payroll: The PayNews Monthly - December 2019 Edition

BAO Payroll Office News payroll at lists.uoregon.edu
Wed Dec 18 16:24:22 PST 2019


The Paynews Monthly - December 2019 Edition

Updates


  *   New Job Change Reason Guidelines
     *   Guidance for the new codes are available on the HR Operations website<https://hr.uoregon.edu/hr-operations/reference-guides/job-and-separation-reason-code-guide>.
        *   This information will more clearly identify reason codes and definitions and why one code may be more appropriate than another in certain situations.
     *   More online guidance and training will be available in the near future.



  *   Process Transformation - PRF Project
     *   University Human Resources has initiated the Process Transformation - PRF Project to evaluate the current PRF process. The purpose of the project is to transform the current PRF process into a streamlined electronic process.  More information and updates on the PRF project can be found on the Process Transformation - PRF Project website<https://hr.uoregon.edu/hr-operations/prf-process-transformation-project>.
     *   The project committee is currently consulting with different departments about their department PRF process to identify where the process may be streamlined.
     *   The application service specialists assigned to this project are beginning to develop workflows in OnBase (workflow application).
     *   To submit feedback on the PRF process, you can fill out a short survey<https://oregon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5gyfiWY1dtEQiY5> located on the Process Transformation - PRF Project website.



  *   PHAHOUR F3 Functionality - It works again!!  You can now use the F3 key to move to the next timesheet in PHAHOUR while in the History Earnings block.



  *   PHAHOUR Column Headers - As you may have noticed, the column headers in PHAHOUR expand as you navigate through the form and enter time.  This is a known Banner issue that appeared after the latest upgrade.  If the headers get too big, you can either close PHAHOUR and start over or you can collapse and expand that particular block on the form.



  *   Graduate Employee Salary Increases and Retro Pay - The Payroll Office has entered the GE salary increases, per the GTFF contract.  Payroll will calculate the retro pay and add it to December's timesheet.  If you have any questions, please contact Keri Bartow, kbartow1 at uoregon.edu<mailto:kbartow1 at uoregon.edu>
  *   2020 Federal Form W-4 Changes - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has made several changes to the 2020 Federal Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate.  The new form has replaced withholding allowances with a five-step process for determining withholding.



The IRS has provided the following guidance:

  *   Employees hired before 2020 are not required to submit a new 2020 Form W-4.  Withholding will continue based upon your previously submitted valid W-4.
  *   Employees hired before 2020 who wish to adjust their withholding after January 1, 2020 must use the 2020 form.
  *   Employees hired on or after January 1, 2020 will be required to use the new forms.
  *   Employees hired on or after January 1, 2020 who do not submit a valid W-4 form will be treated as Single with no adjustments.


Additional information can be found on Payroll's website<https://ba.uoregon.edu/payroll> under Payroll-Related News.
Please note that the Payroll Office cannot provide individual guidance on the completion of the new W-4 or any related tax implications.  Employees should carefully read the 2020 Form W-4 instructions or contact a tax professional if they have questions.


  *   Form I-9 Training - In order to comply with the federal Form I-9 regulations, the Payroll Office will be implementing a number of procedural changes in 2020.  One of those changes is making Form I-9 training mandatory for all departmental staff who complete the Form I-9.  If you haven't attended the Form I-9 Workshop within the last year, please sign up for one of our upcoming sessions in order to get a jump start on complying with our new Form I-9 procedures.  More information about the Form I-9 procedural changes will be coming soon.
Reminders


  *   December Terminations - Please notify our office immediately if you become aware of employees who are terminating their appointments or going on leave without pay before December 31, 2019. This includes salaried employees who have insufficient paid leave hours to cover time off. Our office would like to work with you in adjusting the employee's December pay to prevent an overpayment.  You may email (payroll at uoregon.edu<mailto:payroll at uoregon.edu>) or fax (6-1109) a copy of the termination PRF to the Payroll Office while the original document is in route. Your prompt notification will prevent financial hardship for the employee.
You may contact the following payroll staff:

     *   For Faculty & OA pay, Chad, 6-1106, or Cindy, 6-1132
     *   For Classified pay, Mindy, 6-2960
     *   For GE pay, Keri, kbartow1 at uoregon.edu<mailto:kbartow1 at uoregon.edu>



  *   Update Mailing Addresses - It is very important for all employees to verify that their current mailing address in Banner is up to date, as W-2's will be going out by the end of January 2020.  Employees can update their own address information via DuckWeb<https://duckweb.uoregon.edu/>.  For employees who do not have access to DuckWeb, they can send an email to payroll at uoregon.edu<mailto:payroll at uoregon.edu>.   Please help us get the word out by reminding your employees of the importance of doing this by January 10th. Every year, we receive hundreds of requests for W-2's that were sent to outdated addresses. This can be avoided by making sure we have up to date addresses on file.



  *   I-9's for existing employees - Employees who are being hired into a second job or are transferring to another job within the university, without a break in service, should not be asked to complete another Form I-9 since we already have a valid form on file.  When we ask an existing employee to fill out another Form I-9 without justification, the federal government considers that over-documentation, which can lead to concerns of discrimination.  Please check PWIVERI before asking a new employee to complete a Form I-9.
If you have any questions, please contact the Payroll Office at 6-3151 or payroll at uoregon.edu<mailto:payroll at uoregon.edu>


  *   UO-NRA Form (Annual Renewal for International Employees) - At the beginning of each year, international employees are required to complete a UO-NRA form (Foreign National Data Request form) and provide the UO Payroll Office with copies of supporting documents. The UO-NRA form and supporting documents are only used by UO Payroll to determine appropriate tax withholding/exemption by reviewing an employee's Visa status, residency, and substantial presence.  The UO Payroll Office will be emailing international employees in the next couple of weeks to inform them of this process and the documents required. The UO-NRA form and supporting documents are due in the Payroll Office by January 10, 2020.  We appreciate everyone's support in this important mandatory process!  More information can be found on Payroll's website.  Questions can be directed to Erin Driscoll, Foreign National Payroll Specialist, at erinlynn at uoregon.edu<mailto:erinlynn at uoregon.edu> or 6-1122.



  *   Retirement Limits - The IRS has increased the 2020 contribution limit for employees who participate in 403(b) and 457 plans from $19,000 to $19,500.  The additional catch-up contribution limit for individuals aged 50 has been increased from $6,000 to $6500.  The limits will be automatically updated in Banner.
  *   Payday - Payday falls on Tuesday, December 31st.  Since a number of employees are away from campus during winter break, we thought it would be a good time for departments to remind their employees about direct deposit.  Direct deposit information needs to be updated via DuckWeb by December 23rd in order to be in effect for Decembers' payday.
Helpful Hints


  *   Did you know that you can terminate a student employees' job by marking the appropriate termination box and providing the termination date on the Manual Check Request for a student's final pay?
Upcoming Events


  *   Payroll Deadlines
     *   December Time Entry Window            December 18th - 20th
     *   January Document Deadlines              January 7th
     *   January EPAF Deadline                       January 15th
     *   January Time Entry Window                January 22nd - 24th
  *   Trainings (Register in MyTrack<https://hr.uoregon.edu/mytrack-talent-management-system-0>)
     *   HRIS Overview                                   January 7th 1:30-3:30pm
     *   HRIS Time Entry                                 January 8th 1:30-4:30pm
     *   HRIS Electronic Approvals (EPAF)        January 15th 9:30-11:00am
     *   Form I-9 Workshop                             January 9th 10:00am-12:00pm
  *   Observed Holidays
     *   Christmas Eve Day (Classified Only)    December 24th
     *   Christmas Day                                    December 25th
     *   New Year's Day                                  January 1st
     *   Martin Luther King Jr. Day                   January 20th
Happy Holidays!
The Payroll Office




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