Stanford Payroll administers processes to produce semi-monthly and, as required, off-cycle paychecks for all university employees. This page provides information for employees about paycheck delivery, pay dates, pay periods, and payslip field descriptions.
Pay statements for the pay periods prior to the Sequoia implementation (June 2026 and earlier) remain available on the Stanford Axess website. Employees can view compensation and payslips for the current pay period on Sequoia. Payslips are generally available to view online two business days before payday.
Direct deposit
- Employees are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit. All employees, with the exception of student employees and postdocs, manage their direct deposit payment methods in Sequoia. Alternatively, a printable Automatic Deposit Authorization form is available. Students and postdocs manage their direct deposit accounts via the Student Center in Axess.
- Direct deposit is a safe and convenient service that allows employees to have their pay and reimbursements automatically deposited to their bank account(s). Direct deposit elections are also utilized for student refunds.
- Employees can elect a single Payment Method (bank account) for the direct deposit or up to 10 payment methods. Employees can also select the amount of the deposit(s) based on a percentage of the net pay, a specified dollar amount, or the balance of remaining pay.
- Employees can enroll, update, or cancel direct deposit elections at any time.
- 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, submit a support request.
- Employees who choose direct deposit may elect to receive a paper payslip. The paper notice includes the same information as the online payslip.
Paper paychecks
- The default paycheck option is a paper check. It is the employee's responsibility to physically cash or deposit their paycheck in a bank account each pay period. If a paycheck is lost or stolen, request a replacement check.
- Paper checks are mailed via USPS to the employee's mailing address on file. All employees, with the exception of student employees and postdocs, manage their personal information, including addresses, in Sequoia. Students and postdocs manage their personal information via the Student Center in Axess.
Pay dates are the 7th and the 22nd of each month. Pay dates and deadlines correspond to pay periods as follows:
- For pay periods beginning on the 1st and ending on the 15th of the month, the pay date is on the 22nd of the same month.
- For pay periods beginning on the 16th and ending on the last day of the month, the pay date is on the 7th of the following month.
If the pay date falls on a weekend or holiday, pay is dispersed on the nearest preceding business day. For example:
- When the 7th or 22nd falls on a Saturday or Sunday, pay is dispersed on the preceding Friday.
- When the 22nd falls on Thanksgiving, pay is disbursed on the preceding Wednesday.
Note about the 12/31 pay statement: Year-to-date totals on the pay statement are reset to reflect the new tax year. Annual benefit deductions and retirement contributions begin with this paycheck. Social Security taxes are withheld again for those employees who reached the max in the calendar year. 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.
The following information is included on the employee payslip.
| Code | Definition |
|---|---|
| Pay Profile | The codes used to classify employees for payroll purposes. Refer to Resource: Pay Profiles and Descriptions. |
| Period Start Date and Period End Date | The starting and ending dates for the pay period. Retroactive earnings for a prior period list the applicable start and end dates. |
| Payment Date | The date the payment is issued. |
| Name | New employees should verify that the name on their payslip matches their legal name on their Social Security card to ensure correct reporting of their wages to the Social Security Administration. Employees can initiate name updates from Personal Details in Sequoia or, for student employees, by contacting the Student Services Center. |
| Employee ID | The 8-digit Stanford employee identification number, which is also listed on the Stanford ID card. Use this number for identification when asking questions of the Human Resources Service Center (HRSC) or Financial Support Center (FSC). |
| Department and Location | The department and work location of your primary job. |
| Tax Withholding | The federal and state withholding status, allowances, credits, exemptions and any additional amount specified for withdrawal from each pay period. For instructions on updating withholding allowances, refer to How To: Declare or Change Income Tax Withholding Allowances. |
| Summary | The summary of current and YTD gross earnings, pretax deductions, federal taxable gross (this will correspond to Box 1 W-2 total), tax deductions, other deductions, and net pay. |
| Earnings | Earnings paid by type (e.g., Regular Time, Overtime Base, Overtime Premium, Holiday Entitlement, Vacation Entitlement, etc.) and, when applicable, the hourly rate and number of associated hours. Paychecks also include year-to-date (YTD) hours and earnings for each earnings type. |
| Tax Deductions | The federal and state tax amounts for the current pay period and YTD. Refer to Resource: Tax Deduction Codes, Descriptions and Rates. |
| Pre-Tax Deductions | The current and YTD deductions for benefits taken from the gross pay amount before taxes are applied. Note: Federal Taxable Wages = Total Gross Wages, including Imputed Earnings – Before Tax Deductions. Refer to Resource: Benefit Deductions, Descriptions and Tax Status. |
| After-Tax Deductions | The current and YTD deductions for benefits, other voluntary deductions, or garnishments taken from the net pay after taxes are applied. Refer to Resource: Benefit Deductions, Descriptions and Tax Status. |
| Absence Plan | The accrued absence balances that are available for vacation, sick time, personal time off (PTO), and floating holidays which reflect the amount of leave earned, used and remaining in Sequoia. Refer to Topic Overview: Time and Absence Reporting and Approvals. |
| Net Pay Distribution | The amount of pay an employee receives by direct deposit or paper check. |
| Total Hours Worked | Total hours worked for the current pay period for non-exempt employees. |