Payroll Employee Guide

Getting Started

Q) How do I sign up for direct deposit?

A) The fastest and easiest way to get paid is through Direct Deposit to your bank account.
- You can sign up for Direct Deposit on UCPath.
- Go to People Soft Menu
- Click on Self Service
- Click on Payroll and Compensation
- Click on Direct Deposit

Q)Where is my paper check?

A) Paper checks are mailed to your home address.
- If you have moved and are receiving a paper paycheck, please update your address on UCPath.

Q)Where can I view my paystub?

A) Your paystub can be viewed on UCPath.
- To access your paystub
- Go to Employee Actions
- Click on Income and Taxes
- Click on View Paycheck

Q)Where can I access my W2?

A) W2s can be accessed through UCPath.
- To access your W2

Q)I need a copy of my paystub or W2 prior to 2020.

A) Historical pay records can be accessed through AYSO. If you need help accessing this system, please contact payhelp@ucsc.edu.

Current most frequently asked questions can be accessed on UCPath @ UCSC website.

The Employee Self Service Job Aid provides instructions for the following:

View or update personal information (i.e. name, DOB, SSN, address changes)
Request Employment Verification
Add or Delete a Direct Deposit
Update a Direct Deposit
View My Online Pay Stub
Change My Federal Withholding
Change My State Withholding
Enroll in Benefits - Initial Enrollments
Enter a Life Event - Birth
Enter a Life Event - Marriage
View Benefits Summary
View Dependent Summary

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Resources

Resources

UCPath: view paystubs, update personal information, review benefits and more.
UCPath@UCSC: Local resources for employees and transactional users including FAQs, news and announcements, training materials, security and access.

UCNet: system-wide employment resources including information on the University of Retirement Plan, RASC (Retirement Services), Health and Welfare Benefits, Bargaining Units and Contracts and Personnel Policies.
Fidelity: UC Retirement Savings Program information and transactions
Employee Toolkit
Locate your Timekeeper: Staff
Locate Your Timekeeper: Academic

Post-Doctoral Scholars

Post-Doctoral Scholars

If you are a U.S. citizen or a resident Postdoctoral Scholar who is the recipient of a fellowship (i.e., a PostDoc Fellow or Paid Direct), the following information is intended to provide you with general federal tax rules regarding your award, including your reporting and record keeping responsibilities.

The following information applies when, according to our records, you are the recipient of a fellowship awarded in connection with your training at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Recipients of such awards include postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows, and similar recipients. This document provides general information regarding the taxability and treatment of fellowship awards for tax purposes.

In some cases, the fellowship funds are paid directly to you, while in other cases the funds are provided by a third party on your behalf. For example, an award intended to pay the recipient's expenses may be paid directly to the recipient, or it may be paid by a third party directly to the University and credited to the recipient's University account. In either event, the payment is treated for tax purposes as if it had been made to the fellowship recipient and hence will be subject to the federal tax rules discussed below.

Applicable Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Basics

Under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations, a fellowship is not taxable only if the funds are used for required tuition, fees, books, supplies, equipment, or other mandatory fees for classes or enrollment. Any portion of the fellowship used to pay for other expenses (e.g., room and board, travel, health insurance premiums, or other living expenses) must be included in your taxable income for the year. This is the case whether the funds are paid to you directly or to a third party on your behalf. Therefore, be aware that you may have to pay income taxes on the portion of your fellowship used for such expenses.

Health Benefits Taxability

Health benefits provided by the University to postdoctoral fellows and their dependents are subject to income tax with respect to the premiums that are paid by the University, less any amounts paid by the recipient. Benefits provided to the domestic partner of a postdoctoral fellow are also taxable whether or not the domestic partner qualifies as a dependent. For more information on the tax treatment of fellowship grants, see IRS Publication 970: Tax Benefits for Education.

Note: This information is intended only to introduce you to the general tax rules applicable to recipients of fellowships. The University does not provide tax advice. Contact your personal tax advisor with any questions or concerns.

Understanding Your Earnings Statement

Sample Earnings Statement

Understanding Your Paycheck
How to Understand Your Paycheck

Contributions and Deduction Descriptions

1. Retirement/Savings

DCP:
Part-time, seasonal, temporary employees, and non-exempt student employees participate in the Defined Contribution Plan (the "DC Plan") as Safe Harbor participants. You are automatically enrolled in the DC Plan as long as you are employed by the University of California.
UCRP:
UCRP is a traditional pension plan, providing a predictable level of income when you retire. UC employees who are members of UCRP are governed by the 1976 Tier, 2013 Tier, or 2016 Tier plan provisions.

2.  Medicare
Tax withheld by the Federal Government to fund the federal health insurance program.

3.  Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI)
Tax withheld by the Federal Government to fund the Social Security Program.

4.  Federal Tax
Tax withheld by the United States IRS on the earnings of individuals.

5.  California State Tax
Tax withheld by the state of California on the earnings of individuals.

6.  Medical Insurance
This is your current medical plan deduction. The "Coverage" field indicates who is enrolled in the plan.

7.  ARAG Legal Insurance
Prepaid legal insurance plan that can help you with routine preventative or defense matters. This is a voluntary expense.

8.  Supplemental Life
Allows for additional financial protection for you and your dependents. This is a voluntary expense.

9.  Dependent Care Reimbursement Account
Allows you to pay for eligible dependent care expenses on a pretax, salary reduction basis. This is a voluntary expense.

10.  Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
Protects you and your family from the unforeseen financial hardship of a serious accident that causes death or dismemberment. This is a voluntary expense.

11.  Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Allows you to pay on a pretax, salary reduction basis for eligible health care expenses. This is a voluntary expense.

12.  Parking Deduction
This is your parking deduction amount. For questions relating to your parking amount, please contact the TAPS Office, (831)459-2190, taps@ucsc.edu. This is a voluntary expense.

13.  Supplemental Disability
Protects you against a loss of income due to a pregnancy or a disabling injury or illness. This is a voluntary expense.

