New Employees: First Month Tasks

Non Portal Tasks & Tips

Where to Complete I-9 Section #2

Main I-9 Office

Administrative & Research Center (ARC) - Monday through Friday, 9 am - 3 pm*
Human Resources, 3rd Floor
3100 Marine Street
Boulder, CO 80309  â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹

Main Campus Location

Regent Administrative Center - Monday through Wednesday, 9 am to 3 pm*
Room 1B28, Basement
2055 Regent Drive
Boulder, CO 80309

What to Bring: The employee should provide acceptable documents to complete the I-9.  

*Appointments are not required.

Employees who are working out of the area or out of state should complete the Remote I-9 Assistance webform to request options for completing section #2 of the I-9 in their current location. All federal timelines still apply. 

For any other questions or issues related to completing the I-9, contact i-9forms@colorado.edu. 

I-9 Employment Eligibility website

How to access: 

    • Access your Office 365 online applications with a combination of your IdentiKey@colorado.edu and IdentiKey password. Please note: only IdentiKey@colorado.edu will work for accessing Office 365 applications, not the common preferred email address format of first.last@colorado.edu. 
    • Access your Google online applications with a combination of your IdentiKey@colorado.edu and IdentiKey password. Please note: only IdentiKey@colorado.edu will work for accessing Google applications, not the common preferred email address format of first.last@colorado.edu. 
    • Tip! When setting up a Google doc, sheet, slide, or form using a Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder account, it will default that individuals it is shared with will need to be logged into to their colorado.edu Google account. This means if you receive a "Request Access" notice when you should have access, you may need to be logged into Google through your Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder account. 
  • Review the Acceptable Use of Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder's IT Resources policy.  

Need IT assistance? Email oithelp@colorado.edu or call 303-735-HELP. 

Your offer letter has a few key pieces of information that will help you with onboarding tasks as you get set-up at Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder. 

  • In the main letter, look for: 
    • Type of appointment: paragraph two, first sentence.
      • Percent of time
      • Employee group: University Staff, Classified Staff, Research Faculty
  • Under Additional Terms & Conditions, look for: 
    • Overtime Eligibility 

My Info & Pay

Log into the    Find drop-down menu on top-center of page   Select My Info & Pay

  • Regular faculty and staff in permanent positions are paid monthly.  We get paid once a month, on the last business day of the month, unless that day falls on a weekend. Then it is the last business Friday. Exact paydates can be found on the  
  • There is a lot of information on your pay advice. Learn how to understand your pay stub on the  

To view your pay advice: 

  1. Log into the .
  2. Open the top, center Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØResources Home dropdown menu, then select My Info and Pay.
  3. Click on the Paychecks tile. Your four most recent paycheck will display by default. To see past paychecks, use the filter button to select your desired dates and press the Done button. 

Direct deposit must set-up by the middle of the month to ensure it is in the system before monthly payroll runs. If there is no direct deposit in the portal when payroll runs, you will receive a paper check mailed to the address we have on file. We recommend getting direct deposit set-up in the MyCUinfo portal as soon as possible. If you start with Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØafter payroll runs for the month, your department HR liaison can let you know when a partial paycheck may be received. In this case, we still recommend setting up Direct Deposit as soon as possible. 

  • How to
  • Set-up your Federal Income Tax withholdings through the MyCUinfo portal. Review the . 
  • If you are out of the country, you will be sent an email from CUIntlTax-noreply@Sprintax.com within two weeks of your start date with instructions on getting your taxes set up accurately. Please reference the for more information and resources. 

Verify and Update Personal Information

Verify and update personal information in the 

  1. Log into the .
  2. Open the top center Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØResources Home drop-down menu, then select My Info and Pay.
  3. Choose the My Info tile.

Information You Can Update Yourself: 

  • Mailing Addresses: Correct home addresses help determine state taxes and up-to-date mailing addresses ensure important documents, such as your W-2, quickly get to you by mail.
  • Contact Details: Make sure you can be reached: Add or update your phone numbers and email addresses.

Verify and update personal information in the 

  1. Log into the .
  2. Ensure you are on the Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØResources (do not go to the Buff Portal if that is an option.)
  3. Open the top center Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØResources Home drop-down menu, then select My Info and Pay.
  4. Choose the My Info tile.
  5. Select Name tab.

Preferred Name: If you have a preferred first name, other than your legal first name you can update it here. View the Preferred Name webpage to learn what impacts making this update has. 

  • Reference this Pronoun Quick Guide
  • How to Update Pronouns via Zoom: Sign in to the Zoom web portal. In the navigation panel, click Profile. On the right side of your name, click Edit. In the Pronouns field, enter your pronouns.
  • How to Update Pronouns via Teams: Select your profile picture in the upper right corner of Teams, then select your name/email address. On your profile card, select + Pronouns or the pronouns listed below your name. To add or change your pronouns, select from the examples (only available in English), or enter your own. To delete, remove your pronouns.

The Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØ is committed to achieving full equal opportunity and affirmative action for all applicants and employees. We are required to collect certain demographic information to meet federal reporting requirements. Learn more about Affirmative Action. You have the ability to voluntarily self-identify in the MyCUinfo portal in the following areas: 

  • Disability Status
  • Veteran Status
  • Race and/or Ethnicity

Please note that this information is used for reporting purposes. The race/ethnicity information will be used for compensation analysis under the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. If you designate a disability and would like to seek accommodation, please contact the ADA office. Selecting a disability in the portal will not trigger the accommodation process and you can identify as having a disability without requiring a workplace accommodation. 

This feature allows employees to self-identify their gender identity, allowing Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØto accurately reflect the diverse makeup of its workforce. CU’s portal features align with federal and state government efforts to expand access to accurate ID documents and documentation. This is voluntary and you can choose to complete it at your discretion. Elections can only be seen by employees who have HCM access to this data, including department HR roles and some individuals in campus HR and IT offices. 

If you would like to update your sex, please reach out to Human Resources. Available sex markers: You can select Male (M), Female (F), or U/X (another gender identity or unspecified) at this time.

How to update

  • Please reach out to Human Resources, hrmail@colorado.edu
  • You must provide a passport or driver's license reflecting your sex. 
  • These selections are deemed Highly Confidential in CU's . Only department HR roles can access this information. Sex selections are sent to insurance vendors as required for appropriate coverage and aggregated for federal reports.

Verify and update personal information in the 

  1. Log into the .
  2. Open the top center Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØResources Home drop-down menu, then select My Info and Pay.
  3. Choose the My Info tile.
  • Emergency Contacts: In the event of an emergency, make sure your contacts can be reached by adding or updating their information.

  Text Alert Preferences: You are opted in automatically. Verify you have a cell phone number on file. If not, change it in the Contact Details tab. 

Verify and update personal information in the 

  1. Log into the .
  2. Ensure you are on the Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØResources (do not go to the Buff Portal if that is an option.)
  3. Open the top center Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØResources Home drop-down menu, then select My Info and Pay.
  4. Choose the My Info tile.

For more information about campus alerts and alert levels reference the  webpage.

Visit Campus Safety to learn more about preparedness and safety resources.

Separate from  students and employees with a Boulder, Colorado residential addresses are automatically opted-in to , the emergency alert messaging system used by Boulder Police, Boulder Fire-Rescue, Boulder County Sheriff's Department and Longmont Department of Public Safety. Employees with residential addresses outside of Boulder can voluntarily opt-in to receive those alerts.

Leave and Time Tracking

  • A large portion of campus uses an application called My Leave for time tracking, but not all departments. 
  • Verify with your supervisor, a colleague or department HR liaison to verify which system you use. 
  • If you use My Leave, we provide an introduction. If you do not use My Leave, please use your department resources. 

How to Determine Your Leave

  1. Review your offer letter to determine your position type and leave eligibility. Are you classified staff, university staff, faculty, research faculty? Is your appointment full-time or part-time? 
  2. Visit the leave webpage to find what kind of leave you are eligible for and accrual information based on your position type.

Vacation & Sick Leave Overview 

Visit the leave webpage for comprehensive leave information.

Classified Staff 

Vacation Leave

Classified employees accrue annual leave based on length of service. Full-time classified employees in years of service one through five accrue 8 hours of vacation/annual leave, for a maximum accrual of 192 hours. 

  • Annual leave is for an employee’s personal needs and use is subject to the approval of the appointing authority.
  • The appointing authority may establish periods when annual leave will not be allowed, or must be taken, based on business necessity.
  • Note: Part-time employees who work regular, non-fluctuating schedules earn a pro-rated amount of leave based on their regular work schedules.

Sick Leave

Full-time employees accrue leave at 6.66 hrs./month, for a maximum accrual of 360 hours (45 days).​

  • Part-time employees will accrue sick leave on a pro-rated basis. 
  • Leave administration for classified employees is governed by the .

University Staff/ Research Faculty/ 12-month Faculty

Vacation Leave

Full-time university staff and faculty on twelve-month appointments are eligible to receive twenty-two (22) working days of paid vacation annually, earned as 14.67 hours per month.

  • Part-time university staff and faculty earn vacation on a prorated basis.
  • Upon approval by the supervisor, vacation may​​ be taken as earned.    
  • The maximum number of hours an employee may accrue is forty-four (44) days, except as indicated in Regent Policy.
  • University staff employees must complete a monthly leave record (timesheets) to document the amount and type of leave taken.

