Payroll

When will I get paid?

Payday is on the last working day of each month for all staff. The only exception is at Christmas when payday is brought forward so that staff get paid in the last few days before 25 December. See more information about upcoming pay dates via the HR website.

How is my salary paid?

Salaried employees receive one twelfth of their annual salary each month. Casual workers will be paid based on timesheets submitted for hours worked at an agreed hourly rate. Your pay might be subject to tax, National Insurance and Pension contributions.

I am having National Insurance deducted from my pay, is this right?

You pay National Insurance contributions to qualify for certain benefits (gov.uk) including the State Pension.

There are different types of National Insurance (known as ‘classes’). The type you pay depends on your employment status and how much you earn, and whether you have any gaps in your National Insurance record.

Employee (primary) contribution rates

Deduct primary contributions (employee’s National Insurance) from your employees’ pay through PAYE.

The above rates are applicable for the 2018/19 tax year. Each year, National Insurance thresholds and rates are reviewed and any changes are applied on the 6 April.

More information about National Insurance can be found on the Government webpages (gov.uk).

Why am I paying so much tax?

The rate of tax applied to your pay will depend on either:

• the information you supplied to Payroll on a Starter declaration form when you started working at the University
• your P45
• a tax code issued by HMRC directly to the University

Please note: if you don't supply a P45 or a Starter declaration form when you first start working at the University you will automatically be set up with a '0T' tax code which will result in you paying a minimum of 20 per cent tax on all of your taxable income.

You can find further information about what your tax code means and how income tax works one the Government webpages below:

• Tax codes (gov.uk)
• Income tax: Check you're paying the right amount (gov.uk)

What do I do if I think my tax code is wrong?

If you think that your tax code is incorrect or you do not understand it, you need to contact HMRC either through their online portal (gov.uk) or by using the contact information set out under in the “How do I contact the HMRC Tax Office?” section below.

Please do not contact the Payroll team as we are unable to give personal tax advice.

What sorts of income are taxable?

You pay income tax on things like:

• money you earn from employment
• profits you make if you’re self-employed - including from services you sell through websites or apps (gov.uk)
• some state benefits (gov.uk)
• most pensions, including state pensions, company and personal pensions and retirement annuities
• rental income (unless you’re a live-in landlord and get less than the rent a room limit (gov.uk))
• benefits you get from your job
• income from a trust.

All of these things will have a bearing on the amount of tax you ultimately pay in a tax year.

How much will I pay into my pension each month?

Deductions of pension contributions will depend on which scheme you are eligible to join and the scheme rules on auto enrolment. You can find information about the different pension schemes on offer at York on the University pension pages.

How do I update my bank details?

If you are a salaried employee wishing to update your bank details you can instruct Payroll by either using the form attached to the back of your last payslip or by emailing payroll using the details in the 'Payroll contacts' section below. If you choose to email Payroll, provide:

• details of the bank account to be deleted
• the sort code and account number you wish payroll to send your salary to
• your name
• your date of birth

Where can I find my payslip?

The University provides digital payslips through the ePayslips dashboard. Please consult the table below for the relevant link.

You first need to sign up to the digital payslips service. For more information on how to sign up and frequently asked questions please visit the digital payslips webpages. 

* Pensioners also receive two printed payslips, and a printed P60, each year.

When do I get my P60?

A P60 will be issued via the  around the end of May of each year. 

Why is the pay figure on my P60 different from the gross pay on my payslips for the year?

Your P60 shows the amount of your taxable pay, that is to say your gross pay less any pension contributions which are tax free. The figures for pay and tax on your P60 should be the same as taxable pay and tax to date shown in your payslip for March.

Need to contact us with a query on the service? 

Please see the ‘Payroll Contacts’ section.

The payroll cut off date is the last available date that the following things can be processed that month: timesheets, change forms, change of personal details, termination notifications and starter notifications.

Salaried Payroll and Casual Payroll have different cut off dates so please check the relevant lists below.

Salaried Payroll Cut-Off Dates 

The cut-off dates for the salary payroll during 2025 are:

• 14th January 2025
• 13th February 2025
• 14th March 2025
• 14th April 2025
• 14th May 2025
• 13th June 2025
• 14th July 2025
• 14th August 2025
• 13th September 2025
• 14th October 2025
• 14th November 2025
• 9th December 2025

Please ensure that all changes are completed by these dates as we are unable to guarantee that late input of information will be processed at the correct time.

University and YCL casual workers cut-off dates

January to November:

• 12pm (lunch time) of the 14th is the last day for the worker to submit timesheets for approval
• 23:59 on the 17th is the last day for departments to approve timesheets for payment

December

• 12 pm on the 11th is the last day for the worker to submit timesheets for approval
• 5 pm on the 16th is the last day for departments to approve timesheets for payment

YCL salaried staff Cut-Off Dates 

• 14th January 2025
• 13th February 2025
• 14th March 2025
• 14th April 2025
• 14th May 2025
• 13th June 2025
• 14th July 2025
• 14th August 2025
• 13th September 2025
• 14th October 2025
• 14th November 2025
• 9th December 2025

Please complete the Overtime recharge form (PDF , 235kb) (Word version Overtime timesheet (MS Word , 35kb)) and email it to your manager for approval. 

