Controller
Payroll FAQ
Payroll FAQ
General Payroll
The following general information applies to all payrolls at Brown University.
The Payroll Office provides services to the Brown University community as well as Federal, State and Local authorities. Some of these services include but are not limited to:
- Processing and payment of all payrolls at Brown University such as the Monthly, Bi-weekly, and Weekly payrolls
- Process direct deposit payments for employees
- Distribute paychecks to faculty and staff through regular mail
- Deliver student employee checks to the Mail Services department who places checks into Student Campus/Department boxes
- Stop payment on lost checks and issue replacements
- Maintain employee payroll records.
- Process all Federal and State mandated payroll tax withholdings and forms.
- Issue calendar year-end W-2 forms.
You can reach the entire Payroll team, including the manager, at payroll@brown.edu. A team member can also assist by phone at 401-863-2361.
Brown University currently offers two methods of payment:
- Checks made payable to the employee
- Direct Deposit of funds to an employee’s U.S. financial institution (up to four accounts/institutions). Also see Direct Deposit FAQ below.
How often you receive your pay depends upon the payroll cycle to which you are assigned by your department (i.e. weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly). For pay dates and cutoffs, please see Payroll Deadlines and Pay Dates.
Checks are distributed on each pay date based on the employee type. Payroll checks for faculty or staff members are mailed to the address listed in their Workday record. Student checks are delivered to Mail Services and placed in their undergraduate student campus box or graduate student department mailbox.
The Payroll Office staff is dedicated to the mission of paying Brown University employees accurately and in a timely manner.
First, contact your manager/supervisor as soon as you identify an issue. Next, contact your department’s Human Resources Coordinator or HR Business Partner for help. If a correction is needed, they will submit a payroll adjustment form on your behalf.
Email the Payroll Office at payroll@brown.edu and include the details of your lost payment. The Payroll Office will place a “stop payment” with the bank to make the check non-negotiable (unable to be cashed). Once the Payroll Office has confirmation from the bank that the stop payment has been placed, a replacement check will be created for you (generally within 5-7 days).
Payroll W-2 Forms
W2 forms are mailed to employees on or before January 31st each year to the address listed in your Workday record. You can access a duplicate copy of your W2 form directly in Workday by selecting the Pay app. Then on the right, under View, select Tax Documents.
Foreign nationals
In addition to an year end W-2 form, a foreign national may also receive an annual 1042-S form in their Sprintax Calculus account. Please see the Foreign National Tax Office for additional information.
Time Entry Deadlines
In order to be paid timely, it is very important to enter and submit time before payroll deadlines. Your hours will need to be approved by your supervisor or timekeeper before the payroll deadlines. Please refer to Payroll Deadlines and Pay Dates.
If time is not submitted and approved before a payroll deadline, it will not be included in the employee’s paycheck. Instead an HR Coordinator or HR Business Partner will need to submit an underpayment through Workday to the Payroll Office. Please see the Payroll Under and Over Payment Policy policy for additional information.
Contact your Manager/Supervisor and Human Resources Coordinator immediately to discuss the needed correction. They will either modify your time entry or submit a payroll adjustment form on your behalf. Please see the Payroll Under and Over Payment Policy for additional information.
Before payroll deadlines, supervisors and timekeepers should review the following reports in Workday to identify if their student employees or staff have entered or submitted their time. In order to be paid timely, time entries for student and staff employees must be submitted and approved before payroll deadlines.
- Weekly Time Summary - Students
- Weekly Time and Absence Summary - Staff
If you have an employee who is unable to enter their time, you can enter it on their behalf before the payroll deadline.
Direct Deposit
Direct Deposit is an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction that is a safe, proven, and confidential method of receiving a payment. With Direct Deposit, your paycheck is electronically transferred by the Brown University Payroll Office into your checking or savings account (up to four accounts).
Direct Deposit is an important employee benefit which is available to all employees with a U.S. issued Social Security Number. Employees must enter their correct financial institution’s routing and account number into Workday.
Please allow up to ten business days for your election updates or changes to process. In the meantime, any payments will be issued as checks and will be mailed on the pay date to a faculty/staff’s mailing address as listed in Workday, or delivered to Mail Services and placed in their undergraduate Student Campus Box or graduate student Departmental mailbox.
Yes, you can deposit your pay in up to four of your accounts. Direct deposit can be an excellent financial planning tool because it allows people to divide their pay into a number of different accounts, including checking and savings accounts.
Employees must enter their correct financial institution’s routing and account number into Workday. Any updates or changes can take up to ten business days to be in effect.
