Time Off Requests - FAQ

A standard entitlement is an entitlement that applies to all or some employees. For example, vacation pay when the calculation is a percentage of earnings per pay period (not based on a grant).

A custom entitlement is for any other type of time off request. They are based on a grant. For example, sick days, personal days, jury duty, lieu days, flex days, education etc.

A custom entitlement can be set up for vacation, however a new code is required if it is to be linked to a pay code.  Service fees apply.

Yes, you can set up your own entitlement for tracking. See Set up custom entitlements. If the entitlement is to be paid through payroll, a new pay code is required. Service fees apply. See Set up earnings.

To add an entitlement with a pay code, service fees apply.

To add an entitlement without a pay code, no fee applies.

An entitlement that is not linked to a pay code does not flow through to payroll and is only used to track time. An entitlement linked to a pay code tracks the time, flows to payroll and is paid.

No, however vacation accrued as a percentage is supported.

If your sick accumulator displays on the Compensation tab it is not compatible with Time Off Requests. However, you can set up a custom entitlement for sick with an annual grant to track and/or pay time.

Yes. You can set up an entitlement without linking it to a pay code. The unpaid entitlement will not impact payroll so you must reduce the salary or hours manually if a reduction in pay is required.

Entitlements can be deleted provided there are no balances remaining and no employees have a current or future request for this entitlement. Once deleted, it is unassigned from all employees and cannot be reused.

Normal Daily Hours are the number of hours per day an employee typically works on a working day. This allows for the correct number of hours to deduct from their entitlement balance when a day off is requested.

No.

Yes. However, vacation time cannot be included in the import file. The Custom Import file does not update the Time Off Request module.

Yes. See Import custom entitlement balances.

Import codes are used to import entitlement balances. They are 4-character codes which allow the balances to be imported directly into the Time Off Requests module for your employees.

For more information, see Import custom entitlement balances.

No. The import spreadsheet cannot be altered for it to work.

Payroll Calendar

The payroll calendar lists all your regularly scheduled pay periods for the calendar year. It shows you the Year, Pay Period Number, Pay Period Ending Date, Payment Date, Submit for Processing by... date, and whether or not the pay has been processed for each pay period.

Time Off Request Calendar

The Company Calendar is preloaded with all statutory holidays. As a Powerpay payroll administrator you have access to add information, such as company observed holidays (custom holidays), to the calendar view for all employees. You can add, delete, and edit company observed custom holidays on your calendar. Statutory holidays cannot be deleted but you can change the observed date.

It also displays approved or pending time off requests.

No. It is only available under the People Menu.

No.  The Time Off Request calendar can only be viewed by Payroll Administrators and authorized contacts in Powerpay. Managers can see their team’s requests on the calendar in Self Service.

At this time, the calendar does not display the description of the entitlement.

At this time, the Calendar cannot be color coded to reflect different types of time off requests.

The Province or Territory where the holiday is observed.

Use the Add New Holiday feature to add custom company holidays, specific to your company, to your calendar. When adding custom holidays, pay attention to the jurisdictions they apply to. The holiday will display on employee calendars for all the selected jurisdictions and will be used in calculating the duration of time off requests.

1. Go to the Calendar tab. From the People menu, select Calendar.

2. Click Add New Holiday.

3. Enter the new Holiday name in English and French.

4. Select the date for the Holiday.

5. Select the jurisdictions where the holiday is observed.

6. Click Save.

The Holiday is added to the calendar and appears in the Events list below the calendar on the holiday date.

You can observe a statutory holiday on an alternate date, but it must be within five days of the actual holiday.

Federal and Provincial/Territorial legislated holidays are preloaded. For a list of the preloaded statutory holidays and their observed dates, see Statutory holidays and jurisdictions.

You must set up Custom Holidays every calendar year. See Add custom holidays.

All Federal and Provincial/Territorial holidays display on the calendar. Holidays that don't pertain to your employees’ Province/Territory do not affect a Time Off request.

If an employee requests one week off and the dates include a one day holiday that:

• does pertain to your employees’ Province/Territory, the request reflects 4 days.

• does not pertain to your employees’ Province/Territory, the request reflects 5 days.

A standard entitlement is an entitlement that applies to all or some employees. For example, vacation pay when the calculation is a percentage of earnings per pay period (not based on a grant).

A custom entitlement is for any other type of time off request. They are based on a grant. For example, sick days, personal days, jury duty, lieu days, flex days, education etc.