Sick Leave

Per Regent Policy 11.E.  full-time university staff and faculty on twelve-month appointments are eligible to receive fifteen (15) working days (120 hours) of paid sick leave annually, earned as 10 hours per month.

  • Part-time employees will accrue sick leave on a pro-rated basis. 
  • There is no limit on how much sick leave an employee may accrue.
  • Sick leave will be earned upon hire date and accrued at the end of each payroll cycle.

Know your overtime eligibility to track time correctly

Check your offer letter to verify if you are eligible for overtime or not. 

If you are eligible for overtime (non-exempt), you will track:

  • All hours worked
  • Exceptions (accrued leave, requested leave, comp time, overtime, ETC.) 

If you're not eligible for overtime (exempt), you will track: 

  • Exceptions only (accrued leave, requested leave, ETC.)

My Leave can be found in the 

  1. Log into the .
  2. Open the top center Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØResources Home drop-down menu, then select My Info and Pay.
  3. Choose the My Leave tile.

Set-Up Preferences in My Leave as a first time user

 Check with your supervisor or department HR liaisons to verify which time tracking system you use. Many departments use a system called My Leave, but not all. 

  • If you use My Leave, please proceed. 
  • If you do not use My Leave, please work with your supervisor or department HR liaisons on how to get set-up on your time tracking system. 

All employees who use My Leave, including supervisors and approvers, need to set up their preferences in My Leave before they can enter time, request leave or approve timesheets.

Instructions

View the full  pages 2 - 4 for instructions with screen shots. View pages 15 - 19: Setting Up a Flexible (9/80) Work Schedule, if applicable. 

  1. The first time you log into My Leave, the My Leave Preferences page appears with a message containing a link to a step-by-step guide. Click OK to close the message. The My Leave Preferences page appears. You can also find the preferences button at the top of the My Leave page. 
  2. Holiday Schedule: From the Holiday Schedule drop-down list, select the correct holiday schedule for the Boulder campus. If you are employed in a position that is not paid holidays (such as a student), select No Holiday Schedule. 
  3. Click Select Email Notifications. The first time you log into my leave, this button appears. You must click this button in order to save the preferences. The email notification options will display default values.
  4. Select email triggers for which you want to receive notifications, either as an employee or as a supervisor.
  5. From the Overtime/Comp Time Eligible drop-down list, select an option. If you are in a non-exempt position, select whether you receive compensatory time or paid overtime (CompTime). If you are in an exempt position and not eligible for comp or overtime, select Not Applicable. Students will default to Overtime.
  6. In the My Leave Start Date box, type your start date. If you are a new employee, enter your hire date as your start date. This directs My Leave when to start tracking time. If you are a rehired employee, the My Leave start date can be changed to your current rehire date.
  7. Leave the Weekly Schedule drop-down value as Standard Week. 8. From the Week Begin Day drop-down list, select the value as Sunday.
  8. In the scheduling grid, enter your regular schedule by selecting Work Days and Hours for each. You can set up the weekly schedule to reflect the normal hours you work. Setting up the default schedule lets you add time to My Leave using the Add Time button in My Leave Calendar View for a range of dates. If you are approved to work a flexible schedule, see Setting Up a Flexible Work Schedule on page 15 in the . Note: Hours are entered using military time (24-hour clock).
  9. If you do not use your work email regularly, you may want to add your personal email in the CC All Emails To box.
  10. From the email triggers grid, select the activities for which you would like to receive messages, both as an employee and as a supervisor.
  11. Click Save & Return for your changes or additions to take effect. Preferences can be changed at any time if your job information has changed.

My Leave can be found in the 

  1. Log into the .
  2. Open the top center Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØResources Home drop-down menu, then select My Info and Pay.
  3. Choose the My Leave tile.

How to Enter Time

  • If you are eligible for overtime, view the   
    • Pages 6 - 8: Entering Time on Your Calendar
    • Page 10 - Entering All Time Worked - Non-Exempt Employees and Students
  • If you are NOT eligible for overtime, view the   
    • Pages 6 - 8: Entering Time on Your Calendar
    • Page 9:  Entering Exception Time - Exempt Employees

My Leave can be found in the 

  1. Log into the .
  2. Open the top center Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØResources Home drop-down menu, then select My Info and Pay.
  3. Choose the My Leave tile.

Submitting timesheets at the end of the pay period

  • Ask your supervisor or department HR liaison about when timesheets should be submitted. 
  •   pages 11 - 12: Submitting time sheets at the end of the pay period.

Enroll/Waive Benefits

Verify in your offer letter if you are eligible for benefits. Generally, permanent appointments that are 50% or greater are eligible.

