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UW Policy Directory

APS 38.12 – Payroll Standards

Table of Contents

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(Approved by authority of the President) 

Purpose

This policy authorizes UW Payroll to establish and manage the University’s payroll program in compliance with state, federal, and University requirements.

This policy:

  • Establishes business processes to ensure timely and accurate pay;
  • Maintains internal controls to safeguard payroll funds;
  • Addresses prevention and recovery of overpayments;
  • Ensures expenditures of payroll funds are properly managed.

Scope

This policy applies to all University employees whose employment is recorded in Workday, the system of record, unless specifically excluded by the Senior Vice President for Finance, Planning & Budgeting.

Definitions

FMLA—Family Medical Leave Act.

FLSA—Fair Labor Standards Act.

Glacier—The system used for managing foreign tax withholding.

PFML—Paid Family Medical Leave.

Workday—The University’s system of record for payroll activity.

Responsibilities

UW Payroll

  • Establishes and manages the University’s payroll program.
  • Prepares University payroll.
  • Complies with rules and regulations pertaining to and resulting from payroll operations.
  • Maintains records and reports required by state, federal, and University status, laws, and regulations (e.g., PFML, unemployment, taxes for federal and state withholding).
  • Submits third party payments to vendors (e.g., the Internal Revenue Service, unions, departments such as Transportation).
  • Manages the foreign national tax compliance (Glacier) to ensure valid work authorizations for employment.
  • Works with departments/employees to process and collect salary overpayments.
  • Reconciles payroll general ledgers, Workday accounting and banking transactions.
  • Supports federal sponsor requirements such as e-Verify.

University Personnel

  • Report time worked, submit and approve timesheets according to the payroll calendar.
  • Review pay slips for accuracy.
  • Enroll in direct deposit (self-enrollment).
  • Consent to receive W-2 electronically.
  • Complete and update tax election (federal and state withholding).
  • Review deductions (benefits, taxes, and all other withholding) for accuracy.
  • Maintain a valid social security number.
  • Maintain valid personal information in Workday.

Units

  • Designate personnel to perform payroll functions: time approver, time coordinator, reviewing and reconciling of payroll expenditures, creating payment and adjustment requests.
  • Ensure time is reported and approved by employee and supervisor to indicate agreement within the monthly processing cycle.

Human Resources

  • Establishes policies and procedures for compensation, leave, holidays, and time off; time off and leave of absence use and compensation; and dues deductions for represented employees.
  • Establishes employment types.
  • Establishes policies and procedures to support federal and state laws and regulations (e.g., FLSA, PFML, FMLA).

Policy Statements

1.  University Payroll Program: Standards and Business Processes

The University’s payroll program establishes payroll standards and business processes that comply with state, federal, and University policies and regulations. The following subsections summarize standards which must be met to ensure that payroll expenditures are properly managed and executed.

1.2.  Payments

Unless provided by state law, employees will be paid for services rendered from the first day of the month through the fifteenth day of the month and for services rendered from the sixteenth day of the month through the last calendar day of the month.

1.3.  Overpayments

Any overpayment of wages may be recovered by the employer by deductions from subsequent wage payments as provided in RCW 49.48.210 or by civil action.

1.4.  Foreign Nationals

UW Payroll provides treaty and tax support to foreign nationals and the staff who support them. The University is a withholding agent for the IRS and is required to withhold mandated taxes. (See APS 38.11.)

1.5.  Reporting

Workday is the system of record for Human Capital Management (HCM) data and transactions.

1.6.  Compliance

Payroll process must be executed consistently with state, federal, and University laws, regulations, and policies where failure to comply places the University at risk including but not limited to penalties and fines.

Responsible Office and Additional Information

For additional information, please contact the Payroll Office.

History

March 3, 2026.