Managers where possible should sign the form, then scan or photograph it and email it to salaried-payroll@york.ac.uk. Where this is not possible Payroll will accept approval by email as long as it is from your manager's University email account.

Kronos users must continue to have their overtime approved each week through Kronos, not the overtime form.  

• Explanation of a casual worker payslip: Casual worker payslip example (PDF , 171kb)
• Further information and guidance for Casual workers.
• Pay rates for casual workers can be found on the HR website.

I am a new starter but don’t have a P45 what do I do?

A Starter Checklist must be completed by staff commencing employment who have either no previous employment or no P45 from a previous employment. Once received by Payroll it is processed and sent to HMRC who then return a tax code based on the statement and the personal circumstances of the individual.

• Download the Starter Checklist from the Government website (gov.uk)

Please ensure you complete both the employee personal details and the employee statement. The employee statement should completed online, printed off then signed by hand rather than with a printed signature.

How much will I be paid in my first month?

If you start part-way through the month you will receive a proportionate salary based on one twelfth of your salary divided by the working days in the month multiplied by the number of working days undertaken.

Example: 

• If your annual salary is £18,000 and you started working for the University on the 20 September, you will have worked eight days out of the 21 available working days in the month.
  • Monthly pay is £18,000/12= £1500
  • You would get paid £1,500/21 working days in the month x eight days worked= £571.43

I'm leaving the University, when do I get my P45?

Once we have been informed by HR that you are leaving we will make your final payment including any holiday pay due on the normal pay day. A P45 will be provided in the digital payslips service and you have up to 60 days after the day you leave to download it and any other Payroll documents required.

How much will I be paid in my last month?

Your manager will calculate your annual leave allowance when you hand in your resignation. Any overtaken annual leave will be recovered in your pay. If any annual leave is due you will be paid the outstanding amount in your final salary.

Any outstanding loans, season tickets deductions, salary sacrifice deductions for bikes or overpayments will be recovered from any outstanding pay once payroll have been notified of your leaving the University.

When do I get my P60?

A P60 will be issued via the Digital payslips service around the end of May of each year.

Why is the pay figure on my P60 different from the gross pay on my payslips for the year?

Your P60 shows the amount of your taxable pay, that is to say your gross pay less any pension contributions which are tax free. The figures for pay and tax on your P60 should be the same as taxable pay and tax to date shown in your payslip for March.

Salary costs

The spreadsheet below can calculate the gross cost for employing someone. The spreadsheet will calculate employer's National Insurance and pension contributions and apprentice levy (which was introduced in April 2017 and is currently charged at 0.5 per cent on all employee earnings that attract employer's National Insurance).

• Salary costs calculator (MS Excel , 25kb)

To understand which pension scheme an employee will be in please refer to the University's pensions pages. The HR web pages detail the different Pay and grading rates.

Hourly pay rates

• Manual grades, part-time teaching and other hourly rates from Human Resources website

When an employee who is sick contacts you, begin the reporting process by completing a sickness absence report form. Step by step guidance about reporting sickness absence along with the absence reporting form and the sickness self certification form can be found on the HR website.

Further information on the process to follow, including when to perform an Employment Status check, the form to complete and who should be involved can be found on the Off-Payroll (IR35) and Self employment webpage.

• University salaried employees Payroll
  salaried-payroll@york.ac.uk 
  +44 (0)1904 322114 / +44 (0)1904 324260
• Salaried Directorate of Estates and Campus Services (DECS) Payroll
  sals2-payroll@york.ac.uk 
  +44 (0)1904 323134

• York Commercial Ltd (YCL) employees Payroll
  ycl-payroll@york.ac.uk 
  +44 (0)1904 326627

• University casual workers 
  casual-payroll@york.ac.uk 
  +44 (0)1904 326645 / +44 (0)1904 326627

• Sarah Parkin, YHEC, STEM, GSA and University of York Pensioners Payroll
  sarah.parkin@york.ac.uk
  +44 (0)1904 322455

• Denise Donovan, University of York Pensioners Payroll
  denise.donovan@york.ac.uk
  +44 (0)1904 326627

How do I contact the HMRC Tax Office?

When contacting the Tax Office with queries always quote the University's tax reference number and your National Insurance number to them. These can be found on your monthly payslip.

You can write to HMRC at the following address:
HM Revenue & Customs
P.A.Y.E.
BX9 1AS

Or telephone them:
Telephone: +44 (0)300 200 3300

What is the University's tax reference number?

The University operates a number of payrolls. You can find the relevant tax reference number on your monthly payslip.

How do I apply for a National Insurance number?

By contacting the Jobcentre Plus NI Allocation helpline on +44 (0)345 600 0643.

Further information about National Insurance numbers and the application process, can be found on the NI number section of the Department of Work and Pensions' (DWP) website (gov.uk).