It is a common practice across employers of all sizes and industries to pay employees on a biweekly (every two weeks) payroll cycle. With 52 weeks in a year, that means 26 pay periods in a year. But every decade or so, an unusual circumstance arises in which employees who are paid biweekly will have 27 pay periods. The reason for this is that 26 biweekly pay periods only add up to 364 calendar days (26 pay periods x 14 days per pay period), which is one day short of a typical year and two days short of a leap year. Thus, a calendar year typically equates to 26.07 pay periods. About every eleven years, that 0.07 discrepancy adds up to 14 days, and thus amounting to an additional biweekly paycheck. This anomaly applies in 2026, and if not addressed, could result in extra pay for employees who are paid on a salary basis. READ MORE