Time off request account set up

Working Days are the days of the week that your employees typically work. Normal daily hours are the number of hours a day employees usually work on a working day. The values you set on the Time Off Request tab. From the People menu, select Settings > Time Off Request. are the default values that apply to all employees. You can specify an individual employee’s working days and normal working hours on the Time-Off tab. From the People menu, select People List > Time-Off.. The values set for individual employees override the default values set here.

Working days and normal daily hours values are used to calculate and determine the duration of an employee’s time off request. Powerpay automatically calculates hours and days that an employee is away from work based on the employee’s Normal Daily Hours and Working Days.

Note: For Salaried employees it is important to validate that the employee’s Normal Daily Hours and Working Days align with the Hours Per Pay value set for the employee in the Employment Information section on the Compensation tab. From the People menu, select People List > Compensation.

Important: Before updating the normal working hours at the company level, you must cancel all pending and approved time off requests for all employees. After making the change, re-enter the time off requests.

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

2. In the Normal Daily Hours field, enter the number of hours your employees typically work in a day.

   For each full day an employee takes off, this is the number of hours that are reduced from the employee’s balance and the number of hours that are paid if the entitlement is linked to pay code.

3. Select the days of the week your employees typically work.

   When an employee requests time off, Powerpay uses the selected days to calculate the amount of time taken. If the request spans an unselected day, Powerpay does not include the unselected day when calculating the time taken.

4. Click Save.

Your standard entitlements are already setup based on your payroll settings. Review them in the Standard Entitlements section on the Time Off Request tab. From the People menu, select Settings > Time Off Request.

Note: Import history functionality will be available in a future release.

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

2. Review the standard entitlements set up for your payroll.

3. (optional) Click the number in the Assigned To column for each entitlement to review the list of employees assigned to the entitlement. The list includes all employees assigned the to the plan with an accumulator rate for the entitlement on the Compensation tab. From the People menu, select People List > Compensation.

   • To add or remove an employee from the list, see View, add and edit entitlement information for an employee.

   • Click the Spreadsheet button to download a .csv file of the employees assigned to the entitlement.

4. (optional) Click the gear icon in the Action column for the entitlement to:

   • update the entitlement description. This is the reason that appears in the Reason list for employees in Self Service when they are making a time off request.

     Note: The description entered here only updates the entitlement description in Powerpay and Self Service. It does not update the description on your payroll reports or pay statements.

   • view the pay code linked to the entitlement.

5. Click Save.

In addition to the standard entitlement, your organization may need more options for entitlements. Powerpay allows you to add custom entitlements.

Custom Entitlements define the pay codes and the reasons employees can select when requesting time off from work. They control how employees earn balances that represent their benefits, such as sick or personal days. They are made up of several components that describe:

• When or at what frequency employees are granted their benefits. For example, you can define that employees accrue bereavement annually or are granted an unlimited balance.

• How many units of each benefit employees are granted. Units can be days or hours. By linking a balance to an entitlement, such as sick, Powerpay automatically deducts the number of units used from the balance when the entitlement is recorded in the employee’s timesheet. For example, when the flex day balance is linked to the flex day entitlement, Powerpay automatically deducts from the balance appropriately each time an employee’s request for time off is approved and the flex day entitlement appears in the employee’s timesheet. The number of units deducted from the balance is dependent on the duration of the approved request, and the employee’s Normal Daily Hour and Working Days. If an employee takes two days off for flex day, Powerpay deducts two days from the flex day balance.

• If employees are allowed unlimited time off for an entitlement.

• Are employees allowed to exceed their balance or carry their balance from year to year.

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

2. In the Custom Entitlements section, click Add Custom Entitlement.

3. Enter a description for the entitlement in English and French. The description appears in the Reason list for employees in Self Service when they are making a time off request.

Note: The description entered here only updates the entitlement description in Powerpay and Self Service. It does not update the description on your payroll reports or pay statements.

4. Click Next.

5. (optional) Select a pay code to link the entitlement to an existing Pay Code in Powerpay.

   Pay codes are used to pay the employee for the time off request. Approved time off requests are added to the timesheet in the applicable pay period. If no pay code is selected, the request will only be a memo item to track the time within Powerpay; no hours will be paid and it will not appear on the employee pay statement, nor the payroll register. For example, you can create an entitlement with the description “Time Off Without Pay” without linking it to a pay code to create a memo item.

   Note: Using the example above for Salaried employees requires an adjustment on the Timesheet to ensure the employee is NOT paid the full salary amount for the pay period.

