Payroll Information for New Employees

Fall Campus

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is on a bi-weekly pay schedule, generating payments every other Friday as reflected on the payroll calendar.

Pay statements are available online in HR Direct's Employee Self Service. Employees who hold more than one job on campus, you can expect your earnings to be combined in a single payment. HR Direct Self Service allows employees to:

  • View and download bi-weekly pay statements
  • View and update direct deposit, federal and state tax withholdings
  • View and update home and mailing addresses on record with UMass Human Resources
  • View and download tax statements (annual W-2 and 1095-C forms)
Understanding your pay statement

When you view your paycheck in HR Direct, it is broken down into several sections. Here is what each one means and how it affects your pay.

  • Pay Period — the time for which you are being paid (a two-week period)
  • Gross Pay — your total pay before any taxes and deductions
  • Taxes — depending on your employment type, several types of tax are withheld each pay period including Medicare, federal income tax, and state income tax
  • Deductions — These are amounts you have chosen to have deducted from your pay for employee benefits. Examples include insurance premiums, retirement withholding, union dues and parking fees.
  • Net Pay — the amount you receive after taxes and deductions have been subtracted from your gross pay.
  • Paid Time Off and Sick Leave — the pay statement provides benefited employees summary of available sick, vacation and/or personal accruals.
  • Direct Deposit Distribution – indicates the account(s) and amount(s) of the direct deposit.