Total Compensation Statement FAQ
Below you will find our most frequently asked questions and answers. If you have questions not listed in the FAQ, please submit a help ticket.
General
What is the Total Compensation Statement (TCS)?
The Total Compensation Statement (TCS) is an online statement that summarizes the total value of your compensation from Stanford, including health and retirement plans, tuition and training programs, paid time off and other benefits.
Why would I use the Total Compensation Statement (TCS)?
You may find the TCS useful for several reasons:
- Personalized Statement - The TCS is based on your year-to-date compensation and the benefits you currently use
- Consolidated Program Overview - In addition to the benefits you currently use, the TCS also provides information on other programs, services and plans you may not be using, but may want to take advantage of in the future
- One Convenient Location - You may visit various websites and peruse printed statements to find the value of your earnings, medical and life plans, retirement savings and other benefits, but it may take some time. The TCS aggregates all of these data points so you can see your personalized TCS in one convenient online destination.
How do I access my statement?
Using your SUNet ID and password, you may view your personalized TCS by logging into: Axess.
NOTE
The statement is available to benefits-eligible employees and is updated quarterly, so if you are new to the university, depending on your hire date, your statement may not be available until the next quarterly refresh.
How often is my statement updated?
The online TCS is updated quarterly. Data for each quarter will be available approximately 30 days after the close of the quarter. For example, the fourth quarter (October through December) statement will be available by January 30.
Data Sources
How can I validate the data in my statement?
Stanford worked with various business units on campus to aggregate data so you wouldn’t have to. To validate the data, use the information:
TOTAL COMPENSATION STATEMENT DATA: Earnings (Salary, Base Pay, Bonus)
WEBSITE: Axess
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Year-to-Date Total Compensation
- To calculate your year-to-date compensation, view your last paycheck received during the calendar month (e.g. the second paycheck of the month posted on 19th through 21st).
- View annual salary or hourly rate and to calculate year-to-date earnings
- Salary / Base Pay: Locate the ‘General’ section, then the ‘Pay Rate’ field to identify your annual salary or hourly rate
- Year-to-date Earnings: Locate the ‘Earnings’ section, then the ‘Salary’ field to identify the number to use to calculate the amount
- View annual salary or hourly rate and to calculate year-to-date earnings
TOTAL COMPENSATION STATEMENT DATA: Health & Life Benefits
WEBSITE: My Benefits
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Log into My Benefits
- View health and life benefits contributions
TOTAL COMPENSATION STATEMENT DATA: Retirement Savings
WEBSITES:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: View your retirement benefits
TOTAL COMPENSATION STATEMENT DATA: Vacation & Time Off
WEBSITE: Axess
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- ‘My Timecard and Leave Balances’ section of the ‘Employee’ tab.
- ‘My Pay Statements’ by downloading your most recent pay statement. The vacation/other leave balances are located at the bottom of the statement.
First, determine your daily compensation rate:
- Salaried employees: Divide your annual salary by 260 days
- Hourly employees: Multiple your hourly rate by 8 hours
Next, multiple your daily compensation rate by the number of days of leave time that you receive annually:
- Vacation: To determine the number of vacation days granted to you annually based upon your current years of service and type of job, please refer to the Admin Guide Memo 2.1.6.
- Personal Time Off (PTO): 3 days
- Holiday & Floating Holiday: 11 days
Note: Part-time employees should also adjust these values by their FTE.
Other Benefits
- BeWell: BeWell incentive payouts are recorded under the ‘Hours and Earnings’ section on your pay statement. You may download your pay statement in Axess.
- WorkLife programs: Information regarding the Adoption Assistance Program, Faculty Childcare Assistance Program or the Child Care Subsidy Grant (CCSG), program guidelines and application information may be obtained from the WorkLife Office.
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) questions regarding your account balance and how to file reimbursement claims. For information on FSA, contact Fidelity at 888-793-8733.
- Tuition & Training Assistance Programs: For information on the Tuition Grant Program (TGP), the Staff Training Assistance Program (STAP) or the Staff Tuition Reimbursement Program (STRP) contact the University HR Service Team. Payments made directly to you are summarized in the ‘Hours and Earnings’ section of your pay statement.
- Payments made directly to you are summarized in the ‘Hours and Earnings’ section of your pay statement. Download your pay statement in Axess.
- Contact the University HR Service Team.
Why doesn't my W-2 Wage and Tax Statement agree with the Earnings amount under "My 2017 Total Compensation"?
