California State Payroll System (CSPS) Project

The State of California has embarked on a multiyear endeavor to modernize the State’s human resources and payroll systems. The CSPS Project will modernize the human resource management, travel advance and expense management, and payroll systems used by approximately 300,000 state government employees in order to provide accurate and timely personnel and payroll service with quality customer service.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the goals of the CSPS Project?

The CSPS Project aims to make the State's payroll and personnel processes more efficient and productive by introducing new technology and streamlined procedures. We plan to achieve these objectives by automating manual tasks, implementing automated workflows, enhancing transaction validation and reporting, and improving the flow of information.

What role does CalHR have on the CSPS Project?

The Department of Human Resources (CalHR) and the State Controller's Office (SCO) are partners on the CSPS Project. CalHR represents the Administration in all matters of the project to ensure the new CSPS applies human resources requirements set by laws, regulations and bargaining agreements.

What major changes are coming with CSPS?

CSPS will bring biweekly pay to all State employees. As part of creating a modern payroll system, the State chose the biweekly payroll cycle because it can accommodate the wide range of State employee classifications and work weeks. Biweekly pay provides the most consistent accelerated pay frequency for State employees. Also, private sector companies and other public organizations use the biweekly payroll frequency. The switch will give the State a recruitment advantage in the future.

Can I opt-out of biweekly pay?

There will be no option to "opt-out." All employees must be on the same payroll cycle. This is to achieve the highest cost-effectiveness and efficiency in operating CSPS. The earliest implementation is still years away. CalHR and our labor partners will keep informing and educating employees on the need, impact, and implementation specifics as we move forward.

How will the State support employees through this transition?

We understand that switching to biweekly pay might cause some challenges for some of our employees and their families. Right now, we're planning the tools, resources and support we’ll use to help our workforce during this transition. We have some existing tools on financial planning and education. These are available through the State Employee Assistance Program and the Savings Plus Program. Making sure the change goes smoothly is important for both the success of the project and the well-being of our employees. We're working hard to make this process as easy as possible for everyone.

Isn’t this change a waste of money since it will ultimately cost the State more in personnel, having to now run 26 payroll cycles versus 12?

No, it might seem like there will be more pay cycles, but there won't be. The State already runs 24 main pay cycles each year – 12 for regular pay and 12 for overtime. Because regular pay is currently processed only once a month, several off-cycle payroll runs also happen each month. With biweekly pay, regular and overtime pay will be combined on the same check, so the State will only need 26 pay cycles a year.

Plus, the new payroll system will include many automations that will streamline payroll and timekeeping. For example, departments that currently use paper timesheets and manual time entry will switch to fully electronic timesheets. Once employees enter their time and it’s approved by their manager, the system will handle the rest automatically.

When will CSPS be implemented?

Visit the State Controller's Office CSPS project timeline web page for the most up to date information on project timing.

For more project information including general CSPS frequently asked questions, look here:

Please review the State Controller's Office CSPS FAQs.

Additional Resources

State Controller's Office CSPS Web Page

State Employee Assistance Program

Savings Plus Financial Education

Civil Service Pay Scales

Updated: 10/1/2024

Link Back to Top