Government & Nonprofit payroll schedules

Government contractors and nonprofits typically mirror the federal biweekly schedule because grant accounting, time-and-effort reporting, and DCAA-compliant timekeeping all assume two-week pay periods anchored to the same OPM dates the federal government uses. Running a custom cadence creates a constant translation problem at month-end and quarter-end close.

If you draw funding from a federal grant subject to the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), your payroll cadence interacts with how you allocate labor across cost centers. Most small federal contractors find that an OPM-aligned biweekly schedule is the simplest way to keep grant draws, indirect cost rate calculations, and incurred-cost submissions reconciled.

Where to look next

Pick the frequency that fits your workforce, then jump to the calendar for your state and year. The schedules already account for federal holiday observance and weekend bank closures.