Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs for Employees & Managers

UCPath determines the dependent's relationship to the employee based on the selections entered and populates the relationship description, e.g., Family, Child EE Biological/Adopted, Grandchild EE/SP/DP;EE TxDp.

The abbreviation coverage codes at the end of the relationship description refer to no imputed or imputed income. For example, Family (NA+FC) would mean no-imputed income adult + federal imputed income child. Any dependents you enroll who are NOT your tax-dependents would be subject to imputed income.

Abbreviation Coverage Codes

• IC means imputed income child.

• IA means imputed income adult.

• FA means Federal imputed income adult.

• FC means Federal imputed income child.

• NA means no imputed income adult.

• NC means no imputed income child.

FAQ also listed in UCPath Resource Center

 No, only one benefit event can happen at a time per day. If a life event is open, the life event for the current year must be closed before submitting open enrollment elections for next year.

UCPath Online is used for benefits enrollment, usually during the Open Enrollment period each fall, or due to a qualifying life event. 

Employees may also call the UCPath Center if they have questions about their benefits or the enrollment process.

No, international phone numbers can not be added as business phone numbers.

No. Business Phones added to the Campus Directory do not get sent to UCPath or People Cards. In order to ensure compliance, business phones need to be added to People Cards which feed to UCPath overnight. Employees who want their business phone displayed in the Campus Directory must add it there separately. 

No. Employees must enter their phone number separately in the Campus Directory if they want it to be publicly displayed.

Phone numbers added to People Cards will be available and visible in UCPath the next day.

If a represented employee uses a personal phone or mobile phone for work purposes, that number is considered their business phone number and must be provided to avoid fines.

Employees assigned a virtual phone (Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) such as Avaya Workplace VoIP) may include that as their business phone number.

Business phone numbers entered into People Cards will be sent to UCPath and be visible to you, your manager, and HR transactors on campus and at the UCPath Center. Your personal phone number should be included as a business phone number if you use it for business purposes.

If a represented employee's location and business phone number change frequently, the employee or manager must update their phone number in People Cards to ensure the most current information is captured in UCPath for Union Reporting. For represented employees who don’t have an assigned desk phone or business phone number, use the phone number where they work most often or "check-in." If they use their personal phone for work, that number must be provided as their business phone. If none of the above apply, use the phone number of the department’s administrative office. For those who choose not to use personal phones for work, assign a VoIP number, such as Avaya Workplace VoIP, accessible via desktop or mobile app.

For represented employees who don’t have an assigned desk phone or business phone number, use the phone number where they work most often or "check-in." If they use their personal phone for work, that number must be provided as their business phone. If none of the above apply, use the phone number of the department’s administrative office. For those who choose not to use personal phones for work, assign a VoIP number, such as Avaya Workplace VoIP, accessible via desktop or mobile app.

To update your business phone number, please follow these steps:

• Log in to your People Cards profile: https://portal.berkeley.edu/people

• Click the pencil icon near your business phone number to edit.

• Enter your updated business phone number using a 10-digit format (xxx-xxx-xxxx). Please no international phone numbers

• Save your changes.

For non-represented employees, student workers, contingent workers, or affiliates, adding a business phone number is strongly encouraged but not required.

While adding business phone numbers in People Cards is strongly encouraged for all employees, it is required for represented employees in order for the University to be compliant with the requirements set forth in Government Code §3558 (enacted by AB-119 and amended by SB-270).

Non-relevant notices and pages have been removed from the portal to ensure that former employees only see information pertinent to their needs.

If you encounter any issues logging in, ensure you are using your UCPath EMPL ID and have completed the multi-factor authentication process. If problems persist, contact the UCPath support team for assistance. UCPath Phone Service - (855) 982-7284 | Monday - Friday, 8AM-5PM or email them at ucpath@universityofcalifornia.edu 

Yes, the new portal is designed to be mobile-friendly, allowing former employees to access their information conveniently from a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

You can access essential payroll and tax information, such as W-2 forms and pay stubs, for three years following your separation from the university.

