Purpose
When you add a pay group, the schedule fields you complete depend on the pay frequency you select. This article explains the fields for each frequency (Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Semi-Monthly, Monthly, and Quarterly) with examples. For the overall pay group workflow (adding, assigning employees, editing, deleting), see Understanding and Setting Up Pay Groups.
Who can do this: Any user whose role includes the Payroll permission. This is usually the Employer Admin, but other admin roles can be granted the same access.
Prerequisites
- You are on the Add Pay Group form (Payroll > Payroll Setup > Pay Groups > Add Pay Group), have entered the name, frequency, and cutoff days, and have clicked Generate Pay Periods. The fields below appear in that generation flow.
Weekly
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Day of the Week | The day employees receive their paychecks each week (for example, every Friday). |
| First Pay Date | The system lists all occurrences of that day in the current and next year. Select the pay date of the first payroll you will process on UZIO for this group. |
| First Pay Period End Date | The end date of the first pay period. Any date before the next pay date. This date is the base used to generate all future pay periods. |
Example: First pay date Friday, March 7, 2025. The pay period end date can be any date up to Thursday, March 13, 2025.
Bi-Weekly
Same three fields as Weekly, but paychecks land every second week.
Example: First pay date Friday, March 7, 2025. The pay period end date can be any date up to Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Semi-Monthly
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| First Paycheck Day of Month | The day of the month for the first paycheck (for example, the 15th). |
| Second Paycheck Day of Month | The day of the month for the second paycheck (for example, the last day of the month). |
| First Pay Date | The system lists all instances of your selected days in the current and next year. Select the first one you will process on UZIO. |
| Pay Period End Date Calculation Method | How UZIO determines each period's end date. One of the four methods below. |
Which method do I want? Most companies pay for work completed through a date before payday. If that is you, pick a "Before Pay Date" method. Pick an "After Pay Date" method only if you pay in advance of the period closing.
Method 1: X Days Before Pay Date
Each pay period ends a fixed number of days before its pay date.
| First pay period | Second pay period | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay period | Dec 30, 2024 - Jan 13, 2025 | Jan 14, 2025 - Jan 29, 2025 |
| Pay date | Jan 15, 2025 | Jan 31, 2025 |
| Period ends | 2 days before pay date | 2 days before pay date |
Inputs: First Paycheck Day 15 · Second Paycheck Day Last Date of Month · First Pay Date 01/15/2025 · First/Second Pay Period Ends On 2
Method 2: X Days After Pay Date
Each pay period ends a fixed number of days after its pay date. You are paying before the period closes.
| First pay period | Second pay period | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay period | Jan 1, 2025 - Jan 15, 2025 | Jan 16, 2025 - Jan 31, 2025 |
| Pay date | Jan 13, 2025 | Jan 29, 2025 |
| Period ends | 2 days after pay date | 2 days after pay date |
Inputs: First Paycheck Day 13 · Second Paycheck Day 29 · First Pay Date 01/13/2025 · First/Second Pay Period Ends On 2
Method 3: Fixed Day Before Pay Date
Each pay period ends on a fixed calendar day that falls before the pay date.
| First pay period | Second pay period | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay period | Dec 31, 2024 - Jan 14, 2025 | Jan 15, 2025 - Jan 30, 2025 |
| Pay date | Jan 15, 2025 | Jan 31, 2025 |
| Period ends | The 14th of every month | The 30th of every month |
Inputs: First Paycheck Day 15 · Second Paycheck Day 31 · First Pay Date 01/15/2025 · First Period Ends On 14 · Second Period Ends On 30
Method 4: Fixed Day After Pay Date
Each pay period ends on a fixed calendar day that falls after the pay date.
| First pay period | Second pay period | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay period | Jan 2, 2025 - Jan 16, 2025 | Jan 17, 2025 - Jan 31, 2025 |
| Pay date | Jan 15, 2025 | Jan 30, 2025 |
| Period ends | The 16th of every month | The 31st of every month |
Inputs: First Paycheck Day 15 · Second Paycheck Day 30 · First Pay Date 01/15/2025 · First Period Ends On 16 · Second Period Ends On Last Date of Month
Monthly
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Day of the Month | The date of the month employees are paid (for example, the 27th). |
| First Pay Date | The system lists all matching dates for the current and next year (27 Jan, 27 Feb, ...). Select the first one you will process on UZIO. |
| First Pay Period End Date | Any date before the next pay date. The system generates all monthly periods from it. |
Example: First pay date March 27, 2025. The pay period end date can be any date up to April 26, 2025.
Quarterly
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| First Paycheck Month of the Year | The first month your quarterly employees get paid (any month, January to December). |
| First Pay Date | The system lists all days of that month, including Last Day of the Month. Select any day. |
| First Pay Period End Date | Any date before the next (quarterly) pay date. |
Example: First pay date March 31, 2025. The pay period end date can be any date up to June 30, 2025.
Note: Whichever frequency you choose, pay dates cannot fall on a federal bank holiday or a weekend. See Payroll Processing on Bank Holidays.
[Screenshot: Add Pay Group form for a Semi-Monthly group showing the Pay Period End Date Calculation Method options]
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