Single Payroll

Beginning in July 2021, all UW System employees who are paid monthly—including UW–Madison employees—will be moved to a biweekly pay schedule. For these employees, most deductions for benefits such as health, dental, vision and life insurance will be split evenly over the first two biweekly paychecks each month beginning in August.

The term “Single Payroll” refers to the fact that this change standardizes the payroll schedule for all UW System employees.

Transitioning to a Biweekly Payroll Schedule

The transition to Single Payroll begins in July. Employees who are currently paid monthly over 12 months can refer to this Single Payroll timeline for information on how the transition will impact their payroll schedule. Employees who are paid over nine months should use the
Single Payroll timeline for nine-month appointments.

A more detailed 2021 Pay Schedule—including pay periods, pay dates, and deductions taken from each paycheck—is available as a downloadable PDF. For 2022 pay dates, see the 2022 Biweekly Pay Schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

To learn more about Single Payroll, please review the frequently asked questions available on the UW System web page.

Resources to prepare for the transition

The UW–Madison Division of Extension offers the following resources to help employees prepare for the switch to a biweekly payroll schedule.

• Moving to 26 paychecks a year
• Checklist for a successful pay schedule shift
• Planning ahead and making bill payments on time
• Setting aside money for bigger bills
• Using your tax refund to plan ahead

Town Hall Meetings

Attend a Town Hall hosted by UW System to learn about Single Payroll. Presenters will explain the new pay period and payroll schedule, describe how benefits deductions will be made, and answer your questions about the change. Each event will be recorded for viewing later on demand. Closed captioning will be provided. Advance registration is not required.