Former employees will log in using their UCPath EMPL ID instead of the last four digits of their social security number.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security feature that provides an extra layer of protection by requiring users to verify their identity using more than one method. MFA replaces existing security questions, ensuring that access to the portal is more secure and less susceptible to unauthorized access.

The redesigned portal includes features relevant only to former employees, an intuitive experience, enhanced security with multi-factor authentication, and a mobile-friendly interface.

The Former Employee Portal is a streamlined platform designed to provide separated University of California employees with access to essential payroll and tax information for three years following their most recent separation from the university.

Managers should contact their Region with any questions.

No, lived name will not be captured for dependents.

Some of the following pages are only visible to employees, some that are visible to location transactions, and some pages that are visible only to UCPath Center may still show legal name.

• UCPath Pages:

  • Job Data

  • Modify a Person

  • Workforce Job Summary

  • General Deduction Entry Update

  • Review Paycheck

  • Review Paycheck Summary

  • CA State - W4

  • Federal Withholding

  • Add Dependent

  • Admin Verification of Employment

  • Search for People (Search/Match)

• Documents:

• W-2, W-4, Paycheck

• Employment Verification Form

• Explanation of Benefits document (not the email but the actual attachment)

• State Agency Prior Service Form

Refer to  List of Updated UCPath Online Pages for more information.

The new Name field will accept some special characters (such as hyphens.) Refer to the list of allowed special characters for details.

(Apologies to the artist formerly known as Prince.)

No, there is no approval required to change lived name. Changes to your self-chosen name will be reflected in the system immediately.

Changing a legal name does require approval through UCPath.

No, a change in legal name will not change the lived name. Once a legal name is updated, the lived name cannot be changed until the legal name change is approved.

There is no limit to the number of times an employee can change their self-chosen name.

Take the following steps to update Legal Name in UCPath:

1. Log into https://ucpath.universityofcalifornia.edu

2. In the left panel, select Employee Actions > Personal Information > Personal Information Summary

3. Click the downward arrow in the Legal Name/Name section

4. Click on your name

5. In the top right, click on the gray Edit Legal Name/Name button

6. Update the Legal name fields in the Upper 'Legal Name' section

7. Click Okay

8. Click Submit

Changing a legal name requires approval through UCPath. (Note this change can take a little more time than changing lived name and if changing both, it’s recommended to change lived name first.)

Once a legal name is updated, no other changes can be submitted until the legal name change is approved. (e.g. the lived name cannot be changed while the legal name change is pending)

The Campus Directory pulls information from the Name fields in UCPath, which includes your Lived First, Middle, and Last Name. Lived Name is the name you commonly use and may differ from your legal first, middle, or last name. If you do not commonly use your middle name in communications, you will need to update your lived name in UCPath to remove it from downstream systems.

If you have not added a lived name in UCPath, your Legal Name fields were automatically copied over. 

Employees can take the following steps to update their lived name in UCPath:

1. Log into https://ucpath.universityofcalifornia.edu

2. In the left panel, select Employee Actions > Personal Information > Personal Information Summary

3. Click the downward arrow in the Legal Name/Name section

4. Click on your name

5. In the top right, click on the gray Edit Legal Name/Name button

6. Update the lived name fields in the lower 'Name' section

   1. If you do not commonly use your middle name in communications, you may remove it in the lower ‘Name’ section.

7. Click Okay

8. Click Submit 

Contingent Workers (CWRs) and Persons of Interest (POIs) such as Academic Prehires & Retirees cannot update their names in UCPath Online and will need to contact their Region or UCPath Center for assistance with submitting a Personal Data Change Template.

UCPath will be the source system by which employees (faculty, staff, and student employees), affiliates, or volunteers can change their legal name and lived nameIf you currently use a name that is different than your legal first, legal middle, and/or legal last name in the Directory, your email, or other campus system, it will need to be updated in theUCPath Portalfirst

Visit Managing your name and data and How do I change my name? for more information.

