Payroll FAQs
Do you have questions about your paycheck? Please see the frequently asked questions below. If you have additional questions, please contact your Payroll Representative.
- What do I do if I didn't receive my paycheck?
- Can I have my paycheck early?
- What do I do if I lost my paycheck?
- Can I have a salary advance?
- When are W-2s issued?
- I’ve lost or didn’t receive my W-2. What do I do?
- Who do I submit my address change to and when is the deadline in order to receive my W-2 at my new address?
- How do I earn vacation credit?
- Do I lose my vacation if I do not use it in the current calendar year?
- I have questions about my leave balances. Whom should I contact?
- When does the Employee Social Security Tax Rate Reduction expire?
Q: What do I do if I didn't receive my paycheck?
Q: Can I have my paycheck early?
A: No. State Controller Guidelines mandate that under no circumstances do we release pay warrants early.
Q: What do I do if I lost my paycheck?
A: Please contact your payroll representative in Employee Support Services immediately so a stop payment can be placed on the check.
Once the State is sure that it has not been cashed, a replacement check will be issued. This process can take 2-4 weeks.
Q: Can I have a salary advance?
A: In the case of a serious, unforeseeable hardship, employees may request an advance on their next paycheck (up to the number of days worked in the current pay period) by completing a Salary Advance Application form (PDF).
Employees who receive a salary advance will not be eligible for another advance until 365 calendar days have passed.
Q: When are W-2s issued?
A: W-2s are printed by the State Controller's Office and issued on approximately the 15th of January.
They are sent to the most current address on file in Human Resources as of December 10th of the previous year.
Q: I’ve lost or didn’t receive my W-2. What do I do?
A: Please contact your payroll representative immediately. Depending upon the circumstances regarding your W-2, you may be charged an $8.50 replacement fee.
- Contact your payroll representative.
- To receive a duplicate W-2, complete the Duplicate W2 Wage and Tax Statement Request Form.
Q: Who do I submit my address change to and when is the deadline in order to receive my W-2 at my new address?
A: Faculty/Staff complete: Employee Action Request Form. Students complete: Student Payroll Action Request.
Human Resources must receive this information by December 10.
Q: How do I earn vacation credit?
A: Vacation Credit is earned for each qualifying monthly pay period.
For purposes of computing vacation credit, an employee who works eleven (11) or more days in a monthly pay period is considered to have completed a qualifying month.
Q: Do I lose my vacation if I do not use it in the current calendar year?
A: Eligible employees may accrue unused vacation credits up to the maximum allowed as of December 31.
When computing the maximum allowable vacation limits, include the December vacation accrual that is available the following January 1.
Click Cal State University Monthly Vacation Accrual for a chart that provides the maximum vacation carryover.
Q: I have questions about my leave balances. Whom should I contact?
A: You should always contact your supervisor or department timekeeper first.
If the information is unobtainable or the issue is not resolved, the timekeeper should call the department payroll representative.
Q: When does the Employee Social Security Tax Rate Reduction expire?
A: The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Tax Relief Act of 2012) signed into law on February 22, 2012, extended the reduction in the social security tax rate paid by employees for wages through December 31, 2012. In accordance with the Tax Relief Act of 2012, the employee social security rate remained at 4.2% with employers continuing to pay the full 6.2% rate for their portion of the social security tax.