14.  United Way
Charitable donation. This is a voluntary expense.

15.  PE/REC Fee
Office of Physical Education, Recreation and Sports (OPERS) membership fee. This is a voluntary expense.

16.  403(b) Plan
Savings and investment plan managed by Fidelity. This is a voluntary expense.

17.  457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan
Savings and retirement plan managed by Fidelity. This is a voluntary expense.

18.  Medical Contribution
Amount the University pays for your medical insurance.

19.  Dental Contribution
Amount the University pays for your dental insurance.

20.  Vision Contribution
Amount the University pays for your vision insurance.

Inquire about a Missing/Lost paycheck

If you have not received an expected paycheck please complete the following steps:

Check the payroll calendars to confirm the expected pay date is correct.
Review your paychecks in UCPath.
If the check in question is not listed in UCPath, contact your timekeeper for assistance.

If the check in question is listed in UCPath. Contact UCPath by phone Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., at 855-982-7284. OR by submitting an inquiry through the UCPath portal.

If UCPath cannot resolve your issue, please contact payhelp@ucsc.edu.

Introduction to Pay Cycles

UCSC has two pay cycles: monthly and biweekly.

Monthly employees are paid once a month. There are twelve paydays within a calendar year. Most monthly paid employees are classified as exempt by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and do not report hours worked on a daily basis.

Biweekly employees are paid every two weeks. There are typically 26 paydays within a calendar year. The biweekly pay cycle is used at our campus to process pay for most hourly paid employees classified as non-exempt by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the wage and hour law that covers the University. A classification of non-exempt provides an employee's job with overtime eligibility and wage and hour protections as defined by the regulations within the FLSA.

Payroll Calendars

FLSA and Compliance

FLSA Regulations

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is the agency that interprets and enforces the FLSA. This agency occasionally issues rulings that update FLSA regulations, including updates to the earnings threshold.

Compliance

The University of California is obliged to comply with the FLSA provisions, therefore, employees identified as non-exempt under FLSA regulations will be assigned to the biweekly pay cycle and report hours worked. Employees who are non-exempt are eligible to earn overtime at a premium rate for any time reported over 40 hours within a standard work week (Sunday to Saturday). Overtime must be preapproved by the employee’s supervisor.

Employees who are exempt do not accrue overtime and do not report hours worked. Instead, these employees report usage of accrual balances when used.

When Changing from Biweekly to Monthly Pay

Pay Frequency

Monthly paid employees will receive 12 paychecks in a year, whereas biweekly paid employees receive 26 paychecks in a year.
Paydays will occur every month, on or around the first of each month.
It is important for UCSC Employees who are moving to the monthly pay cycle to examine the timing of expenses and pay, and to take action if a shortage in cash flow income is identified.

Timing of Payroll Deductions

Monthly health benefits and other fixed amount deductions will be taken out in full from each paycheck.
Percentage based deductions will be taken from every paycheck.

Overview

This section of the Employee Guide provides detail on maximum vacation information for Staff Employees **.

** This information does not pertain to Academic employees.

These guide steps provide all of the information to understand the following:

Vacation Maximum thresholds by Policy and/or Collective Bargaining Agreements
Exceptions to Maximum Thresholds
- Criterion for requesting an exception

Timekeepers are also available to assist with any questions.

Locate Your Timekeeper

Request an Exception

All extension requests must be completed, appropriately approved and received in Payroll Administration & Timekpeeing (PAT) PRIOR TO reaching the maximum vacation threshold.There are only four reasons why an extension to the maximum vacation threshold can be extended (see below):

Temporary or unexpected reductions in unit staffing levels;
Critical time-sensitive projects or events that prevent employees from taking vacation;
Long term vacancies, which cannot be filled and which impact department operations;
Unplanned leaves during the same period of time.

Unit head approval is necessary to approve an exception request.

To find the maximum extension period allowed by policy and/or collective bargaining agreement, please see the Policy and Contract Information to view your specific extension period. To request an exception, please download, review and legibly complete the Max Vacation Exception Request document, obtain the appropriate approvals and send the document as a PDF to the Max Vacation email address [ max-vacation-group@ucsc.edu ].

Once the exception request is received, it will be reviewed, approved or denied within 10-business days. If approved, vacation accrual will be extended retroactive to request date, up to the maximum allowed by policy and/or collective bargaining agreements.

Once the exception period has ended - vacation accrual will be suspended until the employee is once again below their maximum threshold.

Policy and Contract Information

The information below identifies maximum vacation threshold exception and noticing periods for policy covered and employees covered by collective bargaining agreements.

This data should be used as a guide when requesting exceptions to the maximum threshold.

Policy/Contract	Notification Period	Extension Period if Exception Granted
PPSM (99)	60 working days prior	4 months
CX (Clerical)	60 days prior	4 months
DX (Physicians, Podiatrist & Dentists)	3 months prior	4 months Requests made at least 30 days prior to reaching maximum will not be denied.
EX (Patient Care)	60 calendar days prior	Excess vacation placed in CTO bank if EE requested to use vacation a minimum of 30 days prior to reaching maximum.
HX (Residual Health Care)	60 days prior	3 months
K7 (Skilled Crafts)	Contract does not have a maximum vacation provision. UCSC local guidelines provide a courtesy notice dovetailing to PPSM policy 60 working days prior.	UCSC local guidelines provide a courtesy extension period dovetailing to PPSM policy of 4-months.
NX (Nurses)	90 days prior	3 months
PA (Police)	60 days prior	4 months
RX (Research)	60 days prior	4 months
SX (Service)	60 days prior	4 months
TX (Technical)	60 days prior	4 months

Notification Email Template (Non-CruzPay Users)

If the employee does not use CruzPay to report their time, the template below should be used by Timekeepers to notify the employee and their supervisor that they will reach their maximum vacation accrual within 60 to 90 days. per PPSM policy and collective bargaining agreements.

Note: extension periods must dovetail to policy and collective bargaining agreements.

Copy and Paste into email client:

*********************************************************************************************************

Dear [Recipient Name]:

RE: Reaching Maximum Vacation Accrual Threshold

NAME (copy/paste from UCPath)
EID (copy/paste from UCPath)
DATE (date email communication sent)

This notice is to inform you that you will soon reach your maximum vacation accrual.

