How 2U, Inc. scaled Workday Managed Payroll without losing control

When a company grows as fast as 2U, Inc., payroll can’t afford to fall behind. As the global education company expanded through both organic growth and acquisitions, their payroll team needed a solution that could scale up with them — without adding risk or sacrificing the Workday investment they’d built their operations around.

After evaluating multiple options, OneSource Virtual (OSV) seemed like the right fit.

2U turned to OSV for Workday managed payroll services after identifying a clear gap: they needed expert support and scalable capacity without losing visibility into their own data or introducing external systems. OSV’s in-tenant approach meant payroll stayed inside 2U’s Workday environment without any middleware, integrations, or disruption to existing processes.

The partnership started with a payroll optimization project, giving both teams a chance to assess 2U’s setup and identify improvements before diving into fully managed payroll. From there, OSV helped 2U add garnishment administration and payroll tax compliance — all within a structured, three-month implementation timeline.

With clear roles, weekly check-ins, and a dedicated service readiness team, 2U went live on time. Their first payroll ran without a hitch.

The results went beyond a smooth go-live. With payroll tax compliance, garnishments, and day-to-day processing off 2U’s plate, their payroll team gained the bandwidth to shift their focus from administrative work to strategic priorities. That kind of shift matters when you’re in the middle of a hyper-growth phase.

For companies running Workday payroll services and navigating the demands of rapid growth, 2U’s story is a practical look at what the right partnership looks like: structured, collaborative, and built to last.