Take the following steps to update a lived name in UCPath:

1. Log into https://ucpath.universityofcalifornia.edu

2. In the left panel, select Employee Actions > Personal Information > Personal Information Summary

3. Click the downward arrow in the Legal Name/Name section

4. Click on your name

5. In the top right, click on the gray Edit Legal Name/Name button

6. Update the lived name fields in the lower 'Name' section

   1. If you do not commonly use your middle name in communications, you may also remove it in the lower ‘Name’ section.

7. Click Okay

8. Click Submit 

From there, you can double-check that your name is updated by returning to Legal Name/Name and clicking Edit Legal Name/Name. You should see your Name changes.

Contingent Workers (CWRs) and Persons of Interest (POIs) such as Academic Prehires & Retirees cannot update their names in UCPath Online and will need to contact their Region for assistance with submitting a Personal Data Change Template.

UCPath identifies legal name fields with the label ‘Legal’ (ex. Legal Name, Legal Last Name, etc.). Fields containing lived name information are simply identified as Name (without the ‘Legal’ prefix) - for example: Name, Last Name. 

Legal Name Fields

• Legal Name

• Legal First Name

• Legal Middle Name

• Legal Last Name

Lived Name Fields

• Name

• First Name

• Middle Name

• Last Name

Lived Name is the name a person commonly uses and may differ from their legal first, middle, or last name. If an employee has not added a Lived Name in UCPath, their Legal Name fields are automatically copied over into the Name fields.

CalAnswers:

A Position Location Report is available in Cal Answers which combines the complete set of Location table information and the Cubicle field.

It is available under Workforce Detail > Position Management.

Cognos:

A Cognos Report, “R-272 Employee Roster” shows Location Code and Location Description, but doesn't have the cubicle field.

Using multi-headcount positions in the UCPath System is strongly discouraged.

Furthermore, represented employees can't be in multi-headcount positions due to the reporting implications when sending data from UCPath to the unions.

If the employee is unrepresented, cubicle and room/suite information can be differentiated in each employee's job data; however, the location information on the position (building & floor) has to be the same for all incumbents, otherwise, split into separate positions and update each accordingly.

If an employee is working remotely three or more days each week, select from the following location codes:

Telecommunite / WFH 3+ Days

• In this situation, the employee works on campus a few days each week but works from home more often than they work on campus

100%Remote

• Employee works remotely 100% and is never expected to work or set foot on UC property

If the employee is working from home less than 50%, and therefore is on campus more than they work remotely, then select the location where they will be working on campus as their primary work location.

The “cubicle” field on the mass hire template allows 15 characters (similar to the other hire templates) but does not allow spaces, hyphens, or other special characters.

For more information on Mass PayPath files, please review the PayPath section on the Berkeley UCPath Training Page.

Please use this form to request a new location code, modify a location code, or update a department's default location code. 

Requesting a New Location Code

If you cannot find a Location Code that corresponds to a Building/Address and Floor used by represented employees in your Department, please complete the form above to request the creation of a new location code, and the Berkeley UCPath Ops Team will submit the request to UCPath Center. The Ops team will notify the submitter once the new code is available for use on Positions.

Update a Department's Default Location Code

Department representatives should review their Departmental Default Location to make sure it is correct.

Departmental Default Locations
If the default location for your department needs to be changed, please click the link above and complete the form.

The Berkeley UCPath Ops Team will submit changes to UCPath Center to update the Location Code associated with your department. The Ops team will confirm with the submitter once the changes have been carried out in UCPath.

Each Department has a default Location Code associated with it. The default Location Code should correspond to the administrative or mailing address of the Department.

When a new Position is created, and the Department ID is entered, the Location Code will auto-populate with the Department's default Location Code.

This Code can be changed on the Position record to correspond to a code that more accurately reflects the location of the incumbent in that Position. This change can be entered on Position through Position Control, Paypath, or Mass Paypath. The cubicle field must be entered in Job Data through the Smart HR Template or PayPath.

When an employee's location changes, a PayPath transaction needs to be entered to update their location in the system with the corrected location, suite, and cubicle as applicable. 

If they work in several places for the same job (i.e., Position #) then use the location code that corresponds to where they work most often.

• Graduate student (GSI/GSR/GSE): the departmental administrative office should be used as their work location unless they work in a specific lab. 
• Lecturer: The departmental administrative office should be listed as their work location unless they have an office. 
• Grounds/Facilities: If the employee doesn't have a specific location where they regularly work, use the location code where they work most often or where the employee "checks in." Otherwise, use the Departmental Default location. 

