Monthly to Biweekly Pay Change
Monthly paid employees have the option to switch to Biweekly pay
Pursuant to Fiscal Rule 9-3, 3.3 and COWINS agreement 32.5 all current Agency Employees paid on a Monthly pay cycle shall have the choice to be paid on a Biweekly pay cycle starting in June 2023. DNR has created a Calendar, Calculator, and Job Aid to assist employees considering making this change.
This change is one-way, which means that Biweekly paid employees cannot change to Monthly paid, even if they previously were paid that way.
Pay Change Calculator
The calculator below shows a sample of Gross pay converted from Monthly to Biweekly. To see your pay specifically, click the Pay Change : Calculator image below. A pop-up notification will appear, click Make a copy (this will save it to your "My Drive" on Google). Once you have the spreadsheet opened up, simply enter your Monthly Salary that you currently make and select the month you would like to make the change in to see what your last Monthly paycheck will look like. Again, these are Gross amounts.
Your Annual Salary (Monthly pay x 12) will be divided by 26 pay periods, since there are 52 weeks in a year (52 divided by 2=26). This means that the total for each month (after receiving both your Biweekly paychecks) will be less than what you receive now but you will have two months each year where you will receive a third paycheck due to the nature of biweekly pay.
Pay Change Calendar
Your Monthly paycheck pays for your benefit premiums for the month the checks are paid (June paycheck pays for June premiums).
When switching to Biweekly, you have to pay benefits in halves and they are more in advance than in arrears like Monthly paid premiums are charged (for example, June premiums are paid on the 6/30 Monthly paycheck).
You will have premium deductions close together on the month you choose to change.
You should plan accordingly to account for these deductions.
The schedule for payroll periods are named for the months they are paid in and those numbers correspond to the premium payments that they are for.
For example:
December 2023’s pay days are 12/1 and 12/15, as well as 12/29 (this is a 3 paycheck month this year). If you are able, please see these dates below by scrolling down on the calendar.
Since Biweekly pay is on a two week lag of when the work occurred, the first paycheck, called 121 (12=December, 1=1st paycheck for the month), would be for November 4 thru 17.
This check would have the deductions for premiums for the first half of December.
The second paycheck, 122, would be for November 18-December 1, and would have the second half of the premiums for December deducted.
The third paycheck, 123, would be for December 2-15 and would not have any premium deductions (benefit premiums are only split in half for each month so the two times a year where you would have a third paycheck, that check would not have premiums deducted).
You will still be taxed and deducted for any W-4 elected amounts.
Accommodation statement: DNR is committed to providing equitable access to our services to all employees. Please contact dnr_payroll@state.co.us for personalized accessibly assistance using this page, which includes links to visuals. The data is available in a text format upon request. We will contact you directly within three business days.
Request Forms
Have you read through the materials above and are ready to make the change?
Please choose the month you would like the change to happen below.
Download the file using the menu options on the upper right corner of the screen when the letter opens up in a new window.
Fill out and read through the request letter, and sign it (either in ink - printed then scanned in or using Adobe Acrobat's "Sign with a Digital ID").
Once complete, fill out the Google Form.
The last question of the form will require you to attach the letter.
DNR Payroll will review your request.
You will be contacted via email if there are any issues with you request.
Upon approval, you and your supervisor will receive an email confirmation.
Reminder: once you change to Biweekly pay you cannot go back to Monthly pay.