2026 Payroll Calendar: Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Semi-Monthly, and Monthly

Payroll doesn’t have to be a scramble. The 2026 Payroll Calendar gives HR and payroll managers a clear, customizable roadmap to stay compliant, reduce errors, and keep employees paid on time, no matter where in the world they work.

This calendar includes weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly payroll schedules with start and end dates, paydays, and adjustment notes when paydays fall on weekends. It’s designed as a global framework that you can adapt to your company’s official policies, local legal requirements, and operational constraints.

What is a payroll calendar?

A payroll calendar is a schedule that shows each pay period and payday for the year. It helps payroll teams know when to process payroll and ensures employees are paid on time.

What’s the difference between weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly payroll?

• Weekly payroll: Pay every week (52 paychecks/year).

• Bi-weekly payroll: Pay every two weeks (26 paychecks/year).

• Semi-monthly payroll: Pay twice a month on set dates (24 paychecks/year).

• Monthly payroll: Pay once a month (12 paychecks/year).

Payroll calendar considerations for 2026

This calendar is meant to be your baseline tool, but to ensure compliance, you should:

• Add national, regional, and bank holidays for every country where you run payroll.

• Confirm your bank or clearing system’s non-processing days in advance.

• Review contracts, CBAs, and works council terms that affect pay dates or cut-offs.

• Update annually and after regulatory or provider rule changes.

In short: this calendar gives you the structure, but your expertise ensures it’s compliant.

Automate your payroll calendar with Deel

Manual adjustments and spreadsheets can only get you so far. Deel Payroll helps HR and finance teams run payroll seamlessly across 130+ countries, with compliance built in.

With Deel, you get:

• Flexible, automated payroll operations that scale with your workforce

• 2,000+ in-house payroll, HR, and legal experts to guide compliance

• A real-time gross-to-net (G2N) engine that updates instantly with adjustments

• A dedicated local payroll manager

• Proactive compliance alerts and automated updates for regulatory changes

• Country-specific tax calculations, benefits, and filings

• Consolidated HR, payroll, IT, and immigration tools in one platform

• Proven 67% ROI, according to the 2025 Forrester TEI Study