The Location Code is a required field on all Positions in UCPath. Each position's department has a default location code (where their main office is located) but this can be overridden as needed so it reflects the position's true work location in UCPath. 

Location Code + Suite or Cubicle Field (if applicable) = Work Location
UCPath has additional fields to augment the Location Code data with more specific information that can include the room or suite number and cubicle—if applicable.

The University reports the work location of represented employees to unions based on a combination of the Location Code on their Position record, and the data entered in the Cubicle field on the Job record.

If the Location Code on the incumbent's Position is incorrect (Building/Address and/or Floor are wrong), the Position will need to be updated with the correct Location Code. Review this list of location codes to verify or update an employee's Location Code data.

Location Code Table

If the cubicle field needs to be updated to indicate the correct cubicle, room, or suite number, it can be added through the Smart HR Templates or PayPath on Job data.

The Cubicle field is 15 characters long. When entering room or cubicle number, use the structure: RM #### CB ####

All employees were issued new ID numbers with UCPath implementation in March 2019. You can find your employee ID in the top left corner of the UCPath dashboard when you log in to UCPath Online. 

You can also use the CalNet Account Manager to view ID numbers for other systems. Access the CalNet Account Manager by visiting mycalnet.berkeley.edu and logging in using the link in the top right corner. The CalNet Account Manager home screen will display a "My ID's" field, which will include your UCPath employee ID (main employee ID), your HCM ID (former employee ID), and your Campus Solutions ID (if applicable).

Please note that if you have not been employed with UC since January 2019, you must contact the Records Management(link is external) team for past employment verification.

Current employees (or those who departed UC after January 2019) should log in to UCPath and select "Income & Taxes" from the menu, then select "Verification of Employment

If you are applying for a loan, an apartment or job, your employment verifier (e.g. bank, leasing agent, or employer) accesses your employment information through The Work Number website. Instructions are detailed in the Verification of Employment page. The UCPath Center is currently preparing a self-generating letter on UCPath Online similar to what’s available in AYSO today.

Employees can access UCPath from any computer, tablet or smartphone, using CalNet authentication and Duo verification. There are also Kiosk Workstations available around campus for employees who do not have their own computer. 

If you believe there is an error in your pay, use your Berkeley Regional Services channel to report the issue right away. The sooner you report an issue, the more quickly it can be resolved. 

If you are unsure which service region your unit belongs to, you can Find Your Region here. BAMPFA, Cal Performances, and International House (I-House) employees should contact their local HR team.

Check that your home address in UCPath Online is correct, and contact the UCPath Center if paper paychecks are not received after 2 business days from the pay date. The UCPath Center may place a stop on the check and reissue where appropriate.

You can view the Payroll Calendar for both biweekly and monthly pay cycles in UCPath Online under Quicklinks > Payroll Calendars & Schedules > Payroll Calendar.

Paychecks are available in UCPath Online for a rolling 18 months. 

Yes, you can elect up to three (3) Direct Deposit accounts at different financial institutions. Note that only one change may be made to direct deposit information per 24 hour period. 

Student workers should ensure their local address is listed as their home address in UCPath Online, because the home address is where paychecks will be mailed if a student employee is not enrolled in direct deposit. Student employees are highly encouraged to sign up for direct deposit.

If you have multiple jobs with the same earnings code but different pay rates, the earnings code appears on the pay stub with one line per pay rate. For example, if you work three jobs that all pay REG earnings, but each job is a different pay rate, three lines will appear on the pay stub in the earnings section.However, if you work three jobs that all pay REG earnings at the same pay rate, only one line appears in the earnings section with all hours on that one line.

Yes, the benefits deduction holidays are in the Payroll Calendar inside UCPath. You can navigate to it in UCPath Online: Quicklinks > Payroll Calendars & Schedules > Payroll Calendars.

• If you do not see pronouns listed for your direct reports it could be that they have not selected a value yet, or that they have selected “My pronouns are not listed” or “Decline to State.”

