The University of Colorado has announced that nonexempt employees, who are eligible for federal overtime, will shift from a monthly to a biweekly pay schedule starting September 27, 2026. This change is part of the university’s broader Time and Labor project aimed at improving payroll accuracy, consistency, and timeliness.
With the new schedule, nonexempt employees will be paid in arrears. This means paychecks will be issued about two weeks after hours are worked. The university clarified that total pay and pay rates will remain unchanged. To help with the transition, affected employees will receive one-time transition payments and access to support resources.
Additionally, beginning September 27, all employee leave—regardless of Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) status—will be processed within the same pay period it is taken.
The university cited several reasons for implementing these changes: “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.”
University leadership and Employee Services decided on this change following an analysis that began in early 2024.
For nonexempt employees, the first biweekly paycheck under the new system will be issued on October 23, 2026. Those moving from monthly to biweekly schedules will receive a one-time payment to bridge the gap between their last monthly payday (September 30) and their first biweekly payday (October 23). Supervisors have already been notified of these changes ahead of employee announcements.
Exempt employees will continue receiving monthly pay but may have an option in 2027 to switch to biweekly schedules depending on campus-specific decisions. All exempt and nonexempt staff will see their leave processed within the same period as it occurs starting September 27.
New hires brought on after September 27—including both exempt and nonexempt positions—will start with a biweekly schedule except for nine-month faculty or certain graduate assistant students who remain on monthly cycles. Nonexempt hires between January 23 and September 26, 2026, currently paid monthly will also move to biweekly schedules this fall.
Employees can find more details or ask questions through their campus HR teams or by visiting the Payday Schedule Change webpage.
