Controller

Payroll

The Payroll Office handles the processing and payment of all payrolls at Brown. This includes the monthly, bi-weekly and weekly payrolls. The office also has responsibility for transmission of taxes, filing of federal and state payroll reports, and the production of employee W-2 forms.

Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Employee Payroll Schedule

Brown’s non-exempt employees are paid bi-weekly and exempt employees are paid monthly. 

However, there are some states which require exempt employees, who are approved to be fully remote, to be paid bi-weekly. These states are: California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Washington D.C.

If you are an employee transferring from the monthly to bi-weekly pay cycle, please review and adjust your direct deposit allocations and W-4 withholding elections as needed.

Federal, State and Local Withholding

Your federal, state, and local (if applicable) W-4 withholding elections impact taxes withheld from your paycheck each pay period. Additionally, each state and locality have their own websites explaining withholding elections including the rate used for withholdings.

To complete/change your elections, please review the Change Withholding Elections job aid. From the Withholding Elections page, you can select the jurisdiction(s) you wish to update. Your elections will take effect during the next following pay period.
The IRS updated the federal W-4 form in 2020. Federal elections made prior to 2020 withhold taxes at a different rate than those filed during 2020 or later. Please visit the IRS’ FAQs on the 2020 Form W-4 for further details.

Additional Questions

Please consult your tax advisor with any questions you may have about completing your withholding elections and how they affect your personal financial situation.

General payroll questions can be answered by the Payroll team through payroll@brown.edu or 401-863-2361.