A custom entitlement can be set up for vacation, however a new code is required if it is to be linked to a pay code.  Service fees apply.

It is not a best practice to have two entitlements for vacation pay. Contact your Service Delivery Team for more information.

A standard entitlement is an entitlement that applies to all or some employees. For example, vacation pay when the calculation is a percentage of earnings per pay period (not based on a grant).

A custom entitlement is for any other type of time off request. They are based on a grant. For example, sick days, personal days, jury duty, lieu days, flex days, education etc.

A custom entitlement can be set up for vacation, however a new code is required if it is to be linked to a pay code.  Service fees apply.

No. Each employee is automatically assigned zero as the entitlement grant when assigned to the custom entitlement.

To enter or adjust an entitlement balance:

1. Go to the Time-Off tab. From the People menu, select People List > Time-Off.

2. Select the employee from the People List.

   The Time Off Entitlements section lists the custom entitlements assigned to the selected employee.

3. Click the gear icon in the Action column for the entitlement.

4. Enter the adjusted balance. For example, if an employee is hired mid-year you can adjust the balance amount accordingly.

5. Click Save.

1. Go to the Time-Off tab. From the People menu, select People List > Time-Off.

2. Select the employee from the People List.

3. In the Time Off Entitlements section, click the gear icon for the entitlement to adjust.

4. Enter the new balance in the Adjusted Balance field.

5. Click Save.

1. Go to the Time-Off tab. From the People menu, select People List > Time-Off.

2. Select the employee from the People List.

3. The Time Off Entitlements section lists the custom entitlements assigned to the selected employee.

1. Go to the Reports page. From the People menu, select Reports.

2. Click the Download button for the All Entitlement Balance History report.

3. Verify all requests, adjustments and grants.

Click here for more information about this report.

It is not a best practice to have two entitlements for vacation pay. Contact your Service Delivery Team for more information.

No. Employees must log in using a browser to request time off.

Yes, and their balance will adjust accordingly. If the entitlement is set up as Tracking Only, no further action is required. If there is a Pay Code assigned to the entitlement, a manual entry is required to adjust the year to dates (E.g. reg hours -8.00, vac hours +8.00)

Yes, if one the following criteria is met.

• The YTD balance on file is greater than the requested amount.

• The accumulator is configured to allow negative balances to occur.

  Custom entitlements:

  1. Go to the Time Off Request tab. From the People menu, select Settings > Time Off Request.

  2. Click the gear icon in the Action column for the entitlement.

  3. Click Next.

  4. Click Next.

  5. Click Next.

  6. Confirm if the set up displays Yes for “Do you allow employees to exceed the balance?.”

  7. Confirm if the set up displays Yes for “Do you allow employees to carry balances from year to year?.”

  Standard entitlements:

  To confirm your vacation plan setup, go to the Vacation Plan Setup Reports page. From the Reports menu, select Company Reports > Vacation Plan Setup.

A manager (or the person listed in the Reports To field in the Work Assignments section on the Profile tab. From the People menu, select People List > Profile tab.) can approve requests in Self Service.

The Payroll Administrator approves requests in Powerpay.

Note: If the Payroll Administrator is not the person selected in the Reports To fields on the Profile tab, the Payroll Administrator will not receive an email that an employee has made a time off request.

To view the who can approve an employee's request:

1. Go to the People List. From the People menu, select People List.

2. On the Profile tab, go to the Work Assignment section.

3. View the Reports To field.

1. Go to the People List. From the People menu, select People List.

2. On the Profile tab, go to the Work Assignment section.

3. Select the manager's name in the Reports To field.

   If their name does not display, they must be added as a new employee to the payroll and set up with a Self Service account.

4. Click Save.

No. There can only be one approver. If the person listed in the Reports To field on the Profile tab is away, the Payroll Administrator can approve the request.

Yes.

You have two options.

• Advise the employee to cancel the request in Self Service.

  1. Go to the My Requests tab. (Time > My Requests)

     The requests display in the table with their current status.

  2. In the Action column, click the trash can icon for the specific request to delete.

     A confirmation message displays.

  3. Click Cancel Request.

OR

• The Payroll Administrator can cancel the request.

  Note: The person designated in the Reports To field in the Work Assignments section on the Profile tab. From the People menu, select People List > Profile tab. cannot cancel request, unless they are the Payroll Administrator.

  1. Go to the Calendar tab. From the People menu, select Calendar.

  2. Review the calendar to locate any approved time off requests for the employee.

  3. Select the date on the calendar with the approved request.

     The request displays in the Event list at the bottom of the page.

