Bi-Weekly Payroll Transition
What is the Bi-Weekly Payroll Project?
For consistency among all state agencies, the Office of Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) has requested that all MUS campuses transition to a bi-weekly payroll cycle that is synched with the rest of Montana's state agencies.
Currently, employees at MSU-Bozeman and Northern are paid monthly. Employees at Great Falls College and MSU-Billings are paid every other Friday. After the project implementation is complete, all MSU employees will be paid every other Wednesday.
10-minute overview video
Benefits of Bi-Weekly Payroll
There are numerous benefits of a bi-weekly pay cycle.
- New employees will receive their first paycheck much sooner. In some cases, new employees must currently wait up to six weeks before they recieve their first paycheck.
- Employees will be paid more timley in relation to the work they perform.
- Funds will be deposited into your Health Savings and Flexible Spending accounts bi-weekly, giving you access to those funds sooner.
- Contributions to retirement plan accounts will happen bi-weekly, allowing them to be invested sooner.
When will this happen?
The target transition date is February 26, 2021. That will be the last day the university will use a monthly pay cycle. Beginning, February 27, 2021, employees will begin a two-week payroll cycle which always begins on a Saturday (12am) and finishes on a Friday (11:59pm). You will receive your first bi-weekly paycheck on Wednesday, March 24, and it will be for all the work performed between Feb. 27 and March 12. Thereafter, you will receive a paycheck every other Wednesday. The next check arrives on Wednesday, April 7, 2021. Please be aware that your paycheck is for a 2-week period of work. It does not cover hours right up to the day before the paychecks are cut. Those are captured in the next check. Download a 2021 Pay calendar here.
Who is working on this project?
The Bi-Weekly Payroll Core Project Team consists of the following people:
MSU-Bozeman: Max Thompson, (Project Lead); Julie Clay, (Project Manager); Stephanie Pressly,
(Communications Lead); Tom Hoffman (UIT) ; Liza Heer (UIT) Keith Krutchkoff (UIT); Patti Yasbek (Facilities); Becky McMillan (Auxiliaries); Kerri Marx (Auxiliaries)
MSU-Billings: Jackie Ellsbury
MSU-Northern: Kelly Leeds; Amy Skryja.
Great Falls College MSU: Kathy Haggart
There is also a Bi-Weekly Payroll Project Working Group consisting of 36-cross departmental and cross-campus stakeholders.
Finally, the Bi-Weekly Payroll Steering Committee consists of the following members:
MSU-Bozeman: Terry Leist; Mike Trotter; Jeannette Grey-Gilbert; Tim Capps; Jerry Spicher
MSU-Billings: Heather Hanna
MSU-Northern: Suzanne Hunger
Great Falls College MSU: Mary Kay Bonilla
How will changing bi-weekly payroll cycles impact employee payroll processing?
Current pay cycles (workdays in each paycheck), dates employees are paid, and the number of annual paychecks will change. What will not change is your total gross annual earnings (wages before deductions and taxes are withheld).
| CURRENT MONTHLY PAYROLL | NEW BI-WEEKLY PAYROLL | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Annual Earnings | Current annual earnings | No change to annual total |
| Pay cycle/Work week | Sunday through Saturday | Saturday through Friday |
| Number of paychecks annually | 9 or 10 12 |
20 26 |
| Pay Days | 11th of the month | Every other Wednesday (starting March 24, 2021) |
| Last paycheck in old cycle | March 11, 2021 For February earnings |
|
| First paycheck in new cycle | March 24, 2021 For earnings Feb. 27 - March 12 |
|
| Deductions | Percentage/Flat amount deductions from all checks | Two paychecks per year will not include flat amount deductions |
Additional Information
Additional information can be found on the this web site, including Frequently Asked Questions, calendars and calculators. Information will be added to the site as it becomes available.
For questions, contact [email protected].