Please review the information on the Maximum Vacation Webpage to understand your options and responsibilities. Note: If the hyperlink does not work, you can copy/paste the site information into your browser window.

Note: If you do not take action, your vacation accrual will be suspended once your maximum accrual threshold has been reached.

Sincerely,

[Your name / title]

Cc:

Supervisor
Unit Head
File

*******************************************************************************************************

Leave Factor Information

Leave Accrual Factors: Monthly & Biweekly Paid Staff Employees

PSS 1-10 years/ Represented 1-10 years

Maximum Vacation Accrual	Vacation Accrual Factor	Sick Accrual Factor	Monthly - MWH Biweekly = Quadraweekly**	Vacation Accrual: 100% Equivalent	Sick Accrual: 100% Equivalent
240	0.057692	0.046154	160-hour/20-day month	9.230720	7.384640
240	0.057692	0.046154	168-hour/21-day month	9.692256	7.753872
240	0.057692	0.046154	176-hour/22-day month	10.153792	8.123104
240	0.057692	0.046154	184-hour/23-day month	10.615328	8.492336
240	0.057692	0.046154	160-hours Quadriweekly	9.230720	7.384640

SMG 0-5 years / MSP 0-5 years / PSS 10 - 15 years / Represented 10-15 years

Maximum Vacation Accrual	Vacation Accrual Factor	Sick Accrual Factor	Monthly - MWH Biweekly = Quadraweekly**	Vacation Accrual: 100% Equivalent	Sick Accrual: 100% Equivalent
288	0.069231	0.046154	160-hour/20-day month	11.076960	7.384640
288	0.069231	0.046154	168-hour/21-day month	11.630808	7.753872
288	0.069231	0.046154	176-hour/22-day month	12.184656	8.123104
288	0.069231	0.046154	184-hour/23-day month	12.738504	8.492336
288	0.069231	0.046154	160-hours Quadriweekly	11.076960	7.384640

SMG 5-10 years / MSP 5-10 years / PSS 15-20 years / Represented 15-20 years

Maximum Vacation Accrual	Vacation Accrual Factor	Sick Accrual Factor	Monthly - MWH Biweekly = Quadraweekly**	Vacation Accrual: 100% Equivalent	Sick Accrual: 100% Equivalent
336	0.080769	0.046154	160-hour/20-day month	12.923040	7.384640
336	0.080769	0.046154	168-hour/21-day month	13.569192	7.753872
336	0.080769	0.046154	176-hour/22-day month	14.215344	8.123104
336	0.080769	0.046154	184-hour/23-day month	14.861496	8.492336
336	0.080769	0.046154	160-hours Quadriweekly	12.923040	7.384640

SMG 10+ years / MSP 10+ years / PSS 20+ years / Represented 20+ years

Maximum Vacation Accrual	Vacation Accrual Factor	Sick Accrual Factor	Monthly - MWH Biweekly = Quadraweekly**	Vacation Accrual: 100% Equivalent	Sick Accrual: 100% Equivalent
384	0.092308	0.046154	160-hour/20-day month	14.769280	7.384640
384	0.092308	0.046154	168-hour/21-day month	15.507744	7.753872
384	0.092308	0.046154	176-hour/22-day month	16.246208	8.123104
384	0.0924	0.0462	184-hour/23-day month	16.984672	8.492336
384	0.092308	0.046154	160-hours Quadriweekly	14.769280	7.384640

Sick Leave Only

Sick Accrual Factor	Monthly - MWH Biweekly = Quadraweekly**	Sick Accrual: 100% Equivalent
0.046154	160-hour/20-day month	7.384640
0.046154	168-hour/21-day month	7.753872
0.046154	176-hour/22-day month	8.123104
0.046154	184-hour/23-day month	8.492336
0.046154	160-hours Quadriweekly	7.384640

*Check applicable policies and CBA's for accrual maximums for part time employees and conditions in which an employee may be permitted to accrue vacation above the maximum.

**For a Biweekly employee, the leave accrual period is four weeks or 160 hours/20 days at Full Time (Quadriweekly). For a Monthly employee, the leave accrual period is one calendar month.

CruzPay Information

Employees Nearing Max Vacation Status

With UCPath being the office of record for accruals, the information below explains what to expect when you are nearing your maximum vacation balance in UCPath.

During the period employees are less than 1-accrual period from reaching their maximum vacation balance and have reported takes in the previous period (month/Quadraweekly), they should expect to receive a partial accrual. This is because any takes reported for the prior period (month/Quadraweekly) have not yet been deducted from the UCPath accrual bank. There will be a re-calculation of the following period (month/Quadraweekly) after which the prior month's takes are finally recorded by UCPath.

Employees who did not have any takes in the prior period (month/Quadraweekly) will not have the partial accrual re-calculated, because there were no takes to reconcile. Unless the employee has followed the maximum vacation exception process, the missed accrual will be lost to them.

An extension bank is required to prevent loss of accruals.

When you are within the maximum vacation notification period, CruzPay will fire an exception message informing you. Once this message fires, you will need to acknowledge it by clicking the Acknowledge box. The exception provides information on accessing this site for more information.

If you are granted an exception to the maximum vacation threshold, you should be working with your supervisor on a plan to bring your vacation balances below the maximum. The following steps should be followed to report vacation hours during the extension period.

Please Note: UCPath is the office of records and its best practice to review your balances from the Dashboard once signed into UCPath.

Once you reach the maximum threshold, CruzPay will no longer accrue vacation hours for you.

Once the exception is granted, your Timekeeper will work with UCPath to generate the Vacation Extension Hours bank in your Time-Off Balances tab on your timesheet.

Please Note: UCPath is the office of records and its best practice to review your balances from the Dashboard once signed into UCPath.

You will also see these hours in UCPath as shown below.

Reporting vacation hours taken:

Use the Vacation Taken paycode to report the number of elapsed hours you are using each day. (Exempt employees report absences in whole-day increments.)
Save the entry.