There is no charge to participate in direct deposit. Many banks offer additional free services for employees with direct deposit. Discuss this with your bank today!
You can elect direct deposit through your Workday account. Please review the Direct Deposit in Workday job aid for assistance. Employees must enter the correct routing and accounting numbers at the top of the Workday page prior to changing the payment elections at the bottom.
This will begin the pre-note process where your information will need to be confirmed by your financial institution, which can take up to 10 business days to complete. In the meantime, you will receive a paycheck. Payroll checks for faculty or staff members are mailed to the address listed in their Workday record on their pay date. Student checks are delivered to Mail Services and placed in their undergraduate Student Campus boxes or graduate student Departmental mailbox.
Your completed enrollment in direct deposit will continue to be valid until you make another change in Workday. Any changes to your information will commence a new pre-note to be sent to your financial institution.
Once you enter your correct direct deposit information in Workday, it will begin the “pre-note” process to confirm your account with your financial institution. Since the process takes up to 10 business days to complete, it is likely you will receive one (1) more check before the direct deposit will actually take effect. Changes to existing accounts will also need to pre-note and take up to 10 business days to complete. During this time, payroll checks for faculty or staff members are mailed to their address listed in their Workday record on their pay date. Student employee checks are delivered to Mail Services and placed into their undergraduate Student Campus Box or graduate student Department mailbox.
On the morning of your pay date, you can view your pay slip in Workday using the Pay app. It will show how much was deposited to your account(s) and how much was withheld from your pay for taxes, insurance, and other items.
Your pay will be available to you in your bank accounts at the bank’s opening of business the morning of pay day. Your financial institution can tell you exactly when your money will be available based on their schedule.
Make any changes in your Workday "Pay" app by selecting "Payment Elections” under Change, see Direct Deposit in Workday for assistance. Please be aware that a change will create a new pre-note which takes up to 10 business days to complete.
As with all questions regarding accuracy of pay, please contact your supervisor or Human Resources Coordinator first. You can also reach out to your department's HR Business Partners. They will confirm if you were entitled to receive a pay for that particular pay period. If a correction is needed, they will submit a payroll adjustment on your behalf.
Direct Deposit is secure, convenient and fast. A Direct Deposit payment saves consumers from waiting in lines at the bank and gives people access to their money earlier than a traditional check.
Brown University does not have access to your account. The funds are electronically transferred to your bank account(s). However, Brown University does have a limited ability to reverse direct deposit payments made in error but does not do this without first notifying the employee.
Student Employee
In general undergraduate students are paid hourly on the bi-weekly pay schedule and graduate students receiving stipend appointments or fellowships are paid monthly. For pay dates and cutoffs, please see Payroll Deadlines and Pay Dates. Student checks are delivered to Mail Services and placed in their undergraduate Student Campus box or graduate student Department mailbox.
For additional Student Employment information, please visit University Human Resources. Graduate Student information is also provided by the Graduate School. For information pertaining to Foreign national employees, including Sprintax Calculus requirements, please visit the Foreign National Tax Office.
U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, or Resident Alien for tax purposes
- Your fellowship will be paid through the payroll system. You will receive your check from your department according to the payroll schedule posted under Payroll Deadlines and Pay Dates. If you have direct deposit, it will be deposited to your financial institution the morning of your pay date.
- The amount of fellowship paid to you by Brown University will not be included in a W2 form at year end. The total amount paid to you is listed in the year to date column on your pay slip. Since you could also receive a fellowship outside of payroll, please ensure you keep track of these payments and determine if they are taxable.
Non U.S. Citizens (Inside the U.S. at time of payment)
- Your fellowship will be paid through the payroll system. You will receive your check from your department according to the payroll schedule posted under Payroll Deadlines and Pay Dates. If you have direct deposit, it will be deposited to your financial institution the morning of your pay date.
- The amount of fellowship paid to you by Brown University will be reported on a 1042S form at calendar year end. You will receive this form by February 15th and should use it to complete your annual tax filing for the previous calendar year.
Non U.S. Citizens (Outside the U.S. at time of payment)
- The Department must request the student be registered as a misc. payee and the fellowship paid through Accounts Payable. See Supplier Management for more information.
This is correct as long as you are enrolled at least ½ time during the academic year. However, Social Security and Medicare taxes must be withheld from students who are enrolled less than ½ time or from all students paid during the summer months. However, if you are a nonresident alien as determined by your Sprintax Calculus account, you are exempt from those taxes throughout the year. For questions, please contact the Foreign National Tax Office.