   To track time for employees without a permanent rate or salary, create a custom entitlement without linking it to a pay code. E.g. Commission employees

6. (optional) Select an Import Code (maximum of four alpha-numeric characters) if you intend to import history for this entitlement.

   Adding an import code allows you to import existing custom entitlement balance data into Powerpay without entering it for each individual employee. This saves you time and helps to eliminate data entry errors.

   Important: If an import code is not entered during the custom entitlement set up and employees are already utilizing the custom entitlement for time off requests, the import code cannot be added and entitlement balances will need to be entered manually.

   For more information see Import custom entitlement balances.

7. Click Next.

   A message displays with a description of the pay code.

8. Click Next.

9. Select the options that define your custom entitlement:

   • Does the custom entitlement provide unlimited time off?

   • When during the year the annual grant is applied?

   • What balance amount is granted in the selected time frame? This is the balance granted to the employees assigned to the entitlement when the annual grant day is reached. Employees assigned to the entitlement are granted a zero balance by default. After assigning an employee to the entitlement, you can adjust the grant amount for the current year. See Enter initial balances for each Custom entitlement for each employee for more information.

   • Can employees exceed their granted balance and create a negative balance?

     If you want to allow employees to request time off in a future year, you must select Yes for this option.

   • Does the balance roll over from year to year?

10. Click Next.

11. Select the employees to assign to the custom entitlement.

    • Filter employees based on Status, Department, Position, Employment Type, and Province of Employment. To make multiple selections hold down the Ctrl key as you are selecting.

    • To assign future employees who meet the same filter criteria to the custom entitlement, select the Automatically select this entitlement in the New Hire Process for all future employees if these criteria are met checkbox.

12. Click Preview to verify employees that will be assigned to the custom entitlement. All employees that fulfill the selected filter criteria display and are selected by default.

13. Clear the checkbox for any employees that should NOT be assigned to the custom entitlement.

14. Click Save.

The Time Off Entitlements section on the Time-Off tab. From the People menu, select People List > Time-Off. lists all the custom entitlements assigned to the employee selected in the People list. You can assign the employee additional custom entitlements and enter the balance amount for each entitlement.

Note: Each employee is automatically assigned zero as the entitlement grant when assigned to the custom entitlement.

Note: Balances are not required for entitlements set up with unlimited time.

When you first set up a custom entitlement, initial balances can be imported or entered manually. For information on importing, see Import custom entitlement balances.

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

2. Select the employee for whom to adjust the balance for the custom entitlement 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.

The adjusted balance is assigned to the selected employee and displays in the Time Off Entitlements section.

Tip: You only have to enter an initial balance when first setting up the custom entitlement. In future years, the grant amount is automatically applied.

Powerpay allows you to set up and review your entitlements prior to making them available for employees. After validating and completing the setup of your standard entitlements, you must grant your employees access to request the entitlement using Time Off request functionality in Self Service.

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

2. In the Standard Entitlements section, click the Enable Employee View checkbox for each standard entitlement to give the employees assigned to the entitlements access to request the entitlements using Time Off request functionality in Self Service.

   Note: The Enable Employee View checkbox cannot be cleared after any employee on the payroll makes a time off request for the matching reason in Self Service.

3. Click Save.

After completing the setup of your custom entitlements, you must grant your employees access to request the entitlement using Time Off request functionality in Self Service.

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

2. In the Custom Entitlements section, click the Enable Employee View checkbox to give the employees assigned to the entitlement access to request the entitlement using Time Off request functionality in Self Service.

   Note: The Enable Employee View checkbox cannot be cleared after any employee on the payroll makes a time off request for the matching reason 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.

   Note: Enable Employee View only applies to Active, New Hire and On Leave employees.

3. Click Save.

Note: Import history functionality will be available in a future release.

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

2. Review the standard entitlements set up for your payroll. If you require additional standard entitlements, contact your Customer Support Team.

3. (optional) Click the gear icon in the Action column for the entitlement to:

   • update the entitlement description. This is the reason that appears in the Reason list for employees in Self Service when they are making a time off request.

   • view the pay code linked to the entitlement.

4. Click Save.

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

2. Review the standard entitlements set up for your payroll. If you require additional standard entitlements, contact your Customer Support Team.

3. (optional) Click the number in the Assigned To column for each entitlement to review the list of employees assigned to the entitlement. The list includes all employees assigned the to the plan with an accumulator rate for the entitlement on the Compensation tab. From the People menu, select People List > Compensation..

