cycle check will need to be requested for pay due.

How do we compensate someone who has separated and we realize we still owe money?