5/21/10 – Manager Delegation & Time Approval

So you are a manager and will be heading on vacation, how do you handle time approval for your employees?

While a manager can still access HR Direct and peform time approvals from anywhere in the world (with PC and network connection), there are time when it is necessary to have someone else do your approvals.

Per design, managers can notmanually delegate their time approval responsibilities. However, the system was designed with an automateddelegationprocess built in so all managers have someone else who can approve time for them if they are out of the office. At its simplest form, as a manager you also have manager — and that person can approve for you if you are going to be away from the office.

delegation.jpg

So what do I need to do to get my manager the access to do approvals while I’m away?

Most managers already have access to HR Direct manager self-service. You should just have a conversation with your manager toarrange for them to do your approvals.

Who do we contact if there are questions?

Theresa McDonald (x3560) is the Payroll Manager and she can answer most questions on this. Additionally, Richard Conley (x4794)or Norma Clark (x4764) from the Administrative Systems office can assist.

5/14/10 – Understanding Time Administration Proceess

Intended Audience: Time and Labor Self-Service Managers

Topic: Time Administration

Have you ever wondered why you can’t immediately approve time after an employee enters it in HR Direct?

If so, the answer is called Time Administration.

Before a manager can approve any reported time, a process called Time Administration needs to run. Time Administration takes the”reported time” and processes it through a rules engine and turns it into “payable time”. If there are any errors, they will be stored as exceptions — those need to be fixed before the employee can be paid for those hours in error.

Example (Student Hourly Employee) – if person reported 9 hours worked ina day, the time administration would convert that to 8 hours at straight time & 1 hour of overtime

Example (Salaried Professional) – if a person reported 4.0 hours Vacation and nothing else, then time administration would move the day into error (exception) as there needs to be an off-setting 3.5 hours of Regular time to make the employee day whole.

UMass managers are only approving time that has been successfully processed by Time Administration and turned into “Payable Time”. This process is usually run a couple times per day (See below).

When should I approve time?

The suggested best time to approve is on “Approval Monday”. Employees should have reported time by the Sunday following the close of the pay period. Then time administration would have run and is available for the managers to approve all day Monday.

When does Time Administration run?

We run the Time Administration process at Noon and 5:00PM on most days. The process takes approximately90 minutesto complete. Sofor example if employee reports time in HR Direct prior to Noon, then it should be available for a manager to approve after 1:30PM.

On the “Approval Monday”, the Time Administration Process runs a bit more frequently

  • 9:30 AM
  • 12:30 PM
  • 3:30 PM
  • 12:00 AM (Midnight)

5/4/10 – Frequently Asked Questions on Employee Self-Service

Can I change my work phone number or email address?

Your work phone number and email address are maintained by your Human Resources department. If there is an error, please contact Human Resources to correct it at 978-934-3560 or HR@UML.edu . Use HR Direct to add or update your personal phone numbers or email addresses.

If I have not entered a mailing address, where will the University send my mail?

Your mail will be sent to your home address unless you have specifically provided a mailing address to your Human Resources department or by using HR Direct Self Service.

How can I change personal information that is read-only on the Personal Summary page?

Contact your Human Resources department at 978-934-3560 or HR@UML.edu if your Employee Information is incorrect.

I am a Student Employee. If I change my address information in HR Direct, will it automatically change in the iSiS Student Application?

No, there is no automated synchronization process between the applications at this time. You should continue to update your address in both applications.

If I have updated my information on the Personal Information Summary page, do I also need to update the individual page links: Update Email, Update Phone, Update Home and Mailing Addresses?

No. You need only update your information on either the Personal Information Summary page or the individual pages. The updates will be displayed on all pages.

What if my permanent address is not in the USA?

Please contact your Human Resources department at 978-934-3560 or HR@UML.edu to update your address information if your permanent address is not in the USA. Additionally, you may need to contact the International Student?s Office within the University, since not all systems share data.

I made a change on my W-4 and M-4, but did not see the change reflected on my next paycheck.

Due to timing, W-4 and M-4 changes may not be reflected in your next paycheck. Updated tax information may take two pay periods to take effect.

Why do I have to select “balance” as a deposit type for my direct deposit request?

If you are enrolling in direct deposit for the first time, the first account you create must have a “Deposit Type” of “Balance”. You can then create additional accounts as necessary. The “Balance” account will receive 100% of your funds if no other accounts are created.

If I choose the “Do not print copy of my pay advice” option on the Pay Statement Print Option page, can I change my mind later and request a paycheck?

No, once this option is selected it cannot be reversed.

Why is the “Deposit Order Number” for my balance account “999”?

The “Deposit Order” field is used when you are depositing to more than one account. For example, if you?re depositing 50% in a checking account and 20% in a savings account, the checking account would have a “Deposit Order” of “1” and the savings account a deposit order of “2”, and so on for additional accounts. The account to which your remaining pay, or balance, is deposited into is assigned the “Deposit Order” of “999”.

When Updating W-4 information, how will I determine my Personal Allowances?

On the W-4 Tax Information page, you can click the “Click here to access W-4 form instructions and worksheet link”. You can print the form and use the “Personal Allowances Worksheet” section to determine your number of allowed exemptions.

What is a W-2C?

When a correction to your W-2 is required, a W-2C is issued.

Can I update my state and federal tax withholding if I am a non-resident alien.

No. Non-resident alien employees must contact their campus HR/Payroll department to change their state and federal tax information.

5/2/10 HR Direct Expanded Employee Self-Service (ESS) has arrived

Expanded self-service functionality is now available for all UMass Lowell employees. These new ‘green’ services allow employees direct access to view and update much personal and job data, thereby eliminating the need for paper based processes.

Employees can nowaccess the following new features to enhance your HR Direct Employee Self Service (ESS) experience:

Enrolling_in_Direct_Deposit – First Time Enrollment

Maintaining_Direct_Deposit – Updates, Adding2nd Account, Suppress Pay Advice

Updating_W-4_Information– Federal Tax Withholding

Updating_M-4_Information– State Tax Withholding

Maintaining_Home_and_Mailing_Addresses

Maintaining_Personal_Email_Addresses

Maintaining_Personal_Phone_Numbers

These job aids as well as new video tutorials will be posted on the HR Direct web site later this week.