This page provides important payroll information for new and current employees, including required documentation for employment eligibility, access to Stanford systems using a secure login and password, tax withholding forms, time and leave reporting, direct deposit, pay schedules, pay statements, and other resources.
To comply with U.S. law, Stanford must verify eligibility for employment of all new employees using Form I-9. New employees must complete Section 1 of this form no later than close of business on their first day of work. Within three days of hire, employees must show original documents establishing their employment eligibility to their department administrator.
Refer to Verify Eligibility for Employment and Form I-9 for a list of acceptable documents, resources, how-to instructions and frequently asked questions.
A SUNet ID is a unique three- to eight-character username that identifies members of the Stanford community. All Stanford employees are eligible to register for a free SUNet ID, which is used to access Stanford systems, including the Stanford Axess website, used to view and change employee information.
To request a SUNet ID, visit the Stanford Accounts website.
All employees using a SUNet ID are required to set up two-step authentication to further secure personal information from fraudulent access. Two-step authentication builds on individual SUNet ID usernames and passwords by requiring a second form of authentication from an alternate device (e.g., cell phone, tablet) to verify your identity.
Visit Stanford Accounts for more information or to select a preference.
Direct Deposit is a safe, convenient and paperless service that allows employees and students to have their pay, expense request reimbursements, refunds and fellowships automatically deposited to their bank account. All employees may elect to have their pay directly deposited into up to five bank accounts each pay period. Visit the Stanford Axess website, select Employee Center and Enroll in Direct Deposit or View/Edit Direct Deposit Information to add accounts.
Note: Any updates to bank information submitted shortly after the end of a pay period may not take effect until the following payday. If an employee has not received a direct deposit for their last paycheck, or is unable to enroll in direct deposit via Axess, submit a support request.
For complete instructions, refer to How to: Enroll/Update/Cancel Direct Deposit.
Refer to Learn About Axess Pay and Taxes for more information.
Federal and state income taxes are deducted from Stanford paychecks. All employees, including students, are required to submit federal and state withholding forms, located on the Stanford Axess website.
Refer to How to: Declare Federal and State Income Tax Withholding (W-4/DE-4) via Stanford Axess for more information.
See Learn About Axess Pay and Taxes for more information.
Non-exempt staff and hourly employees are required to report hours worked and/or leave each pay period. Exempt employees are required to report leave each pay period. Most employees report time worked and/or leave using the online timecard in Axess. Employees should ask their supervisor about which method is used in their school or department.
Refer to Topic Overview: Time Reporting and Approvals for more information on reporting time and leave.
For self-guided step-by-step demonstrations on completing, submitting, and changing timecards, see the Axess Timecard system page.
Stanford employees are paid on the 7th and the 22nd of each month with the timing of receipt depending on whether they are enrolled in direct deposit or receive a paper paycheck. Paychecks are issued based on the following pay periods:
- Employees receive their pay on the 7th for work completed from the 16th to the last day of the month.
- Pay issued on the 22nd covers the work period from the 1st to the 15th of the month.
If the pay date falls on a weekend or holiday, pay is dispersed on the nearest preceding business day. The tax year begins with the paycheck issued on January 7th of each calendar year for the pay period of Dec. 16 to Dec. 31 of the previous year.
To ensure employees complete their timecard to receive timely and accurate pay, visit the Axess Timecard system page for training resources.
Employees can view and print online pay statements for current and past pay periods from the Stanford Axess website. Online pay statements are generally available to view two business days before payday.
Refer to How to: View Pay Statements for more information.
See Learn About Axess Pay and Taxes for details.
Employees can opt in to receive their W-2 electronically and can view their W-2 for the current or prior years on the Stanford Axess website. Learn more on Topic Overview: Stanford W-2 Statements.
A useful resource for new employees and hiring supervisors/managers is Stanford’s Cardinal at Work Welcome Center website. The website provides information to help new employees know what to do before they arrive and what to expect on their first day at Stanford.
The Manager Toolkit provides checklists, templates and recommendations for managers to facilitate the successful onboarding of new hires.