Human Resources and Payroll - George Mason University

Announcements

Posted January 15, 2020

Compressed Schedules and the Holiday

If you use the compressed schedule work option, please be aware of the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.For the holiday, full-time employees with compressed schedules receive eight (8) hours of holiday pay and/or compensatory leave per day, depending on the situation, regardless of their compressed schedule hours.

There are three (3) possible scenarios. (These examples are based on a full-time schedule. Leave and pay are prorated for part-time employees.):

With supervisor approval, the employee can choose to temporarily work a traditional work schedule for the week

The employee would work eight (8) hours each day of the week that is not a holiday

Then receive eight (8) hours of holiday pay for the holiday

With supervisor approval, if the employee chooses to continue their compressed schedule and the holiday falls on a day when the employee would normally work:

The employee needs to account for their full compressed schedule work hours for the days during the holiday

oThe employee receives eight (8) hours of holiday pay for the holiday

oFor the remaining hours, the employee can either make up the hours during the week or take additional leave during the holiday

oFor example:If the employee normally works nine (9) hours on a day during the holiday, they will receive eight (8) hours of holiday pay and then will either work an additional hour during the week or take one (1) hour of leave on the day of the holiday

With supervisor approval, if the employee chooses to continue their compressed schedule and the holiday falls on a day when the employee would not normally work:

The employee will enter eight (8) hours for the holiday under compensatory leave earned when they complete their timesheet

The employee will then have eight (8) hours of compensatory leave they can use, with supervisor approval, within one (1) year from the pay period in which the hours are accrued (State Policy 3.10)

If you have any questions, please contact 703-993-2600 or hr@gmu.edu.

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Posted January 14, 2020

New 2020 Form W-4

The IRS released a new version of the 2020 Form W-4, Employee???s Withholding Certificate. The new 2020 Form W-4 is now available for use via Patriot Web. Current employees may choose to update their withholding information. Once submitted, it will take effect the next immediate pay period.

Are current employees required to fill out the new 2020 Form W-4?

Current employees hired any time before December 31, 2019, are not required to furnish a new form.

What are the changes?

This new 2020 Form W-4 is intended to make tax withholding more accurate in conjunction with the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Employees filling out the 2020 Form W-4 are no longer able to claim withholding allowances. Instead, employees must provide whole dollar amounts.

How do I submit the new 2020 Form W-4?

Select Employee Services

Select Tax Forms

Select W4 Tax Exemptions or Allowances

Select Update at the bottom of the page

Select Certify Changes after you update your information

Note: You can use the new online IRS Withholding Estimator to calculate the amounts in order to complete the new form.

More Information

For more information, refer to theIRS FAQs on the 2020 Form W-4.

Please remember that Human Resources and Payroll cannot provide assistance on completing your form. Our team can only provide you the IRS information. For detailed questions about your personal tax situation, please refer to a tax advisor.

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Posted January 14, 2020

Electronic 2019 W-2s Available

Your electronic 2019 W-2 is available online. Retrieving your electronic copy is easy and immediate.

How to Access Your Electronic W-2:

Click Employee Services

Choose Tax Forms

Choose W-2 Year End Earnings Statement

Select the tax year 2019 from the drop-down menu

Click "Display"

Scroll to the bottom of the screen and choose "Printable W-2"

Re-enter your password to allow the display of your unmasked Social Security Number on the printable W-2

Your electronic W-2 will be automatically converted into the IRS approved format

Use the regular print function on your Internet browser to print as many copies as you need

If You Did Not Consent to Receive an Electronic W-2:

Based on Federal IRS regulations, W-2s must be mailed out by January 31, 2020; employees who did not consent to receive their W-2 online prior to December 20, 2019, should expect to receive their paper copy no later than January 31, 2020

You can wait for your paper copy to file your taxes or use the electronic version available now

More Information:

For information on how to interpret your W-2, reference Your George Mason University W-2 Demystified

For frequently asked questions, please reference the W-2 FAQs

If you have any questions, please contact the W-2 Hotline at 703-993-2311 or at w2info@gmu.edu

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Posted January 6, 2020

Let's Move, Mason!

Physical well-being is an important aspect of how we thrive. To aid in this, we are launching a new initiative for faculty and staff called, Let's Move, Mason! This initiative is designed to get you moving throughout your day in a convenient way that is possible for you. Need some ideas on how to get moving? Check out the attached flyer!

With the addition of this new initiative, "Who's Walking Wednesday" is getting a new look and title! Now called, "We're Walking Wednesday," instead of weekly walks, this event is changing to a monthly timeframe. Take a walk on campus on the first Wednesday of every month at noon with your campus colleagues! If you would like to lead one of the 12 walks throughout the year starting in January 2020, please sign up here. You do not need to wait for the monthly We're Walking Wednesday to take a walk on campus! We encourage you to get moving in any way you can and want to throughout your day, and that includes getting a walk in on any day of the week.

Don't forget to show us your moves! Tag Human Resources & Payroll (@GMUHRandPayroll) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Be sure to use the hashtag #LiveWellMason.

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Posted December 11, 2019

Timesheets Due Early

Please be aware that timesheets need to be submitted and approved early due to winter break.

Semimonthly

For pay period ending December 24, 2019, and pay date on December 31, 2019:

Submission:December 13 before noon at 11:59 a.m.

Approval:December 16 before noon at 11:59 a.m.

Please record anticipated hours worked by day for December 17 through December 24.

Biweekly

For pay period ending December 21, 2019, and pay date on December 27, 2019:

Submission: December 16 before midnight at 11:59 p.m.

Approval: December 17 before noon at 11:59 a.m.

Please record anticipated hours worked by day for December 17 through December 21.

The full payroll calendar is available on the HR & Payroll website. Refer to the Winter Break Timesheet Guidancefor more information. If you have questions, please contact hr@gmu.edu.

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Posted December 9, 2019

Member Benefit Profiles

If you are enrolled in a retirement plan with VRS (Plan 1, Plan 2 and Hybrid), your 2019 Member Benefit Profiles (MBP) are now available on your myVRS account. UnderMy History menu, select Annual Statements.

The MBP is your annual benefit statement based on information reported by Mason to VRS as of June 30. It provides information on your account balance, retirement eligibility, and eligibility for other benefits, such as group life insurance and the health insurance credit.

Use your MBPs and myVRS retirement planning tools to help you stay on track with your retirement goals.

Questions? Contact the Benefits team at benefits@gmu.edu.

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Posted December 9, 2019

Retirement Plan Contribution Limit

The IRS announced adjustments affecting retirement plan contribution limits for the 2020 tax year.

Participants under age 50 can contribute up to $19,500 (a $500 increase from 2019) to their Supplemental 403(b) Retirement Plan and to their Virginia Deferred Compensation Plan DCP-457.

Participants age 50 and over can contribute $26,000 (a $1,000 increase from 2019) to their Supplemental 403(b) Retirement Plan and to their Virginia Deferred Compensation Plan DCP-457.

How to Increase Contributions:

403(b):

Complete a salary reduction agreement

Return to the Benefits team by emailing it to benefits@gmu.edu, faxing it to 703-993-2601, or dropping it off at the HR & Payroll office in Merten Hall 4100

457:

Contact ICMA-RC at 1-877-327-5261 or click to log into your account

Please contact benefits@gmu.edu if you have any questions.

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