  4. Click the trash can icon to the right of the request to delete.

     A confirmation message displays.

  5. Click Cancel Request.

1. Go to the Calendar tab. From the People menu, select Calendar.

2. Review the calendar to confirm if a Statutory Holiday or Custom Holiday exists in the same week.

Yes.

Payroll Administrator

1. Go to the Pending Requests tab. From the People menu, select Calendar > Pending Requests.

2. A table displays all the pending requests.

Manager (in Self Service)

1. Go to the My Team’s Requests tab. (Time > My Team’s Requests)

2. Review the table for any pending requests.

3. In the Action column, click the gear icon for any specific requests to review.

You have two options.

1. Click the Pay Period menu and click the Enter button for the pay period you want to work with.

2. Go to the Accumulators page. From the Payroll menu, select Adjustments > Accumulators.

3. Select the employee from the list.

   The Current Accrual field displays the current balance.
   

OR

1. Access the Payroll Register in the Standard Reports Package. Go to the Payroll Reports page. From the Reports menu, select Payroll Reports.

2. Search for the employee number.

3. Review the accumulator balance.

1. Go to the Time-Off tab. From the People menu, select People List > Time-Off.

2. Select the employee from the People List.

3. Scroll down to Entitlement Balance History section.

   The Entitlement Balance History table provides the complete history for each entitlement for a selected employee.

Self Service displays the current accumulator balance minus any future and pending time off requests. The accumulator balance in Powerpay does not include any future requests. It only updates when the requested time off is paid.

Employees can view their balances in Powerpay Self Service.

1. Go to the My Requests tab. (Time > My Requests)

2. Click Request New Time Off.

   The current entitlement balances display in the Balance column. Future and pending requests are already subtracted from the balance displayed.

By default, the entitlement unit displays in hours. This cannot be changed permanently but employees can select days from the drop-down menu to temporarily view the entitlement in days.

To view the balance in days in Self Service the employee can:

1. Go to the My Requests tab. (Time > My Requests)

2. Click Request New Time Off.

   The current entitlement balances display in the Balance column on the New Time Off Request page. The balance includes all future and pending requests.

3. In the Units column, select Days.

Employees must be assigned an entitlement and the entitlement must be enabled for the employee to request it using the Time Off Request functionality in Self Service.

Note: An employee may be unable to make a time off request for the entitlement using Self Service even though they are assigned the entitlement and the Enable Employee View checkbox is selected if the employee’s status has changed, and they no longer meet the filter criteria for the entitlement. For example, an entitlement is set up for Active employees and the employee is On Leave.

• Confirm the requested time off dates apply to the current pay period on the Calendar tab. From the People menu, select Calendar.

• Confirm the requested entitlement is approved (not pending) on the Time-Off tab. From the People menu, select People List > Time-Off.

• Review the entitlement to ensure it is linked to a pay code.

  1. Go to the Time Off Request tab. From the People menu, select Settings > Time Off Request.

  2. Review the pay code column for the entitlement.

Time Off Request hours displayed in the timesheet cannot be removed or edited. You must cancel the request and enter a Time Off Request manually.

Time Off Requests applicable to an open pay period automatically display Timesheet on the Rapid Entry page. The word Timesheet displays to indicate that an entry is recorded on the Timesheet. Updates to an entry that says Timesheet on the Rapid Entry page must be performed on the Timesheet page.

Current Entitlement Balances Report on the Reports page. From the People menu, select Reports. displays the custom entitlement balances for each employee. It does not display any Standard Entitlement balances.

The Transaction History Report on the Reports page. From the People menu, select Reports. displays transaction activity entered for custom and standard entitlements.

Note: The date column reflects the date a transaction entry was recorded. Transaction entries include the date the time was requested (not the actual days requested), date approved, date cancelled, and any balance adjustments.

No report exists, however you can simulate the employee in Self Service and view the dates on the employee’s My Requests tab in Self Service.

No

If the request was made by the Payroll Admin, on the employee’s behalf, the Payroll Admin user displays on the Entitlement History report for the request. If the request was made by the employee in Self Service, the employee’s name displays on the Entitlement History report for the request.

The person designated in the Reports To field in the Work Assignments section on the Profile tab. From the People menu, select People List > Profile tab.

Only new requests. No notification is sent for time off request cancellations.

When you first log into Self Service, the To Do List displays any pending time off requests from managed employees. The History Tab displays all approved time off requests.

Contact your Service Delivery Team.