Hours in the Vacation Extension Hours bank must be used before hours are deducted from your Vacation Bank.

Once your extension period has ended and you have not reduced your balance below the maximum, future vacation accruals will be suspended until you are below your maximum.

Accrual and/or usage posting timing in CruzPay:

Biweekly:

Biweekly employees: Leave takes (e.g. VAC, SICK) are sent to UCPath shortly after the close of each pay period (typically 3-4 days). UCPath processes the leave takes (used) within 10 days of the close of the pay period (+/- a couple days). Leave Accruals are generated by UCPath once per Quadriweek period (two BW cycles = 1 Quadriweek period), within 10 days (+/- a couple days) of the end of each Quadriweek. These leave accruals are then posted to CruzPay within 1-3 days (11-13 days after the end of each Quadriweek), and are able to be used retroactively to the first day of the Quadriweek after they are earned.

Monthly:

Monthly employees: Leave takes (e.g. VAC, SICK) are sent to UCPath the month after they are used, around the 20th (+/- a couple days). UCPath processes them 10-15 days later, between the first and fifth of the next month. UCPath will therefore have a record of your leave around the 5th of the month (+/- a couple days), two months after you took the leave. Example: vacation taken in December is submitted by the employee by December 31. Supervisors approve by January 2. The December takes are then sent to UCPath on or around January 20. UCPath processes these December takes between February 1-5. Monthly employees can therefore expect to see leave usage updating leave balances within 2 months of using the leave.

For frequently asked questions regarding accruals, please visit Accruals in the CruzPay Frequently Asked Questions guide or contact your timekeeper.

W-2 Wage and Tax Statement

Use the UCPath website to download your W-2 Wage and Tax Statement.

Viewing your W-2 on the UCPath Website

Log in to UCPath.
From the Dashboard located on the left of your screen, click on Employee Actions.
Click on Income and Taxes.
Click on View Online W2/W2-C.

Please contact payhelp@ucsc.edu with any questions or issues.

W-4 and Tax Withholdings

Default withholding allowance

Beginning in 2020 The IRS has issued a new Form W-4 which will make accurate withholding easier for employees. The revised form implements changes made following the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which made revisions affecting taxpayer withholding. The redesigned Form W-4 no longer uses the concept of withholding allowances, which was previously tied to the amount of the personal exemption. Due to changes in the tax law, personal exemptions are currently not a central feature of the tax code.

Tax exemption from withholding W-4 / DE-4

To claim exemption from Federal and State withholding tax, file a W-4 form by February 15th of each year.
Tax will be withheld at the maximum rate of Single, 0, if the employee fails to file a new W-4 timely.

IRS Rules for claiming exemption from withholding

All of the following IRS requirements must be met in order to claim exemption from withholding (See W-4 form for complete instruction):

You had no income tax liability last year and had a right to a refund of all federal income tax withheld (if any).
You expect a refund of all federal income tax withheld because you expect to have no tax liability.

Updating your W-4 Tax Withholdings

If you claim exempt status and your wages are expected to exceed the weekly limit set by the IRS, the Internal Revenue Service may request submission of your record of W-4 status.

Log in to UCPath
Click on Employee Actions
Click Income and Taxes from the list on the left hand side of the page.
Click CA State W-4 (DE-4) and Federal Withholding (W-4)

Living Outside California

Employees who live outside of California can also change their tax withholding to align with their state of residence.

Log into UCPath
Click on Forms Library
Click on Access Form
Click on Payroll
Select the Out-of-State Income Tax Withholding eForm

Step-by-step instructions

Foreign Nationals

When to File

Non-resident alien employees are required to file a new W-4NR/DE-4 Form with their payroll office annually in January.
Non-resident alien employees must also inform the University in writing of any change in status during the calendar year and complete a new UCW-4NR/DE4 Form.

How to File

Submit the new UCW-4NR/DE4 Form directly to your unit, or send your completed form to the Payroll Office.

Annual Verification

Foreign National employee's should log into the GLACIER Non-resident Alien Tax Compliance System annually to verifiy and/or update residency status.

GLACIER will generate the appropriate documentation, which should be forwarded directly to the Unit GLACIER Administrator.
See Payroll Coordinator Guide: Foreign Nationals for further information regarding the GLACIER process.

The Unit GLACIER Administrator will review documentation for change in status, and forward appropriate documentation to the Payroll Office. If there has been no change in status, no further action is required.

Postdoctoral Scholar - Fellow Payments

The University is not required to withhold or report Fellowship/Scholarship income for Postdoctoral Scholars that are U.S. citizens or U.S. resident aliens.

Fellowship and Scholarship payments made to non-resident foreign nationals must be reported on 1042-S form; this form is available in Glacier in mid-February.

Following is a list of Visa types and applicable Federal withholding:

Title Code	Alien Type	Visa Type	Federal w/h %
3253	Nonresident	J1	14%
3253	Nonresident	F1	14%
3253	Nonresident	all others	30%
3253	Nonresident	blank	30%

Note: Health benefits provided by the University are subject to U.S. income tax with respect to premiums that are paid by the University. Taxes are collected monthly by the Payroll Office and the amounts are reported on 1042-S forms. U.S. citizens, permanent residents and residents for tax purposes are not subject to withholding or reporting. However, they are expected to report imputed income on their annual tax returns.

Postdoctoral Scholar - Employee Payments

Federal tax elections on W4 forms is restricted to "single" marital status with one exemption, plus an additional flat amount that is added for calculating tax.

The W2 from reports the federal and state taxable income and is available on UCPath.

Retirees

Retiree payment and reporting is adminstered by the UC Retirement System (UCRS) Office located at the Office of the President.

Contact RASC: online or by phone: 800-888-8267

Requesting Employment Records

How to submit a Records Request in UCPath:

To request records, navigate to the Records and Data Request page within UCPath. Then follow these steps:

Enter the desired Date Range of Record Requested.
In the Type of Record section, select the Type of Request.
- Note: A separate Records Request must be filed for each type of request.
Provide a Reason for Request and in the Detail field, provide as much information as you can to support this request.

