The Controller’s Office, Division of Finance and Department of Human Resources at Case Western Reserve University has several fall payroll updates and reminders for employees and supervisors across campus.
Phishing
Members of the CWRU community are reminded to always be vigilant about phishing attempts. These scams can give fraudsters access to sensitive banking information, potentially allowing them to redirect direct deposits or commit payroll fraud.
While HCM requires existing bank account details to make changes to direct deposit information, phishing attacks can still trick users into revealing that information through fake emails or text messages that appear legitimate.
Note that any time a change is made to banking or direct deposit information in HCM, an auto-response email is generated and sent to your CWRU email confirming the change.
Reusing passwords across multiple sites increases the risk of compromise, so it's important to use strong, unique passwords for each account. Be especially cautious of unsolicited messages asking you to verify personal or financial information.
If you suspect any unauthorized changes to banking information in HCM or payroll-related fraud, contact payroll@case.edu immediately.
Electronic W-2s
CWRU faculty and staff members are encouraged to sign up to receive their W-2 via electronic format only. This request:
- Saves the university resources,
- Allows W-2s to be created more quickly,
- Moves to a greener environment, and
- Reduces personal information in the U.S. mail system.
Individuals only need to sign up once and they will receive all future W-2s through HCM Self-Service.
Learn how to view and sign up for electronic W-2s.
Change of address
For all faculty and staff, whether or not you participate in a hybrid work schedule, please notify the Payroll Office at payroll@case.edu if you move to a new city after you have updated your address in HCM. This will ensure that local taxes are being sent to the correct home city, if you participate in a hybrid work schedule, and that local school district withholdings, if applicable, are accurate. Simply updating HCM with an employee’s new home address is not sufficient for tax or payroll purposes. When address change notifications are not timely, the Payroll Office cannot guarantee retroactive correction of prior year tax withholdings.
Courtesy local tax withholding
In addition to what is noted for hybrid work, this is a reminder that CWRU does not perform courtesy local tax withholding for cities and locales in which employees reside but do not work. Local tax withholding is only performed for employees who work a hybrid schedule and for the days their submitted and approved plans show they are designated to work from home. Please check with your residential city or locale to understand any additional tax obligations you may have. Many cities and locales in Northeast Ohio participate in the RITA (Reginal Income Tax Agency) system. If your city participates in RITA, more information can be found at ritaohio.com.
Timecard approval
Each supervisor is responsible for maintaining and approving records of actual time worked for all staff, including recording sick and vacation time.
For exempt staff, time should be approved in PeopleSoft HCM on a regular basis before the month closes.
For non-exempt staff, time should be approved in PeopleSoft HCM by the Payroll cut-off date. This date is typically six business days before the pay date and can be found on the Payroll Calendar. Timely supervisor approval assures that non-exempt staff are paid accurately and on time.
Approving time after the Payroll cutoff date can cause issues such as:
- Delay in overtime pay processing
- Over payments to staff with unpaid leave
- Unprocessed sick and/or vacation time, causing inaccurate leave balances
For more timecard approval information, visit the Department of Human Resources’ website.
For specific questions about time entry, please contact the Payroll Office at payroll@case.edu or 216-368-4290.