The Earnings shown on your Total Compensation Statement will generally be higher than your W-2 federal taxable earnings. That’s because any before-tax benefit contributions you made are subtracted out of your gross taxable earnings for the purpose of W-2 tax reporting. For example, Stanford retirement plan contributions, medical/dental/vision premiums, and Health Care Savings account or Flexible Spending Account contributions are all made with before-tax dollars. Hence, they reduce your W-2 earnings.
You can derive both earnings numbers from the last Stanford pay statement of the year by using the following steps:
- On your W-2 statement, Box 1 “Wages, tips, other compensation” figure
- Start with the second December pay statement, “Hours and Earnings,” YTD column total
- Subtract “Before-Tax Deductions,” YTD column total
- Equals your “Fed Taxable Gross” on the pay statement, which matches Box 1 on your W-2
- On your Total Compensation Statement, “My 2017 Total Compensation,” Earnings figure
- Start with the second December pay statement, “Hours and Earnings,” YTD column total
- Subtract any “Bonus” amounts shown in the YTD Earnings column
- Subtract any “Other Payments” amounts shown in the YTD Earnings column
- “Other Payments” includes items of additional compensation that you received in 2017. The most common are overtime pay, BeWell incentives, and Tuition & Training program payments paid directly to you
- Equals your “Earnings” under the “My 2017 Total Compensation” section
- Note that “Bonus” and “Other Payments” are listed separately on the Total Compensation Statement
Why is Stanford's annual cost for medical or dental coverage higher than I anticipated?
If you recently experienced a life event and made a change in medical and life coverage or enrolled in the Medical Contribution Assistance Program (MCAP), this will affect the university contribution amount.
Other Payments
What does “Other Payments” include?
“Other Payments” includes items of additional compensation that you have received including overtime or cash payments related to benefits programs, such as BeWell and Tuition & Training programs.
Payments made directly to you are summarized on your Pay Statement in the ‘Hours and Earnings’ section. Items that are paid directly to a third party on your behalf, such as Tuition Grant Program payments paid directly to your dependent’s college or university or Tuition & Training Program payments paid directly to your training provider, are also included in the Other Payments total.
Visit the ‘Other Benefits & Programs’ and ‘WorkLife Programs’ section of your Total Compensation Statement to learn about programs and resources that are available to you.
Why doesn't a Tuition Grant Program (TGP) payment appear under "Other Payments" when I received an invoice from my dependent's college/university?
The TGP payment to your dependent’s college or university may have been processed for payment, but has not yet been reconciled by your dependent’s school. The process of payment reconciliation varies with each institution’s respective invoice schedule. Once that reconciliation is complete, you should see the amount under “Other Payments” in your Total Compensation Statement.
Time Off and Leaves of Absences
How is vacation time calculated?
To calculate your vacation time value, divide your annual salary by 260 days and multiply by the total number of vacation days you are eligible for (e.g. 24 days). To determine the number of vacation days granted to you annually based upon your current years of service and type of job, please refer to the Admin Guide Memo 2.1.6.
I have 240 hours of accrued vacation but the Statement shows 24 days of vacation. Please explain the difference.
The vacation leave section of the Total Compensation Statement reflects the total maximum vacation days one can accrue in a given year. To determine the number of vacation days granted to you annually based upon your current years of service and type of job, please refer to the Admin Guide Memo 2.1.6.
Is the calculated vacation value based on a full year regardless of hire date? Also, what if there is a pay change or anniversary during the year?
The vacation value indicated in the TCS is based on a full year of accruals. If there is a pay change or anniversary (e.g., 10 year), the change in vacation value will be reflected in the next monthly update.
Additional Information
How secure is the Total Compensation Statement?
University Human Resources (UHR) partners with other Stanford offices and vendors to ensure that all data used in the online Total Compensation Statement for benefits-eligible employees are securely transmitted and stored.
Our vendor partner for the Total Compensation Statement, Mercer, maintains this website and all associated data with technical, administrative, and physical safeguards designed to protect against loss, unauthorized access, destruction, misuse, and improper disclosure. Mercer has agreed to handle any data received in its performance of this service in accordance with industry standards.
It is the responsibility of each employee to maintain the confidentiality of your SUNet ID and password, and you are responsible for preventing unauthorized access to your computer/mobile device in accordance with university policies.
Who can I contact if I have questions about my statement?
For questions about your TCS, please call the University HR Service Team at 650-736-2985 or submit a help ticket.