A submission confirmation page will appear once the eForm has been completed and submitted. UCPath Center will mail the requested documents to the address provided on the Records and Data Request form.

Note: Employees can still access earnings information up to 18 months prior to December 31, 2019 through AYSO.

Current/Recent Employment Verification (2020 -Current)

The Work Number
Letter of Employment
Employment Summary Report Student Employment Verification

Previous Employment Verification

Verification of Previous Employment (2019 and previous)

Complete the Previous Employment Verification Form.
Turnaround time for the basic Previous Employment Verification is two weeks from receipt of the form.
The following information is supplied from a previous employment verification
- Hire date
- Separation date
- Title
- Historical gross earnings available upon special request

Note: If historical gross earnings from 2005 through three years prior to current date is needed, indicate what years on the form. Turnaround time for Previous Employment Verification with historical gross earnings request is three weeks from receipt of form.

Please contact payvoe@ucsc.edu with any questions.

Direct Deposit FAQs

Q) Why do I need Direct Deposit?

A) Direct Deposit is convenient and eliminates the risk of some paycheck problems on payday. Money is quickly and accurately transferred electronically to your bank account, and your payroll information is kept strictly confidential.

Q) How does Direct Deposit work?

A)Before payday, UCPath provides your account and deposit information to our bank, which then transmits the deposit to the bank where you have your account. On payday, your money is available for use, eliminating the need to travel to the bank and wait in line to deposit a paper check.

Q) Is Direct Deposit safe?

A) Direct Deposit greatly minimizes the chances of problems since there are no checks to be misplaced, lost, or stolen, and there is no delay --- even when an employee is out of town.

Q) Does my bank participate in this system?

A) Your bank does not have to be in California to be a participating member. Participating institutions don’t even have to have a “brick and mortar” existence to be a member (so even your “internet bank” is likely a member). Direct Deposit is available across the United States with most financial institutions, including many credit unions, who participate in this service. Many banks offer special benefits, like reduced service fees, for accounts that receive Direct Deposits.

Q) How are my payroll deductions handled?

A) Only your net pay is sent to your financial institution to be deposited. Your gross pay and all your deductions appear on your earnings statement, which is available to you on UCPath.
- Employee Actions
- Income and Taxes
- View Paycheck

Q) What if my bank is experiencing financial trouble? Should I cancel my direct deposit agreement?

A) Deciding whether or not to move your Direct Deposit Agreement from one institution to another is up to you. You should be aware however, that FDIC insured institutions protect your deposits up to $250,000.00. The FDIC provides separate insurance coverage for deposits held in different ownership categories such as single accounts, joint accounts, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and trust accounts. Basic FDIC Deposit Insurance coverage limits are:
- Single Accounts (owned by one person) -- up to $250,000.00
- Joint Accounts (owned by two or more people) -- $250,000.00 per co-owner
- IRA and certain other retirement accounts $250,000.00 per owner
- Trust Accounts -- $100,000.00 per beneficiary, subject to specific limitations and requirements

Q) How long will it take for my direct deposit authorization to become effective?

A) After completing the authorization for direct deposit, please allow 30 days for the direct deposit to become “live”. It is possible that your direct deposit will be active prior to the 30-day window, but do not write checks against your account until you see that a deposit has been received in your account. If you should have pay generated during the enrollment (or “pre-note”) period, you will receive a paper check.

Q) I changed my account number, but not my bank. Do I still need to change my direct deposit information?

A) If you change accounts within your bank you will need to change your direct deposit information online, and you may receive a paper check until your account is verified. If your information is not updated in a timely manner, your deposit may be rejected by the bank and we cannot refund your funds until the bank rejects the deposit and returns the funds to the University. If possible, it is best to keep your old account open until you have verified deposit into your new account. Do not write checks against your new account until you see that a deposit has been received in your account.

Q) I closed my active account and opened a new account at a new bank. What do I need to do?

A) If you close your current account, please provide active account information on UCPath.
- People Soft Menu
- Self Service
- Payroll and Compensation
- Direct Deposit
If your account information is not updated in a timely manner, the bank will reject your deposit and we cannot refund your funds until the bank rejects the deposit and returns the funds to the University. If possible, it is best to keep your old account open until you have verified deposit into your new account. Do not write checks against your new account until you see the deposit has been received in your account.

Q) When is the best time to make changes to my account on UCPath to assure that my funds will go to my new account?

A) We recommend making these changes as soon as possible. Do not write checks against your new account until you see the deposit has been received in your account.

Q) Why did my direct deposit information disappear/deactivate in UCPath?

A) If your previous position ended and you had no remaining active positions in UCPath, your banking information is automatically deactivated. UCPath does not retain banking information for inactive employees for security. To reactivate your Direct Deposit please log into UCPath and add your banking information. Activation of new direct deposit accounts, changes or deletions of existing accounts takes up to two pay periods to be completed.

General Paycheck FAQs

Q) When are wages paid?

A) Pay Period: Exempt UC Santa Cruz employees are paid on a monthly basis. The monthly pay period begins on the first calendar day of the month and ends on the last calendar day of the month.
Non-exempt UC Santa Cruz employees are paid on a biweekly basis. The biweekly pay period takes place at two week intervals, begin at 12:01am Sunday morning, and ending at midnight on Saturday of the following week.
Pay Schedules: You can find current payroll calendars on UCPath.
- Quick Links
- Payroll Resources
- Payroll Calendars
Pay schedules follow these rules:
- Monthly rated employees are paid on the first working day following the close of the pay period. If the 1st of the month falls on a non-working day, payment is made on the last working day of the pay period. December earnings are always paid on the first working day of January.
- Biweekly payment is scheduled for the second Wednesday following the close of the pay period. If the second Wednesday is a holiday, then the payday is the first working day prior to that holiday, except for the New Years holiday, for which the pay date will always be the first banking day of January.
  - A minimum of twenty-six and a maximum of twenty-seven biweekly pay dates occur within a calendar year.

Q) I was not paid for all the hours that I worked.

A) Contact your supervisor, who should then contact your department’s HR/Timekeeper.

