An off-cycle payroll request may be requested when a regular paycheck is missed or incorrect and the employee has an urgent need to receive funds prior to the next pay date. Off-cycle payroll requests should reflect a true emergency and are not standard campus operating procedure. It is preferable to wait until the next on-cycle check as this will avoid accidental overpayment and facilitate correct calculation of leave, differentials, overtime, and taxes. An off-cycle request may be approved or denied outside these guidelines.
How to Request an Off-Cycle Payroll Request
Employees should consult their HR Business Partner to ensure appropriateness and confirm necessary corrections are made. If the situation qualifies using the eligibility criteria below, please contact GetHelpUW@support.wisconsin.edu to initiate an off-cycle payroll request.
Items to Include in Your Request
- Employee Name
- Employee ID (from Workday)
- Position Number (if available)
- Range of work dates missed (for example: 10/05-10/09/2025)
Submission Deadline
Off-cycle payroll requests are due by Tuesday at Noon (subject to change during holiday weeks). If approved by UW Shared Services Payroll, they will be processed Wednesday morning. Payments will be made via direct deposit or US Bank Focus Paycard, depending upon what the employee has on file at the time of processing.
Eligibility Criteria
- Faculty, Academic Staff, Limited Appointees, Employees-In-Training, and Other (OT): 10% of Regular Gross Biweekly pay
- Student Help (SH): 5 hours
- Student Assistants (SA): 5 hours
- University Staff: 8 hours
Lump Sum Requests
- Student Help: $100
- Non-Student: $400
Ineligible for Off-Cyle Payroll Request
- Overload payments
- Retro pay – retroactive changes to FTE or pay rates
- Termination Pay
- Overtime (must be submitted along with regular gross pay)
- Differentials (must be submitted along with regular gross pay)
- Add-ons (must be submitted along with regular gross pay)
Process Considerations
- One Time Payments, Period Activity Pay (which includes International Scholarships, Summer Session, etc.) must be fully approved before the off-cycle payroll can be requested.
- Off-cycle payments will be direct deposited unless there is no active and valid direct deposit information. Payments will then default to a US Bank Focus Paycard, per the UW System policy on Payment Methods.
- Mailing of first-time Focus Paycards currently occurs twice per month.