Background
Payroll provides monthly calendars to help HR Professionals & Budget Contacts track retro and current payroll deadlines, along with required actions before and after each deadline.
Payroll Deadlines (Retro versus Current)
Understanding the distinction between retro and current deadlines is essential to ensure employees are paid correctly and on time. Communicating these deadlines to employees, managers, and business process approvers is critical. Missed deadlines are the most common cause of incorrect pay results, which can create financial hardship for employees and negatively impact the University’s reputation.
Workday is used by all twelve Universities and eight State Agencies within the Texas A&M University System. Workday Services establishes retro and current deadlines to ensure timely payroll processing and compliance with federal and state payday laws.
Biweekly Retro Deadline
The retro deadline applies to any business process, time off request or correction, and/or timesheet correction with an effective date prior to the start of the current biweekly pay period.
To be included in the employee’s next on‑cycle payday, all retro-related actions must be fully completed and approved by the published retro deadline. Although Workday’s retro process is robust, it is not real-time; missed deadlines result in payment delays of at least two weeks.
Biweekly Current Deadline
The current deadline applies to any business process, time off request or correction, timesheet submission and/or correction with an effective date within the current biweekly pay period.
These actions must be fully completed and approved by the listed current deadline to be included in the employee’s current on‑cycle payday. Current payroll processing is real-time, with pay results continuously updated as actions are completed and approvals are finalized. Payroll periodically refreshes current pay results, as noted on the payroll calendars, and updated information is available after each refresh.
Biweekly Payroll Cycle Overview
Each biweekly pay period includes twelve key deadlines or action items, all listed on the monthly Payroll Processing Calendar. There are 26 biweekly pay periods per fiscal year, each spanning 14 consecutive days (two full weeks). Pay periods begin on a Sunday and end on a Saturday. Refer to the Biweekly Pay Schedule on the website for details.
Each pay period is numbered 1–26 and includes the fiscal year identifier.
Example (April 2026 Payroll Processing Schedule):
- #26‑17
- 26 = Fiscal Year 2026
- 17 = Pay Period 17
- From: 3/29/2026
- Through: 4/11/2026
Calendar Biweekly Payroll Deadlines & Action Items (Quick Guide)
1. Retro Timesheets Due – 5:00 PM
Applies to: Hours worked or timesheet corrections from the prior six pay periods.
Action:
- Employees submit missed hours and corrections.
- Managers or Timekeepers approve by the deadline for inclusion in the current biweekly payroll.
2. Retro Business Process (BP) Approvals Due at 5 p.m.
Applies to: Business processes effective before the current pay period, including:
- New hires
- Compensation changes
- One‑time payments/emoluments
- Terminations
- Transfers/promotions
- Costing allocation updates
Action: Managers, Approvers, Budget Contacts, and HR Professionals must ensure processes are fully completed to be included in current pay.
Reminder: Retro deadlines are earlier than current deadlines.
3. Current Timesheets & Time Off Due @ 11am
Applies to: Hours worked and time off within the current pay period.
Action:
- Employees submit time and time off.
- Managers approve by 11:00 AM.
- Managers should use the Review Time report to monitor & approve submissions.
Best Practice: Departments may set an internal deadline (often EOD last Friday of the pay period) to ensure the hard deadline is met.
Note: Managers may approve submitted time until 5:00 PM. After that, Timekeeper assistance is required
4. Current Business Process Approvals Due at 11a.m.
Applies to: Business processes effective within the current pay period, including:
- New hires
- Compensation changes
- One‑time payments/emoluments
- Terminations
- Transfers/promotions
- Costing allocation updates
Action: Managers, Approvers, Budget Contacts, and HR Professionals must ensure processes are fully completed to be included in current pay.
Reminder: Completion of a process does not guarantee correct pay. Generate Pay Calculation Results for a Period and other Workday Reports to review pay results for accuracy.
5. PPRs Due at 11 a.m.
Applies to:
- Payroll Payment Requests
- Emolument Exception Requests
- Death Benefits/Final Wages forms
- Payroll Request (Laserfiche) forms
Action: HR Professionals submit completed forms with required PDF attachments to payroll@tamu.edu for manual entry. Payroll cannot guarantee entry for current pay cycle for submissions received after the deadline.
6. Pay Calculation Results Report Available at Noon
Applies to: HR Contacts and Budget Contacts can generate.
Action:
- Review Pay Calculation Results for a Period to confirm expected pay (hours, retro, extra pay, allowances, longevity). Use the Pay Calculation Results for a Period Reference Guide available in Workday Help for guidance.
- Verify new hires are paid and costing allocations are correct.
Notes:
- Emoluments are not included—use the One Time Payments report.
- Begin corrective actions immediately if issues are found.
7. Pay Calculation Results Refreshed at 10 a.m.
Meaning: Payroll’s final refresh of current-period results, pulling in approvals completed after 11:00 AM the prior business day.
Action: HR and Budget Contacts rerun and review reports and take any final action.
8. Timesheets Locked – Only Timekeepers Can Update
Applies at: 7:00 AM
Meaning:
- Employees can no longer enter time.
- Managers can no longer approve unsubmitted hours.
Action: Only Timekeepers may enter, submit, and approve or correct time.
Reminder: HR Professionals should clearly communicate to their customers Timekeeper contact information and internal deadlines.
9. Run Timekeeper Reports
Key Reports:
- Time Summary Review
- Review Time
- All Worker Time Off
- Time Tracking Details
- Reported Time
Action: Timekeepers can approve unsubmitted hours directly from the Time Summary Review Report and can approve submitted hours directly from the Review Time Report. They can also manually advance the timesheet or assist with an absence request business process. Timekeepers should run reports frequently, approve time, assist with absences, and ensure all biweekly employees show approved hours.
10. Final Biweekly Refresh at Midnight
Meaning: System-wide final refresh before payroll is finalized.
Action: All current business processes, timesheets, and time off must be fully approved by this time.
Important: Anything incomplete will not be paid—no manual additions after this point.
11. Final Pay Calculation Report Available After Noon
Meaning: Generating and reviewing the Pay Calculation Results for a Period report reflects final pay for the upcoming payday. Payroll is closed.
Action: HR and Budget Contacts review final results.
- Use One Time Payments report for emoluments.
- Email payroll@tamu.edu immediately if issues are identified.
- Start corrective business processes in Workday or PCTs in FAMIS
- Notify affected employees.
12. BW Payday
Occurs: Biweekly pay days are every other Friday (excluding bank holidays).
Action: HR Professionals must respond within one business day to Payroll Distribution emails regarding ACH/direct deposit issues.
Support
For questions about payroll deadlines or calendar items, email payroll@tamu.edu.