Guidelines for the use of the Global PEO on the CU Boulder campus have been a developing topic since April 2021. In February 2024, Human Resources published updated guidance, which provides details about Global Affiliates and use of the Global PEO Service, including on Sponsored Projects, on their Global Affiliate webpage. Please refer this webpage for additional information.
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some University of Colorado employees working outside the United States (U.S.) were unable to enter or return to the U.S., but were still able and authorized by their supervisor to start working or continue working remotely. Some CU employees working remotely could not be easily paid using the current payroll system. To comply with University requirements for the university and/or foreign country requirements for employees working internationally, the University of Colorado System Employee Services office employed a professional employment organization (PEO) to better manage individuals working outside the U.S.
A CU Global Affiliate is defined as any individual whose worksite is located outside of the United States, regardless of citizenship and residency. This includes individuals who are working remotely, under an arrangement specifically approved by their business or academic unit that permits the individual to work remotely in an international location. All individuals defined as Global Affiliates are considered University of Colorado Boulder affiliates under these guidelines.
If you are budgeting GPS on a proposal, contact your Proposal Analyst with questions. For general questions about GPS on sponsored projects, contact Alexa Van Dalsem at alexa.vandalsem@colorado.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
What costs of the Global PEO are allowable on sponsored projects?
If working in another country is required for the sponsored project, the costs of the Global PEO Services (GPS) can be charged to the sponsored project with the exception of the Global PEO refundable deposit and the “Transition Fee” of the Final Invoice.
If working in another country is not required for the sponsored project and is for the convenience of the employee, only salary and fringe benefits (social costs) of Global PEO Services (GPS) costs can be charged to a sponsored project. The unit must pay non-salary and non-fringe costs related to affiliation with GPS.
Why are the Global PEO refundable deposit and “Transition Fee” unallowable?
The Global PEO refundable deposits are an unallowable cost because by paying a refundable deposit from sponsor funds, those funds become unusable for the project itself because they are held and then refunded after the end of the project. They can then not be used for the project, which has ended, and sets up a scenario of needing to possibly refund the sponsor, depending on the award terms and conditions.
The “Transition Fee” is unallowable because it is difficult to justify this fee as 100% allocable to the award.