Message History
| Date | Audience | |
|---|---|---|
|
First 4-campus Faculty/ Staff Communication introducing Bi-weekly Payroll |
April 20, 2020 | Faculty/Staff |
|
Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Adjustments to Internal Payroll Processes |
June 15, 2020 | VPs, Deans, Directors, Department Heads |
|
Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Adjustments to Internal Payroll Processes |
June 22, 2020 | Departmental Payroll Partners |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Direct Deposit (DD) | June 29, 2020 | Selected fac/staff/students not on DD |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: On Time, On Track | July 13, 2020 | VPs, Deans, Directors, Department Heads |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: On Time, On Track | July 22, 2020 | All BZ Faculty and Staff |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: On Time, On Track | July 29, 2020 | Departmental Payroll Partners |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Timesheet Submissions | Aug. 12, 2020 | VPs, Deans, Directors, Department Heads |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Timesheet Submissions | Aug. 19, 2020 | All BZ Faculty and Staff |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Timesheet Submissions | Aug. 24, 2020 | Departmental Payroll Partners |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Personal Finance | Sept. 14, 2020 | VPs, Deans, Directors, Department Heads |
| Bi-Weekly Pyaroll Project: Targeted Direct Deposit Email | Sept. 17, 2020 | Employees not signed up for direct deposit |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Personal Finance | Sept. 21, 2020 | All BZ Faculty and Staff |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Personal Finance | Sept. 28, 2020 | Departmental Payroll Partners |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Leave Accruals | Oct. 12, 2020 | VPs, Deans, Directors, Department Heads |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Leave Accruals | Oct 19, 2020 | All BZ Faculty and Staff |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Leave Accruals | Oct 27, 2020 | Departmental Payroll Partners |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Payroll Deductions | Nov. 9, 2020 | VPs, Deans, Directors, Department Heads |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Payroll Deductions | Nov 16, 2020 | All BZ Faculty and Staff |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Payroll Deductions | Nov. 30, 2020 | Departmental Payroll Partners |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Important Tax Withholding And Supplemental Retirement Information | Dec 7, 2020 | VPs, Deans, Directors, Department Heads |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Important Tax Withholding And Supplemental Retirement Information | Dec 14, 2020 | All BZ Faculty and Staff |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Important Tax Withholding And Supplemental Retirement Information | Dec 21, 2020 | Departmental Payroll Partners |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Preparation Checklist | Jan. 11, 2021 | VPs, Deans, Directors, Department Heads |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Preparation Checklist | Jan. 19, 2021 | All BZ Faculty and Staff |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Preparation Checklist | Jan. 25, 2021 | Departmental Payroll Partners |
| REMINDER: Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Federal Withholding | Jan. 27, 2021 | Affected employees with specific withholding |
| REMINDER: Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: State Withholding | Jan. 27, 2021 | Affected employees with specific withholding |
| Classfied Employees: Transition Year Adjustment | Feb. 1, 2021 | Classfied Salary Employee only |
| Contract Employees: Transition Year Adjustment | Feb. 1, 2021 | Contract Employees only |
| Bi-Weekly Project: First Payday | Feb. 8, 2021 | VPs, Deans, Directors, Department Heads |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Reminder: Suplemental Retirement Contributions | Feb. 9, 2021 | 403B Participants |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Reminder: Suplemental Retirement Contributions | Feb. 9, 2021 | 457B Participants |
| Bi-Weekly Project: First Payday | Feb, 16, 2021 | All BZ Faculty and Staff |
| Bi-Weekly Project: First Payday | Feb, 21, 2021 | Departmental Payroll Partners |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Direct Deposit Reminder | Feb 23, 2021 | Flat amount allocations |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: Last Monthly Paycheck | Mar. 10, 2021 | All BZ Faculty and Staff |
| Bi-Weekly Payroll Project: First Bi-Weekly Paycheck | Mar. 23, 2021 | All BZ Faculty and Staff |