   • To add or remove an employee from the list, see View, add and edit entitlement information for an employee.

   • Click the Spreadsheet button to download a .csv file of the employees assigned to the entitlement.

The initial setup of your custom entitlements includes assigning employees to the entitlement. Use this procedure to assign additional employees to the entitlement after the initial setup.

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

2. Click the person icon in the Action column for the entitlement to edit.

3. Select the employees to assign to the custom entitlement.

   • Filter employees based on Status, Department, Position, Employment Type, and Province of Employment. To make multiple selections hold down the Ctrl key as you are selecting.

   • To assign future employees who meet the same filter criteria to the custom entitlement, select the Automatically select this entitlement in the New Hire Process for all future employees if these criteria are met checkbox.

4. Click Preview to verify employees that will be assigned to the custom entitlement. All employees that fulfill the selected filter criteria, and not already assigned the entitlement, display and are selected by default.

5. Clear the checkbox for any employees that should NOT be assigned to the custom entitlement.

6. Click Next.

7. Review the revised list of employees assigned to the custom entitlement. Employees newly added to the entitlement display New in the first column. Employees who were already assigned to the entitlement display Current in the first column.

8. Click Save.

The Assigned To column for the entitlement is updated with the new count of employees assigned to the entitlement.

The balance granted to the employees assigned to the entitlement is zero. After assigning an employee to the entitlement, you can adjust the grant amount for the current year. See Enter initial balances for each Custom entitlement for each employee for more information.

The custom entitlements already set up for your payroll display in the Custom Entitlements section on the Time Off Request tab. From the People menu, select Settings > Time Off Request.

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

2. Review the custom entitlements set up for your payroll.

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

4. (optional) Update the entitlement description. This is the reason that appears in the Reason list for employees in Self Service when they are making a time of request.

5. Click Next.

6. (optional) Link the entitlement to an existing Pay Code in Powerpay.

   Pay codes are used to pay the employee for the time off request. Approved time off requests are added to the timesheet in the applicable pay period. If no pay code is selected, the request will only be a memo item to track the time within Powerpay; it will not appear on the employee pay statement, nor the payroll register.

   Important: You cannot change the pay code or add an import code if the entitlement was previously linked to a pay code and any employee on the payroll has already made a time off request for the matching reason in Self Service.

7. Enter an import code (max four alphanumeric characters) if you intend to load historical data for Time Off Requests from the Time Off History Import spreadsheet.

8. Click Next.

9. Select the options that define your custom entitlement:

   • Does the custom entitlement provide unlimited time off?

   • When during the year the annual grant is applied?

   • What balance amount is granted in the selected time frame?

   • Can employees exceed their granted balance and create a negative balance?

   • Does the balance roll over from year to year?

     Note: You cannot change the entitlement definition if any employee on the payroll has already made a time off request for the matching reason in Self Service.

10. Click Save.

Custom Entitlements that were created in error or are no longer required can be deleted in Powerpay. Once deleted, it is unassigned from all employees and cannot be reused.

To delete a custom entitlement:

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

2. Click the Trash Can icon in the Action column for the custom entitlement to delete.

3. A warning message displays. Click Delete.

The custom entitlement is deleted and removed from any employees to which it was assigned.

You can temporarily stop the flow of data from Self Service to provide the payroll administrators time to audit, balance, and preview the payroll before it is submitted for processing.

Tip: Without the Change Deadline in place, Self Service changes continue to flow to Powerpay and may impact the payroll, so the final Preview could be different than the final register. It is highly recommended that you set the Change deadline to stop the flow of changes for a specified time before the payroll is processed.

Once the payroll is processed, the information flow resumes automatically, and any Self Service changes are updated in Powerpay in the next pay period.

While the change deadline is active, the Edit buttons are disabled and a banner displays in Self Service, letting Self Service users know that changes cannot be made for the current pay period.

1. Navigate to the Self Service Options page. From the Company menu, select Self Service > Self Service Options.
2. In the General Options section, select the Enforce Employee Deadline for Self Service Changes checkbox.

3. In the Deadline for Changes on Submit for Processing Day field, select the time to stop the flow of data. The time is based on the day of the “Submit for Processing by…” date in the Calendar View for the open Pay Period.

4. Click Save.

When a preview is requested during the time the data flow from Self Service is being held, a message displays on the Submit Payroll page. From the Process menu, select Submit Payroll.

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 assign 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. Select the approver 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.