Q) I recently got married; how will this affect my taxes?

A) The IRS allows marriage to be claimed as an exception and you can update your W4 accordingly on UCPath.
- Employee Actions
- Income and Taxes
- CA State W-4 (DE-4) and Federal Withholding (W-4)
- More information on same-sex marriages and the UC implementation of the Supreme Court ruling on DOMA

Q) My same-sex partner and I are not married; how does that affect my taxes?

A) Refer to the Franchise Tax Board for information on tax implications of Domestic Partner/Same Sex Marriage.
- Please refer to the Benefits for Domestic Partners document provided by the University of California.
- For more information on how this impacts your benefits contact the campus Benefits Office or consult the UC Benefits Guide

Q) What are the mandatory deductions that are taken from my wages?

A) There are four mandatory taxations:
- Federal income tax
- State income tax
- OASDI
- Medicare

Contributions to one of two retirement plans is also mandatory. Those plans are:

DCP (see exceptions below)
UCRP

See below for more detail:

Federal and state income tax: At the beginning of each calendar year employees may have changes in Federal and State income tax withholdings to comply with tax laws. In addition, withholding will vary depending upon the number of exemptions claimed, marital status, and participation in employee benefit plans (UCRP tax-deferred, Depcare, etc.). Federal income tax and State Income Tax are calculated from tables published by Internal Revenue Service.

Calculation in part based on information from employee's W-4 form, for example:
- marital status
- number of exemptions claimed for dependents
- allowable itemized deductions
  - If an employee anticipates they will not earn enough by the taxable year-end to be included in the minimum tax bracket, the employee may claim 'exemption' from withholding so no income taxes will be withheld from earnings.
some University employees that perform services in other states are exempt from California income tax, but subject to state withholding tax for the state in which they work.

FICA: OASDI + Medicare taxes are often identified as FICA or Social Security tax.

OASDI tax is withheld only from employees in 'career' status, that is:

the employee must be participating in the UC Retirement Plan and accruing service credit.
the OASDI tax rate is 6.2% of an annual limit set each year by the IRS.
Nonresident alien employees in 'career' status, who hold an F-1 or J-1 visa, are exempt.

Medicare tax is withheld from most employees’ pay.*

The Medicare tax rate is 1.45% of all earnings. Medicare does not have a wage base limit, however, once you earn $200,000.00 the rate changes from 1.45 to 2.35% for earnings starting at $200,000.01.
*Exempt from Medicare:
- Employed students enrolled in the qualifying number of academic units per quarter.
- Nonresident alien employees holding an F-1 or J-1 visa.

Defined Contribution Plan

DCP (Defined Contribution Plan) is not a tax but a mandatory contribution to a self-directed investment account.
This is administered by UC Retirement Plan or Fidelity Investments.
(DCP) is withheld from employees who are participating in the Safe Harbor plan. DCP rates are as follows:
- DCP at 3% rate is deducted from nonresident alien employees in 'career' status holding an F-1 or J-1 visa.
- DCP at 7.5% rate is deducted from employees in 'limited' status, generally defined as part-time (non-career status) employees. However, 'limited' status non-resident alien employees who hold a F-1 or J-1 visa are exempt from this deduction.
Exempt from DCP:
- Employed students enrolled in the qualifying number of academic units per quarter.

University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP) contributions are withheld from Employees participating in one of three UCRP tiers (1976, 2013 and 2016).

Click here for more information about retirement rates.

If you are in the 1976 Tier:
- Retirement is applied the same for biweekly as it is for monthly; that is, qualified employees are subject to a certain percent less the $19 reduction for a given calendar month.
- The difference you see in the retirement deductions from the first biweekly to the second is due to the fact that the $19 reduction threshold is generally met on the first biweekly period, so no reduction is applied to the second biweekly period. That would also be the case when there is a third biweekly pay period that ends in a calendar month (ie: no reduction will be applied against that retirement deduction if the $19 threshold has already been met for the month in a previous biweekly cycle).

Notice: University policies, procedures and applicable collective bargaining agreements shall supersede information in this document or elsewhere on this site.

GLACIER FAQs

Q) What is GLACIER?

A) GLACIER is a secure, on-line tax compliance software system that collects tax related information from foreign individuals receiving funds from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Q) Do I need a GLACIER record?

A) All foreign individuals receiving funds from the University must have a GLACIER record whether they are paid through Payroll or Accounts Payable. GLACIER determines residency status and tax treaty eligibility for the foreign individual.

Q) How do I access GLACIER?

A) After the Access Form has been submitted to the System Administrator, Admin 2‘s & 3’s receive email from Glacier with User ID and Password. Foreign individuals will receive an email from support@online-tax.net with instructions on how to access GLACIER.

Q) Where and when can I access GLACIER?

A) GLACIER can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any computer that has internet access.

Q) What should I do if I forget my user name and password?

A) Go to www.online-tax.net and select “login now”. On the logon page select “forgot login information?” Enter your email address and an email will be sent to you with your login information.

Q) Who can I contact if I need help with my GLACIER Tax Record?

A) Each GLACIER screen has an online help button. If you need additional assistance you can contact GLACIER User Support by email at support@online-tax.net. If your problem is still not resolved, contact glacerhelp@ucsc.edu.

Q) Can I complete my GLACIER record before I arrive in the United States?

A) You can access GLACIER 30 days before arriving in the U.S. but you will need to submit the forms along with U.S. entry documentation to the address provided after your arrival.

Q) How long does it take to complete my GLACIER Tax Record?

A) It will take approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete the GLACIER process. Once you have started the process you must complete it or start over. There is no option to save a partially completed record.

Q) If I make an error what can I do?

A) You can log back into GLACIER and correct your mistake. You must reprint all of your affected documents and resubmit them to the address provided.

Q) Who does not need to complete a GLACIER Tax Record?

A) U.S. citizens and permanent residents do not need to create a GLACIER tax record.

Q) A foreign national has applied for an ITIN/SSN, but has not yet received it. Can the visitor fill out a GLACIER record?

