Important Information About Your 2026 Benefits Deductions

You may have noticed that benefit deductions did not come out of your Jan. 30 paycheck. This does not mean that you don’t have benefits.

Benefit premiums for 2026 are calculated to be deducted out of 24 pay periods, instead of 27. As a result, you will have 3 paychecks this year in 2026 (compared to 2 in 2025) where no benefit premiums will be deducted from your pay. Your Jan. 30 paycheck reflects the first of 3 pay periods in 2026 where benefit premiums are not deducted. Your July 31 and Dec. 31 paychecks will be the second and third paychecks for 2026 where no benefit premiums will be deducted from your pay. 

This happens because benefit premiums come out of 2 paychecks per month. On the months there are 3 paychecks, like this month and in July and December, benefit premiums will not be deducted from the third check.

There are two exceptions when deductions occur over 27 pay periods:

• If you participate in the 403b/401k savings plan or are enrolled in Flexible Spending Accounts, those deductions will come out of 27 pay periods.
• If you are paying arrears payments from being away from work, those deductions will come out of 27 pay periods. 

Refer to the chart below to see what benefits are taken out of which pay checks.

Your July 31 paycheck will be the next paycheck that doesn't have benefit premiums deducted.