The Office of the Controller introduced a new payroll initiative Feb. 25 for University employees designed to improve access to payroll information. The initiative, "Pay Check+," will be used to deliver payroll checks, direct deposit notices and W-2 tax forms to students, staff and faculty, according to the Office of the Controller's Web site.
Pay Check+ is part of the "Going Green" initiative, which aims to reduce the use of paper at Brown. Donald Schanck, assistant vice president and University controller, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that employees still have the option to continue receiving their check and deposit notices with paper, but can discontinue it if they choose to use Pay Check+.
"We looked for smaller projects that could offer benefits to employees and streamline inefficient administrative processes," Schank wrote. "Pay Check+ provides both employee and administrative benefits."
The initiative will provide online access to payroll information including payroll stubs and pay deductions, as well as enable employees to view 36 months of payroll history, Schanck wrote.
Pay Check+ will also offer an online calculator for W-4 tax forms, which will help employees calculate their take-home pay. Along with the W-4 calculator, Pay Check+ will include a calculator to estimate how much employees will take home if there are changes in payroll deductions made to the employee's gross pay.
Schanck wrote that with Pay Check+, W-2 forms, which are used to file income reports for tax purposes, can be accessed and downloaded into a number of different tax software products for filing tax returns, making it easier to duplicate copies should an original form get lost.
The major advantage of the new system is its "off-site disaster recovery option" if there are malfunctions on-campus, Schanck wrote. The processing of Pay Check+ involves Automatic Data Processing, Inc., which will help provide the online payroll availability.
"They will process the direct deposit transmittal through their partner bank and return checks and deposit advices to us for normal distribution," Schanck wrote.
With the involvement of the outside company, there will be new costs, though Schanck wrote that the costs would be minimal considering the savings from eliminating paper supplies and reducing staff needs that will result from the initiative.
"We are encouraging all employees, including students, to enroll in direct deposit," Schanck wrote.
"Pay Check+ will save me from taking trips to get my paycheck," said Claire Huang '13, who works as a cashier for Brown University Dining Services. "I like doing things online. It'll be easy to keep track of how much I earn."
The program also ensures that employees are reimbursed on pay day even when they are not on campus.
"For students receiving checks between semesters or over the summer, this eliminates a major worry about where their check is mailed and eliminates misplaced checks," wrote Schanck.
Students will be able to access the program by using their Brown username and password, even if they are not on campus.
Schanck wrote that brochures will soon be included with student checks, and there will be information sessions for all employees later this month. The Office of the Controller expects to begin the program with April payrolls, he wrote.