A) Yes, the foreign national can select the following option in GLACIER "The individual has applied for an ITIN/SSN, and has not yet received the number" and continue completing their record. UCSC will not pay the indiviual until the ITIN number is received. Therefore, once the individual gets the ITIN/SSN they will need to update their GLACIER record and submit the required documents.

Q) If a Foreign National disagrees with GLACIER’s Tax Summary Report determination, what should they do?

A) Contact your unit representative to review your information. Unit representative contacts the Payroll Office if they require assistance.

Q) How will I receive my 1042S (Foreign Person’s U.S. Source Income Subject to Withholding) tax form at year end?

A) Your tax documents will be available on-line in GLACIER in the middle of February.

Q) Will Glacier Tax Prep (year end tax software) link with GLACIER to help me produce my year end taxes?

A) UCSC will have Glacier Tax Prep available in the middle of February for filing Federal Tax returns through Glacier for non resident alien tax status individuals.

Separation FAQs

Q) If an employee has two appointments and only one appointment ends, does the law apply to the terminating employment?

A) No. When an employee holds two appointments at the same location and only one appointment ends, then the employee has not separated from the University.

Q) Can a department extend an employee's appointment in order to obtain additional time to submit final hours worked?

A) No. A department should not change an appointment end date as a method of obtaining additional time to pay the employee.

Q) Does California Assembly Bill 2410 apply to Inter-location Transfers?

A) No. Employee Inter-location Transfers are not considered separations from University Service.

Q) Does California Assembly Bill 2410 apply to distributions of retirement funds?

A) No. California Assembly Bill 2410 only applies to wages, not to retirement funds.

Q) Should an employee be asked to sign a release after receiving the final check?

A) No. However, it is good practice to have the employee sign for the final paycheck as part of the check dispursement procedure.

Q) How does the law related to retroactive wages resulting from a collective bargaining agreement?

A) Determination is made on a case by case basis. Contact the Payroll Office when an employee is discharged or quits during a time when retroactive wages are to be paid.

Q) How is tax calculated on final pay?

A) Final pay is calculated per normal graduated rates according to the employee's UC W-4/DE 4 personal income tax withholding status. Terminal vacation pay is subject to the flat tax rate.

Q) Are employees that work out-of-state covered by California Assembly Bill 2410?

A) Yes. All University employees working out-of-state, including employees of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, are subject to the provisions of the Bill.

Q) How should the Department handle delivery of the final check when an employee is dismissed at the end of an investigatory leave?

A) The letter of dismissal should explain that an appointment can be made to pick-up the final check on the date of dismissal or request that the check be mailed.

Q) Can the final check be attached to the dismissal letter and mailed to the employee?

A) Yes. The check should be sent certified mail delivery and the proof of mailing filed with the dismissal paperwork.

Q) What if an employee is dismissed with no notification (i.e. misconduct) and a check needs to be generated the same day?

A) The majority of separations are planned events. It is the responsibility of supervisors to communicate to the HR personnel, and the HR personnel to communicate to UCPath, in a timely manner to allow ample opportunity to generate the final check in the most efficient manner so that the check may be presented to the employee on their final day.

Q) Can an employee elect to have deductions to investment account plans (salary deferrals) from final pay?

A) If a final payment is issued to the individual no later than his or her last day of employment, salary deferrals are permitted. These regulations apply to the University's Tax Deferred 403(b) and 457(b) plans.

Q) Can an employee elect to have deductions to investment account plans (salary deferrals) from terminal vacation pay?

A) Deferrals cannot be taken from payments of terminal vacation, accumulated sick time or back pay.

W-2 FAQs

Answers to most W-2 questions and other payroll issues are available on the UCPath website.

Why does my W-2 list a Riverside address instead of a Santa Cruz address?

A) Under UCPath payroll, all UC locations are identified as a single ‘Company’ and consolidated under one federal tax ID to enable system wide consolidation of employee information for reporting. Riverside is the location of the UCPath headquarters from which your W-2 is issued. Your company is University of California; your W-2 employer address will list the location of UCPath headquarters in Riverside.

Why is the employer tax ID different on my 2020 W-2 than prior years?

A) Under UCPath payroll, all UC locations are identified as a single ‘Company’ and consolidated under one federal tax ID to enable system wide consolidation of employee information for reporting. Starting in 2020 all UC locations are tax reported under one employer tax ID. 2019 W-2s and prior are reported under UCSC single location employer tax ID.

Why doesn’t my W-2 read University of Santa Cruz/UCSC?

A) Under UCPath payroll, all UC locations are identified as a single ‘Company’ and consolidated under one federal tax ID to enable system wide consolidation of employee information for reporting. Your company is University of California; your W-2 employer address will list the location of UCPath headquarters in Riverside.

Are Work-Study earnings included on the W-2?

A) Yes

I don't understand what all the items are on my W-2.

A) See "Notice to Employee" on the reverse of Copy B, and "Instructions" on the reverse of copy C.

