Week of Feb. 9: Normal Payroll Schedule
In anticipation of the President's Day holiday on Feb. 16, Bi-Weekly 4 has an accelerated time entry deadline of Monday, February 9 at 7 p.m. After multiple discussions, the Payroll team has decided not to accelerate the time entry deadline for Bi-Weekly 4.
Instead of closing time entry at 7 p.m. on Monday, February 9, next week's payroll schedule will be normal and time entry will close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10.
Please note that while we are allowing additional time for employees and supervisors to enter and approve time, payroll must still be closed on Friday, February 13 due to the holiday. As a result, no exceptions can be made to add hours after time entry has closed. Any hours not reported by the deadline will result in the employee not being paid for those hours and receiving a retro payment in Bi-Weekly 4. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to make exceptions.
We plan to continue to review future payrolls that currently have accelerated time entry deadlines to determine whether we can return them to our standard deadline of Tuesday at 7 p.m. We believe this will help reduce confusion caused by changing deadlines.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Payroll Updates, January 2026
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To reduce printing and conserve resources, we encourage employees to select electronic delivery of their W-2. You can make this election in the Employee Dashboard on Griz Portal.
Please note: While W-2s have historically been available in Griz Portal regardless of delivery preference, this will change beginning in 2026. If you do not have an electronic W-2 election on file, your W-2 will be printed and mailed and will no longer be accessible in Griz Portal. Once you elect electronic delivery, that preference will remain in effect unless you revoke it or separate from employment with the University.
For step-by-step instructions on accessing your W-2 in Griz Portal or providing electronic consent for future W-2 delivery, please visit the HRS Tax Center webpage.
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Beginning March 1, 2026, paper paychecks will no longer be mailed due to ongoing mail delivery delays and reliability issues. Instead, all paper checks will be available for pickup at the Workforce Support Center (Lommasson 229) starting at 8 a.m. on the Wednesday of each payday.
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We strongly encourage employees to enroll in direct deposit. Key benefits include:
- Faster access to funds: Pay is deposited directly into your bank account on payday, with no mail delays.
- Convenience: No trips to the bank—funds are transferred automatically.
- Security: Reduces the risk of lost, stolen, or forged checks.
- Reliability: Payments are consistent, even if you’re on vacation or working remotely.
- Cost savings: Helps avoid check-cashing fees, overdrafts, and late fees.
- Environmental impact: Reduces paper use and transportation-related waste.
Direct deposit can be set up through the Employee Dashboard in Griz Portal. The Payroll team is happy to assist anyone who needs help with this process.
Payroll Schedule for FY26, Adjusted for Holidays
Payroll operates on a biweekly schedule. During specific dates, employees are required to state hours worked and/or enter them into payroll platforms GTO or WebTime. Supervisors then approve those hours worked. This is referred to as "time entry."
The information entered and approved during time entry becomes each Grizzly's pay, received every other Wednesday. The schedule makes sure our pay arrives on time!
When there's a holiday, time entry windows are adjusted to make sure our pay still arrives on time. All time entry dates and details are posted on the FY26 pay schedule. Please note the following pay periods around holidays, during which the schedule is adjusted:
| Pay period | Time entry opens | Time entry closes | Pay date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Aug. 21 | 7 p.m. Aug. 25 | Sept. 3, 2025 |
| 25 | Nov. 26 | 7 p.m. Dec. 2 | Dec. 10, 2025 |
| 1 | Dec. 26 | 7 p.m. Dec. 29 | Jan. 7, 2026 |
| 2 | Jan. 8 | 7 p.m. Jan. 12 | Jan. 21, 2026 |
| 4 | Feb. 5 | 7 p.m. Feb. 9 | Feb. 18, 2026 |
| 11 | May 14 | 7 p.m. May 18 | May 27, 2026 |
| 14 | Jun. 25 | 7 p.m. Jun. 29 | July 8, 2026 |
If you have questions about payroll, please contact umpayroll@mso.umt.edu.