Instructions

If you are eligible for benefits, you must choose whether to enroll in or waive your offered benefits within 31 days of your hire date. Some benefits will enroll you automatically if you take no action, so please review all your options. You can easily waive or enroll in your benefits by using the benefits enrollment tool in your . As a new hire, your elections will remain effective for the remainder of the plan year (July 1– June 30).

  • Enroll in or waive your health, vision, dental, and retirement benefits through your . 
  • If your hire date is the first of the month, your coverage will begin immediately, regardless of the date you actually enroll. If your hire date is any other day than the first of the month, your coverage will begin the first of the following month.
  • Join an Employee Services representative for an in-person orientation surrounding pay and benefits. Sessions are generally offered every other Monday from 2:30-4:00 PM in the Administrative & Research Center (ARC) on East Campus in UCB 346. Please use to register! For any questions please contact benefits@cu.edu or 303-860-4200, option 3.

MyCUinfo Portal Tasks: Training

Log into the    Find drop-down menu on top-center of page   Select Training

  Mandatory Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct Training

This training is offered by the Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC). Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder requires all employees (faculty, staff, and student staff) and affiliates to complete the required OIEC training on Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct every three years after initial completion when new to the Boulder campus. Some departments require employees to complete the training more frequently.

Instructions: Select the Boulder campus and after logging in, the course will automatically load in a separate window. The course title is "Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct, Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder and System." After successfully passing the course, it takes approximately 3 business days for the score to be reflected in an employee’s training record.

Direct Course Link: 

CU: Information Security Awareness

This 30-minute course will provide an overview of information security principles and will address the key security behaviors that will protect data for individuals and the institution.

In this course you will learn how to: 

  • Determine the sensitivity of data for special handling.
  • Recognize and report phishing scams.
  • Choose strong credentials for logging into your accounts.
  • Protect data on portable devices.
  • Recognize signs of an insider threat.

Training requirements: This training is required to be taken by all Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØemployees within 60 days of hire and every two years after their first completion. 

Instructions: Select the Boulder campus and after logging in, the course will automatically load in a separate window. 

Access Based Training

Check with your supervisor or department HR liaisons about applications or systems access (e.g. CU-SIS, HCM, Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØFinance, CU-Data, Marketplace) you need access to for your role:

  • Visit the to understand training requirements to request access.
  • Common Systems:

Campus Security Authority Training

For those designated as a Campus Security Authority - Designated in the Offer Letter

 training is required for all campus security authorities, including Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØfaculty and staff members with significant responsibility for student and campus activities. It focuses on learning the crime-reporting requirements under the Clery Act. The Clery Act requires gathering crime data from a wide variety of campus security authorities (CSA) and publishing it to ensure students know about dangers on campus.

New Employee Welcome Experience

At the New Employee Welcome Experience, participants will:

  • Gain knowledge of the history and present-day operations of Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder
  • Connect with other new Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder employees
  • Begin to build affinity with Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder

Who Should Attend

Due to limited capacity, this program is offered to new, permanent employees.

  • Ideally, hires in their first few months of employment, however, the program is designed for hires to attend within their first year at Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder
  • Rehires that have been away for three or more years
  • Student employees who are hired into permanent staff or faculty positions 
  • Temporary employees who are hired into permanent staff or faculty positions

What to Expect

The program starts and ends at the University Memorial Center (UMC). The session includes: 

  • An overview of Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder and the Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØSystem, including the history of the university and campus leadership
  • Visits to the Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØArt Museum and Heritage Center
  • Lunch provided by our partners at Elevations Credit Union
  • Campus historical and operational tour
  • Executive leader meet and greet

Participants should be prepared to: 

  • Walk/travel about 2.25 miles total. If you require an accommodation, please let us know by contacting newatcu@colorado.edu by the close of business one week prior to the session and we will follow up with you to determine an accommodation to meet your needs.
  • Be outdoors in the elements for most of the tour. 

Upcoming 2025 Sessions

Location: University Memorial Center (UMC)

Time: 9:00 am to 3:30 pm

  • January 15 (UMC 386)
  • January 29 (UMC 247)
  • February 14 (CASE E351)
  • February 26 (UMC 247)

 

What is Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØDiscover?

The Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØDiscover webinars are a component of the comprehensive, year-long onboarding program offered to new employees at Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder. They are free one-hour Zoom webinars facilitated by campus partners who present on topics that explain many facets unique to higher education and Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder. Topics include: Tuition Assistance Benefit, What makes Higher Education Unique, Academic Traditions, Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder Benefits & Perks, just to name a few!

By attending the Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØDiscover webinars, participants will:

  • Meet and connect with fellow new employees throughout the first year of employment at Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder
  • Learn about what makes working in Higher Ed and at Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder unique
  • Explore topics and places on campus that enhance their personal employment experience

The Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØDiscover webinars are below; click the link to sign up! Contact newatcu@colorado.edu if you have any questions. 

Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØDiscover Webinars