• It’s ok to ask your direct reports what pronouns they use. 
• In the meantime, do not assume your direct report’s pronouns. Instead, use your direct report’s name when referring to your direct report. You can also look at other sources where pronouns may be listed, like in your direct report’s email signature.

When viewing employee information on the Manager Self-Service pages, your employees’ pronouns will be displayed in parentheses to the right of their name. 

If your employee has not entered their pronouns, pronouns will not display. Please note, there are two pronoun options that do not display: 

• My pronouns are not listed

• Decline to State

If you see no pronoun value displayed for one of your employees, it could be that they have not selected a value yet, or that they have selected one of the two above options. 

As of July 15th, when you next log in to UCPath, you will be prompted to confirm your gender identity and sexual orientation values and to select your pronouns. As you navigate through these three pages, you will find there is no option to return to a previous page. If you need to go back to a previous page, you have two options: 

1. Log out of UCPath, and log back in. You will be prompted to review these three pages from the start.
2. Continue through all three pages and complete your selections. Once completed, you can then go back to the Self-Identification Details page and change your values. Please see “How do I update my pronouns in UCPath?” for more details. 

• There is an option labeled ‘My pronouns are not listed’. Please note, that if you select this value, your pronouns will display as blank. 

• If you would like to request a new set of pronouns be added to the drop-down list, please contact GRLN@berkeley.edu

Faculty and Staff:

UCPath is the main source of pronoun information for staff and faculty. These pronouns will be used in downstream systems, including the campus directory. Most UCB local systems will display pronouns as set in UCPath. If there is a discrepancy, contact the system administrator. To edit your campus directory display settings, log in to: https://bpr.calnet.berkeley.edu/account-manager/directoryUpdate

Student Employees: 

Enter your pronouns in CalCentral, as these will take precedence over UCPath for downstream systems like the campus directory. To ensure consistency, we recommend entering the same pronouns in both CalCentral and UCPath.

In the Employee Self-Service dashboard, your pronouns are shown in parentheses under your name in the top left corner. Note that Transactor or inquiry users in UCPath will see your pronouns when hovering over your name at the top of select UCPath pages. 

1. Log into https://ucpath.universityofcalifornia.edu

2. Click Employee Actions > Personal Information > Self Identification Details

3. Select your Self Identification Details record

4. Click the magnifying glass to the right of the Pronouns field to select your pronoun. 

If you have questions about the options available, please click the blue ‘i’ icon to the right of the Pronouns field to see the definition of each pronoun option. 

5. Click the black ‘Save’ button in the top right corner. (You may close this browser tab now.)

UCPath does not have retirement information. Retirement information and resources can be found in: 

• myUCretirement.com
• UC Retirement at Your Service (UCRAYS)
• Fidelity NetBenefits
• UC Retirement Administration Service Center (RASC)
• At Your Service Online (AYSO)

Retirees are not impacted by UCPath. Retirees still access their information from At Your Service Online (AYSO).

For each year that you were enrolled to receive your W-2/W-2c electronically, you will be able to view the document in UCPath Online. Navigate to Employee Actions > Income and Taxes > View Online W-2/W-2C.

Please note that W-2s from 2019 and prior years can be found in At Your Service Online (AYSO) if you were enrolled to receive the form electronically.

Visit UCPath and click on Employee Actions > Income and Taxes>Enroll to Receive Online W-2

• Verify your current status. If your current status says CONSENT RECEIVED, then you do not have to do anything – you are already enrolled.

• If your current status is blank, then you must follow the directions on the screen to sign up.

• Check that your email address is up-to-date.

Once you’ve signed up, all notifications about your W-2/W-2c will be sent to your preferred email address on file in the UCPath system.

Whether in UCPath Online or in AYSO, W-2's are kept online for 3 years.

Unlike the W-2 form, 1095 forms are for your information and records only. Read more about the IRS 1095 Forms.

UC Berkeley employees will receive printed copies via U.S. mail. Online access is not available through UCPath. You may receive an additional 1095-B form directly from your health care provider. 

Please note that 1095s from 2019 and prior years can be found in At Your Service Online (AYSO) if you were enrolled to receive your W-2 form electronically.

