CU nonexempt employees will see payday schedule move to biweekly in fall 2026

University of Colorado nonexempt (federal overtime eligible) employees will transition from a monthly to a biweekly pay schedule later this year.

The change, scheduled for Sept. 27, supports continued improvements in payroll accuracy, consistency and timeliness as part of CU’s broader Time and Labor project.

With the payday schedule change, nonexempt employees will be paid in arrears, meaning pay will be issued approximately two weeks after hours are worked. Total pay and pay rates are not changing. To support employees during the move, CU will provide one-time transition payments along with tools and resources to help ensure a smooth transition to the new pay schedule.

Additionally, all employees’ leave will be processed in the same pay period as it occurs, regardless of their Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) status, starting on Sept. 27.

Why is CU implementing this change?

The university is adjusting pay and timekeeping processes to: 
 

• Improve payroll accuracy and reduce manual corrections
• Reduce the lag time between earning federal overtime and being paid earned federal overtime
• Improve the timeliness of first paychecks for newly hired employees
• Allow leave taken in a pay period to be fully processed before payroll runs, aligning how leave balances are reflected on paystubs
• Standardize timekeeping practices across all CU campuses 
• Continue to align with industry standards for payroll and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) compliance
   

With these key objectives, the four university campuses, CU leadership and Employee Services aligned to implement this change after a thorough analysis that started in early 2024. 

What you need to know

Nonexempt (federal overtime eligible) employees       

• Sept. 27 through Oct. 10, 2026, is the first pay period that the biweekly pay will be processed. Affected employees will receive their first biweekly paycheck on Oct. 23, 2026.
• If you are confirmed as a nonexempt employee who will move from monthly to biweekly pay, you will receive a one-time transition payment to help adjust to the new schedule and to cover the time between your last monthly payday (Sept. 30) and the first biweekly payday (Oct. 23).
• Supervisors of affected employees were informed of the change prior to employee announcements; detailed communications have already been shared directly with those affected.
• Starting Sept. 27, all leave will be processed in the same pay period as it occurs for all employees, regardless of their FLSA status (exempt or nonexempt).
• Ongoing updates and resources related to the transition can be found on the Payday Schedule Change webpage.

Exempt employees

• Current CU exempt employees will continue to be paid monthly.
• Current exempt employees may have an opt-in period in 2027 to transition to biweekly pay, with each campus determining the specifics.
• Starting Sept. 27, all leave will be processed in the same pay period as it occurs for all employees, regardless of their FLSA status (exempt or nonexempt).

New hires

• Starting Sept. 27, all new hires (exempt and nonexempt) will be on a biweekly pay schedule, except for nine-month faculty or certain graduate assistant students who will remain on a monthly pay schedule.
• Nonexempt employees hired between Jan. 23 and Sept. 26, 2026, with a monthly pay schedule, will move to a biweekly pay schedule on Sept. 27. This group will receive more information from their campus HR teams.
• New exempt employees who start after Sept. 26, 2026, will be hired into a biweekly pay period and will be informed of their pay schedule as part of their hiring process.
• The transition payment applies only to affected nonexempt employees hired before Sept. 1, 2026.

For additional information and resources about this change, please visit the Payday Schedule Change webpage or contact your campus HR teams.