You can also consult the W-2 Form Box Descriptions

Box	Description
a	Control number: this box contains the nine-digit employee ID number which is unique for each employee.
b	Employer's identification number: UCSC's Federal Tax ID number.
c	Employer's name, address and ZIP code: the address of UCSC Payroll Services.
d	Your social security number
e	Your name
f	Your address in the Employee Database (EDB) at the time the W-2 form was produced.
1	Wages, tips, other compensation. Normally, this box contains the total year-todate federal taxable gross pay. For some employees the box contains the total of the following: Year-to-date federal tax gross pay Year-to-date other income Year-to-date executive life insurance Imputed income
2	Federal income tax withheld: year-to-date federal tax withheld.
3	Social Security wages: year-to-date wages subject to OASDI, including imputed income.
4	Social Security tax withheld: year-to-date employee OASDI deduction. This amount is 6.2% of Box 3.
5	Medicare wages and tips: year-to-date wages subject to Medicare, including imputed income.
6	Medicare tax withheld: year-to-date employee Medicare deduction. This amount is 1.45% of Box 5.
9	Advance EIC payment. For most all employees this box will be blank. If you have information in this box please consult Payroll Services if you have questions.
10	Dependent care benefits: year-to-date Depcare deductions.
12	See Instructions for Box 12 on the back of the W-2 form. It may display one or more of the following amounts: 12 - C - Total amount of Executive Life Insurance 12 - E - Total 403b year-to-date deduction 12 - G - Total 457b year-to-date deduction 12 - P - Excludable moving expense 12 - W - Contributions to a health savings account (HSA), including amounts the employee elected to contribute using a section 125 (cafeteria) plan. The YTD balances for both employee contribution and employer contribution are added together and the total is reported in this box. California does not conform to the federal tax treatment of Health Savings Accounts, therefore the HSA employer and employee contributions for UC Health Savings is considered taxable income for California and must be included in Box 16, State Wages, tips, etc. for California, of the W-2. The employer contribution is added to the California State wages gross that is reported in Box 16, (and the employee state taxable gross is not reduced by the employee contribution).
13	Retirement plan. This box is checked if you are a member of a retirement plan.
14	Other: This box may display one or more of the following: DCP CAS. Total year-to-date Safe Harbor Defined Contribution (your employeerecord is coded H for retirement). DCP REG Total year-to-date Regular Defined Contribution (your employee record is coded U, W or T for retirement and you are a member of the University of California Retirement Plan). UCRP Total year-to-date UCRP Contribution (your employee record is coded U, W or T for retirement and you are a member of the University of California Retirement Plan). For employees coded T, this total can include employee DB deduction, supplement deduction, faculty supplement deduction and DC deduction. DCCHOICE Total year-to-date contribution (your employee record is coded C for retirement and you are a member of the University of California Retirement Plan). Fringes: Other Income Incl Box 1. Amount of other income(if any). Other income may include amounts for the following items: Medical Enterprises payroll for fees Travel reimbursement Relocation expense Non-excludable moving expense Auto allowance Interest for retroactive merit and range adjustments (if applicable) Domestic Partner Medical and Dental Imputed Income (DPI)
15	State Code (Usually CA for California). If you work and live outside of California and the state in which you reside requires withholding, the state code in which you reside and pay income tax will be displayed in this box.
16	State wages, tips, etc. Normally, this box contains the total year-to-date State Taxable Gross pay. The box may contain the total of the following: Year-to-date State Taxable Gross Pay Year-to-date Other Income Year-to-date Non-cash Fringe Benefits Year-to-date Executive Life Insurance Imputed Income
17	State income tax. Year-to-date state income tax withheld.
18	Local wages, tips, etc. If applicable, this box contains the total year-to-date Local Taxable Gross Pay. This box may contain the total of the following: Year-to-date State Taxable Gross Pay Year-to-date Other Income Year-to-date Non-cash Fringe Benefits Year-to-date Executive Life Insurance Imputed Income
19	Local income tax. Year-to-date local income tax withheld.
20	Locality name. If you work and live outside of California and the locality in which you reside requires withholding, the locality in which you reside and pay income tax to will be displayed in this box.

Why doesn't Box 1 Agree with my annual salary?

A) Box 1 reflects your taxable gross. Taxable gross is your total gross less any tax-deferred deductions, such as:

DCP - Mandatory Defined Contribution Plan
403(b) and 457(b) - Voluntary contributions to tax deferred investment programs
DepCare - Dependent Care deductions
HCRA - Health Care reimbursement Account contributions
Pre-Tax parking deductions
Employee paid Health Insurance deductions - the employee paid portion of your health plan

Why are boxes 3 and 5 (Social Security wages and Medicare wages) higher than Box 1?

A) Box 1 reflects your taxable gross. Some deductions (such as DCP and investment account deductions) reduce taxable gross but DO NOT reduce Social Security and Medicare gross.

What period of earnings does my W-2 reflect?

A) Your W-2 reflects all gross pay ISSUED between January 1 and December 31 of the tax year.

Monthly Pay Schedule: The entire month of December is reported in the next tax year because the constructive receipt of funds for the month of December is always in January of the following year. W-2s will reflect all employee wages paid from the December monthly (paid on, or about January 1) through the November monthly (paid on, or about December 1). NOTE: If December 1 falls on a weekend or holiday, November monthly pay is issued the last business day before December 1.

Biweekly Pay Schedule: Constructive receipt of funds received in December are reported in the tax year. Constructive receipt of funds for pay received in January are reported in the following tax year. W-2s will reflect all employee wages paid in the calendar year, not necessarily all the HOURS worked during that year. For example, if the last pay period of the year is paid in January, even though the pay period began in December, those wages are considered for the next tax year because they were paid in January of the next year.

What does DCP-CAS and DCP-REG mean?

A) DCP-CAS is the Defined contribution Plan for CASual, or limited employees. It is also referred to as the "Safe Harbor" plan. DCP-REG is the Defined Contribution Plan for REGular, or career employees.

I am not a career employee, why is Box 13 - Retirement Plan, checked?

A) If you had DCP deductions at any time during the year (DCP-CAS, DCP-REG or both) Box 13 will be checked. Participation in DCP is not optional.

What is Other Income in Box 14?

A) Other income could include:

Tax-reportable vendor payments
Imputed Income on personal use of a University vehicle

What is an example of Fringe Benefits in Box 14?

A) Examples of Fringe Benefits:

Non-cash fringe benefits
Domestic Partner imputed income on health insurance

I am a retiree and have not received my W-2.

A) If you retired from UCSC and did not receive any wage payments from UCSC the previous tax year, you will not receive a W-2 from the campus. Your retirement benefit income is processed by UCOP. If you retired during the previous tax year, you will receive a W-2 from the campus for earnings paid in the previous tax year (prior to retirement), including any accrued vacation, and a separate tax reporting form from UCOP for the retirement benefits paid to you in the previous tax year. For more information, please contact UC Customer Service.

Does the Payroll Office have tax forms?

A) No. Contact the IRS at www.irs.gov or 1-800-829-1040, or the Franchise Tax Board at www.ftb.ca.gov or 1-800-852-5711 or a public library.

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Payroll Employee Guide