If you keep searching for “Dollar General pay calendar” and landing on fake sites, read this first
One of the biggest problems Dollar General employees face online has nothing to do with the fiscal calendar itself. It is the sheer number of fake DGME login pages that show up when you search for pay-related information. Dozens of phishing sites mimic the real DGME portal, and employees get tricked into entering their credentials on the wrong page every week.
The real DGME portal is at webapps.dolgen.net/dgme2/ or through Workvivo at dgme.workvivo.us (requires Microsoft sign-in). If any other URL asks for your Dollar General login, do not enter it. The Dollar General login portals page has the verified addresses.
With that out of the way, here is everything you need to know about the Dollar General fiscal calendar and pay schedule.
Dollar General fiscal calendar at a glance
| Detail | Answer |
| Fiscal year end | Friday closest to January 31 |
| FY2025 dates | February 1, 2025 – January 30, 2026 |
| FY2026 dates | January 31, 2026 – January 29, 2027 |
| Calendar type | Retail fiscal calendar (52-week standard year) |
| Pay frequency | Biweekly |
| Payday | Every other Friday |
| Paychecks per year | 26 |
| W-2 tax year | January 1 – December 31 (standard calendar year) |
| Open enrollment | October 15 – November 30 (benefits effective January 1) |
| Stores | 19,000+ across the US |
How Dollar General’s fiscal year works
Dollar General’s fiscal year ends on the Friday closest to January 31 each year. FY2025 ended on January 30, 2026, and FY2026 runs from January 31, 2026 through January 29, 2027.
Like Walmart, Target, and Kroger, Dollar General uses a retail fiscal calendar instead of a standard January-to-December year. Each quarter has 13 weeks, and the year totals 52 weeks in a normal year. Every 5 to 6 years, a 53rd week gets added to keep the fiscal calendar aligned with the actual calendar.
For store-level employees, the fiscal year mostly affects management planning. Your store manager works from fiscal period budgets when setting schedules and labor hours. If your hours get cut mid-week without warning (a common complaint at Dollar General), it is often because the store is hitting its labor budget ceiling for that fiscal period.
Dollar General biweekly pay schedule
Dollar General pays all employees biweekly on Fridays. Each pay period covers 14 calendar days, and you receive 26 paychecks per year. Pay stubs are available through DGME or through Doculivery, which handles pay statements and tax documents.
Two months during 2026 will include three paychecks instead of two. The exact months depend on when your specific pay cycle starts. For most Dollar General employees, those three-paycheck months are a welcome boost, especially given that the average store associate pay starts low compared to competitors.
If your Friday payday falls on a bank holiday, direct deposits typically post on the prior business day. This comes up most around New Year’s Day, July 4th, and Christmas.
How Dollar General compares to Dollar Tree on the fiscal calendar
Since Dollar General and Dollar Tree are direct competitors, employees sometimes move between the two companies. Here is how their fiscal calendars and pay structures compare:
| Category | Dollar General | Dollar Tree/Family Dollar |
| Fiscal year end | Friday closest to Jan 31 | Saturday closest to Jan 31 |
| FY2026 end date | January 29, 2027 | Late January 2027 |
| Pay frequency | Biweekly (Fridays) | Biweekly (Fridays) |
| Paychecks per year | 26 | 26 |
| Employee discount | 20% | ~10% |
| Pay portal | DGME / Doculivery | Compass Mobile / Doculivery |
| Open enrollment | Oct 15 – Nov 30 | Similar fall window |
| Stores | 19,000+ | 18,000+ (incl. Family Dollar) |
The fiscal year structures are almost identical. The real differences are in the employee discount (Dollar General’s 20% is double Dollar Tree’s roughly 10%) and the portal systems. Dollar Tree has 6+ separate portal systems, which is the most fragmented of any company we cover. Dollar General has its own portal headaches with DGME, but at least it is mostly consolidated into one system (plus the Workvivo migration).
Key deadlines for Dollar General employees
Open enrollment: October 15 through November 30. This is when you choose your health, dental, vision, and other benefits for the upcoming year. Dollar General’s enrollment window is specific and documented, unlike some private retailers. Coverage from open enrollment takes effect January 1, which aligns with the calendar year rather than the fiscal year.
W-2 delivery: By January 31. Access W-2s through DGME under Tax Documents, or through Doculivery. These cover the calendar year (January through December), not the fiscal year. The Dollar General W-2 page has the steps, and the former employee W-2 page covers what to do if your portal access has been cut off after separation.
Annual reviews and raises: Performance evaluations follow the fiscal year cycle. Raises process after the fiscal year closes. Dollar General has been under pressure on wages, with the average store associate earning well below competitors like Aldi or Costco.
PTO accrual and usage: Dollar General provides paid vacation, holidays, and sick time that vary by full-time and part-time classification. The biggest pain point here is benefits classification confusion: part-time employees working full-time hours are often told they do not qualify for full benefits. The Dollar General PTO policies page explains what you should be getting.
What store associates should watch for
Dollar General operates more stores than any other retailer in America, with over 19,000 locations. Many of those stores are solo-staffed, meaning one employee runs the entire store during a shift. In that environment, understanding your pay schedule is not just about budgeting. It is about knowing exactly when your paycheck arrives so you can manage the financial stress that comes with working in an extremely lean operation.
Keep the DGME portal bookmarked (the real one: webapps.dolgen.net/dgme2/). Check your pay stubs regularly through Doculivery. Mark your open enrollment window (October 15 to November 30) on your calendar. And if something looks off with your paycheck, call the Speak Up Line at 1-888-835-5792 or check the Dollar General HR contact guide.
For the full set of Dollar General employee resources, start at the Dollar General employee resource hub.