In UCPath, the deparment code is a series of letters which identifies a given department (ex: KNBAM). 

The Dept ID is numerical digits, which are part of the chart string, identifying the associated department (ex: 37250).

The UCPath Center (UCPC), is the processing center for the UC system, based in Riverside, CA. It is where payroll, benefits and human resources information is processed for all UC campuses and medical centers.

UCPC staff provide support and are available Monday – Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM (excluding UC holidays). UCPC can be reached by phone 855-982-7284 or by clicking "Ask the UCPath Center" button in the top right hand corner of UCPath.

The UCPath Center provides services to support payroll and benefits processing, such as:

• Executing/managing the payroll compute and employee payment functions
• System wide payroll related benefits interactions (e.g., processing payments for healthcare vendors)
• Tax processing
• Garnishment processing
• Employment/income verification

Yes, the UCPath Center has staff who can assist employees in Spanish and other languages. The UCPath Center also partners with the interpreter service Language Line Solutions, servicing 240+ languages and is available on-demand.

Yes, in part. Employees will continue to access AYSO for their personal retirement information, to update beneficiaries, and to access previous years W-2 and other historical information. All personal and employment information from March 2019 and forward can be found in UCPath Online.

UCPath Online uses CalNet authentication. You will need to use DUO the first time you log in, at which time you can set DUO to remember your device for 30 days. 

Pay statements are available on UCPath Online 1-2 days before pay day.

Sick, Vacation, Comp time, and Sabbatical are all reflected in UCPath Online. 

Service Months can be found when you click "View Leave Balances" from the dashboard. Service Months refer to your employment service credit (your current instance of employment at UC Berkeley). Your Service Months are used to determine your vacation accrual rate.

If you worked at a different UC location before UCPath was implemented, that service will not be reflected in UCPath (although all service at UC locations will count towards your retirement service credit - contact Retirement Administration Service Center (https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/contacts/rasc.html) at (800) 888-8267 for information on your retirement service credit). 

Managers can view employee contact address, phone number, email address, emergency contact information, and compensation. 

Information entered into UCPath Online is instantly recorded in the UCPath system. It takes approximately one to two days to communicate the update with other systems connected to UCPath. UC Berkeley systems that receive data from the UCPath system may take one or two days to reflect the change, and external systems may take longer.

For example, if you add a direct deposit account, it will be saved in UCPath instantly, but you will only begin receiving direct deposit once UCPath has been able to verify the account with your banking institution. 

New employees can access UCPath as soon as they have set up their CalNet ID.

Retired staff and employees who leave UC Berkeley after UCPath was implemented (March 2019) will have access to their historical information (paychecks, W-2s, etc.) and will be given access that does not require CalNet authentication. Employees who retired prior to March 2019 can view historical information in At Your Service Online (AYSO).

If you accidentally select a campus other than UC Berkeley from the UCPath Online campus list (see below), you may get stuck on the other campus' login page. To get back to the list of campuses, you will need to clear your browser cookies and reopen your browser. 

If you are still unable to login to UCPath, please submit a ServiceNow ticket.

UCPath is the University of California’s single payroll, benefits, human resources, and academic personnel solution for all UC campuses and medical centers. UCPath replaced UC’s 35-year-old payroll personnel system (PPS) and updated HCM, standardizing and streamlining payroll and HR processes system-wide. As of July 2020, UCPath serves all 230,000 employees of the University of California at all ten campuses, five medical centers, UC Office of the President, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Hastings College of the Law and the Associated Students of UCLA.

Read more about the systemwide UCPath Project.

UCPath Online is the online portal that UC employees use to access to their personal employment information, including paychecks and benefits enrollment.

UCPath Online also allows managers to view some information about their direct reports.

UCPath = UC Payroll, Academic Personnel, Timekeeping & Human Resources

Yes. You will enter your time and any leave in CalTime, and it will not be reflected in UCPath until after your payroll is processed (biweekly or monthly). 

You can find your earned sabbatical credit in UCPath Online under Leave Balances. 

You can also review the Review My Leave Balances (With Sabbatical Credit) guide for more information.