Dear Colleagues:
We write to share the 2021-2022 Special Payroll processing deadlines and reminders about processing Special Payroll hire requests in PageUp.
Special Payroll Processing Deadlines
Due to the high volume of Special Payroll hire requests preceding academic semesters and intersessions, HR and Payroll provide processing deadline dates for PageUp and SmartHR. Special Payroll hire requests must be approved by HR in PageUp before departments may submit a SmartHR transaction, and it may take up to 4-6 weeks for a Special Payroll hire request to receive all required approvals. While HR and Payroll will make every effort to process in a timely manner, late submissions risk a delayed first paycheck for the employee. In addition, late submissions pose risk to the University if any employee begins working without a completed I-9 on file. Lastly, in compliance with state regulations, eligible employees (i.e., Adjunct Faculty) must make an irrevocable retirement election by the end of their first day of employment.
The tables outlining the 2021-2022 processing deadlines are available on the Special Payroll Information website. Please note that the PageUp submission deadlines for faculty during Winter and Summer Sessions are only applicable to 11-month Faculty, as these requests must be processed through PageUp. 9-month and 10-month Faculty appointments are submitted directly in SmartHR and do not require submission in PageUp.
10 Business Days
To ensure that employees complete all necessary tasks and are compliant with all terms and conditions of employment prior to their start date, the request to hire on Special Payroll must receive final approval from HR ten (10) business days prior to the scheduled start date. If the start date of the appointment is less than 10 business days from HR approval, HR will either update the request directly or return the request to the hiring department to make necessary changes and resubmit through the approval workflow. Requiring 10 business days provides adequate time for candidates to complete or comply with:
- Criminal Background Check (if applicable);
- Retirement Election (if applicable);
- I-9 Form; and
- Mandatory Workforce COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.
Monitoring Hire Requests
We encourage departments to monitor hire requests once approved by HR to ensure timely acceptance of offers and adequate time for the candidates to comply and complete the requirements listed above. When HR approves a hire request, please extend the online offer by updating the status in PageUp to “Make Online Offer” as soon as possible. Once extended, departments should continue to monitor when the candidate accepts an offer. Departments who do not extend the online offer and candidates who do not accept their offer in a timely manner risk not completing all terms and conditions of employment prior to the start date, which may require HR to revise the start date to a later date.
We appreciate your attention to these details in the Special Payroll hiring process, and we look forward to ensuring a smooth process for the upcoming year.
Please reach out to the Special Payroll team (SPAR@uconn.edu) with questions.
Sincerely,
Heather Souer and Hannah Traynor