1020.00 Off-Cycle Payroll

The University has an established payroll system to ensure timely payment to employees provided deadlines are met for data input and time entry and approval by employees, supervisors and University Services Payroll. When paychecks cannot be produced through the established biweekly and/or monthly cycle, it adds an estimated $75 per off‐cycle check in additional costs.

Departments submitting personnel action forms should allow ample time to accomplish the administrative review and signature process as outlined in the form instructions. When personnel actions arrive at Human Resources, the proposed action is reviewed for consistency and adherence to applicable employment regulations, collective bargaining agreement/employee handbook, and UMS policy. The deadlines for receipt of these materials in HR allow for this review, any required follow‐up with departments, and for data entry. The HR deadlines for personnel actions are:

• Hourly paid actions: At least 2 business days prior to the effective date
• Monthly paid actions: Prior to effective date of action or the 15th of the month, whichever occurs sooner

Per Administrative Practice Letter titled Time Reporting, employees must enter their time and Time Approvers and Department Payroll Processors must review and approve their employee’s time worked and leave time taken in accordance with the University of Maine System Payroll Schedule.

The UMS Payroll Center typically processes off‐cycle payrolls as follows (subject to change if the need arises):

• During weeks when regular payroll is processed, no off-cycle payroll will be processed
• During weeks when there is no regular biweekly payroll being processed
  • Wednesday with a deposit/check issued for the following Friday

Submitting an Off-Cycle Check Request

Authorized paperwork must be received in good order at least one business day before payment can be made.  After paperwork has been submitted, complete this Form to submit a request for an off-cycle emergency check request.

Off‐cycle check requests must be received by Payroll by 10 a.m. on off-cycle processing days to be included in that day's processing for reasons including:

• Payroll received all required paperwork on time, but employee did not receive a paycheck.
• A department did not submit paperwork in a timely manner to reach HR by the established deadline for personnel actions forms.*

Important Information about Off-Cycle Paychecks

Tax Withholding

If an employee has specified an additional amount for taxes be withheld, those additional amounts will deduct from off-cycle checks as well as regular paychecks which may result in double amounts for a single pay period.  

Additional compensation is taxed at the supplemental rate regardless of when it is paid.

Non-residents will have an additional taxable amount added to their earnings when calculating tax withholding in each paycheck, regular and/or off-cycle.

Direct Deposit

Direct deposits will be processed as set up per regular and off-cycle checks. For example, if an employee has $50 set up to be deposited into a separate account each pay period and there is an off-cycle check processed, the employee will receive the $50 deposit with the regular pay cycle as well as the off-cycle.