Despite the best planning and intent, paychecks may have pay or funding errors. Fortunately, there are easy steps to take to identify and correct any payroll errors.

Start with the Payroll Calendar

• Review the payroll calendar regularly to find the date that the payroll registers are ready.

Confirm how pay and funding posted

• Run the monthly payroll registers before the payroll pull deadline for each pay period. Use the HCM WorkCenter Resources Payroll Register Accounting Detail query to download paycheck data to Excel. 

• Do you also need employer paid taxes and deduction and funding detail? Use the Paycheck Distribution query. This query will also tell you if payroll expenses were reallocated. The “original” designation refers to the current distribution.
• Filter for suspense SpeedTypes and identify any other funding changes. Reallocate payroll from suspense right away. Correcting payroll in the same month as the original payroll makes for much easier FIN and ePERS reporting.
• Need to change funding? Wait until the payroll registers are ready before creating a PET or the PET will use account code 444444. Another new PET will be required to correct it.
• Do you just want to see the earn codes, hours that posted, and cost for each? Use the Payroll Register query. This report shows how many hours of exception time (i.e., VAC and SCK) posted and how RGS (regular salary) was offset.
  • Exception time is entered in CU Time using hours. The hours reduce HCM leave balances and are multiplied by the annualized hourly rate to determine the cost of the exception time. (This calculation is also used to calculate remaining liability at fiscal year-end.)
  • Because both monthly salary and the cost of exception time are included in the paycheck, HCM calculates (-RGS) equal to the exception time cost. Here is an example of how it works using vacation and sick leave:

1. Monthly RGS salary in pulled into the pay lines
2. VAC and SCK time is pulled from CU Time into the pay lines
3. RGS + (VAC + SCK) = too much pay
4. Calculate -RGS using VAC and SCK: -(VAC + SCK) = - RGS
5. RGS + (VAC + SCK) + (-RGS) = RGS

Overpayments and Underpayments

• Was the employee overpaid or underpaid? Find out the next steps here. Report pay-pulls by the deadline (see payroll calendars) and enter adjustments in the next off-cycle to correct the pay within the same pay period if possible.

Once overpayments are collected from the employee, the original overpayment and return should post to the same distribution so that they sum to a net zero. On the PET search page, use the employee ID and original overpayment earnings period.

• The original check displays the original earnings and pay period.
• The check(s) that processed the returned overpayment will display using the original earnings period and pay period in which each was processed.
• Align the original overpayment and the returned funds to the same SpeedTypes for a net sum zero.

Manual Check Adjustments

• Sometimes job data is incorrect when a paycheck is created. To correct the pay, job data must be updated, and a manual check adjustment created.
• The adjusted check will be processed in the current pay period using the corrected job data in the original earnings period. 
• Remember that the paycheck’s earnings period does not post to FIN.  

The processes using position funding effective during the earnings period. If a PET is required for manual check adjustments, search by using the employee ID and original earnings period. 

• The original paycheck displays with the original earnings and pay period.
• The manual adjustment check displays with a net zero amount, the corrected job data in original earnings period, and the pay period in which it was processed.
• Note: An account code update can be made by a controller’s PET if needed (i.e., when certain job codes change that affect the account code).

Need extra help?

Find PET resources on the HRGL website or directly on the Pay Transactions section of the HCM website. You can also email: hcm_community@cu.edu or System.HRGL.Team@cu.edu.

Additionally, you can find HCM queries here:

1. Log into the employee portal.
2. Open the CU Resources dropdown menu and click Business Tools.
3. Select the HCM tile and choose HCM Community Users from the drop-down menu.
4. Click the HCM WorkCenter tile.
5. Select the Resources tab and click the query you desire.