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.

play button for video 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 biweekly@montana.edu.

 

Message History

Email
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