UC Flex

UC Flex Home

Human Resources

Financials

Communications

Documents

Glossary

Training

Contact Us

Human Resource FAQs

Q1. What is UC Flex Human Resources?

Key Message(s):
UC Flex Human Resources will replace the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) with a mySAP Business Solution that applies current technology and best business practices to improve the University’s Human Resources functionality.

This decision, in combination with collaborative design and implementation efforts between UC Flex Financials and UC Flex Human Resources, will provide the University with a truly integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system once both systems are in production.

Note: Prior to the selection of the mySAP Business Suite software, the UC Flex Human Resources was known as the Human Resources Systems Replacement Project (HRSRP).

Detailed Information:

UC Flex Human Resources project has four main objectives:

Relate to UC’s needs as a 21st century public university.
Efficient human resources operations and accurate information.
Flexibility and information access improvements.
Ability to use information to manage resource strategies.

The primary benefits expected to accrue from UC Flex are:

Streamlined business processes that use the UC Flex system to provide faster and more convenient service to the University’s user community
Increased automation allowing the University to take advantage of employee/manager services and programs
Replacement of aging administrative systems (HRMS and BMS)
Robust infrastructure and application security and reliability to enable future addition of functionality
Availability of emerging technologies such as Employee Self Service (ESS) and electronic approvals (Workflow)
Elimination of current system constraints (e.g. the ability to track positions and vacancies)
A standard platform that is more robust than the current infrastructure and will support system enhancement to meet future needs over the next decade.

Solution criteria for the new HR system includes:

Full integration with the University’s new financial system.
Support both centralized and decentralized transaction processing.
Workflow systems that electronically route documents for review and approval.
Web access.
Major improvements in position tracking, management and control, as well as training, compensation and personnel administration.

The UC Flex Human Resources system solution will replace the current Human Resources Management System (Integral) with an integrated and comprehensive business solution that will allow UC to use technology to significantly expand system functionality and increase cost efficiency.
The University desires Financial and Human Resources systems that interact seamlessly to provide a single, integrated view of data. With the acquisition of the mySAP Business Suite for the University’s Human Resource and Financial system solutions, UC now owns a robust ERP application software suite.

Q2. What is the scope of UC Flex Human Resources?

Key Message(s):
The following processes have been identified as in-scope for UC Flex Human Resources:

Organization and Position Management
Personnel Administration
Payroll Processing and Payroll Accounting
Time Management
Benefits Administration
Compensation Administration
Personnel Development & Training
Manager and Employee Self Service
Recruitment (works together with PeopleAdmin)
Reporting

Detailed Information:
The following list shows the SAP modules that will be implemented to meet the in-scope processes identified above:

Organization and Position Management
Personnel Administration
Payroll Processing and Payroll Accounting
Time Management
Benefits Administration
Personnel Development & Training
Manager and Employee Self Service
Recruitment
Reporting

Q3. When will the UC Flex Human Resources system go “live”?

The new UC Flex HR system will begin processing HR transactions from June 18, 2006. This date coincides with the first day of the pay period (06/18/06) that will enable the first paychecks for biweekly employees to be generated and distributed on July 11th using the new system.

The implementation timeline for UC Flex Human Resources is designed to deliver an integrated solution in three functional waves, while minimizing disruption to UC’s human resources operations during the transition to the new system. The three functional waves are:

HR Administration: The core HR system including Organizational Management, Personnel Administration, Payroll, Time Management and Benefits. The initial core functionality will be available on June 18, 2006.
Self Services: This wave consists of Manager Self Services (MSS) and Employee Self Services (ESS). Self-service functions will be phased in over a three month period starting with the first MSS functionality that has an initial go-live date of June 26, 2006. The first MSS functionality will provide similar functionalities to the current ePAF process. ESS functions will go-live beginning on September 1, 2006 to support the updating of personal information and Benefits Enrollment for new hires, followed by periodic roll outs of additional services including university-wide Open Enrollment for Benefits in October 2006, to further improve processes in this very dynamic service area for Human Resources.
Talent Management: The UC Flex Personnel Development and Training & Events functionality will also be phased in over time, with the first functionality (limited training administration and baseline qualification catalog) going live in October 2006. This may also be followed by periodic roll outs of additional functionality to improve processes.

Q4. How will we know that UC Flex Human Resources has been successful?

Key Message(s):
We will know that UC Flex Human Resources has been successful when the mySAP Business Suite (in the areas identified in the functional scope for Human Resources) has been implemented on time and within budget, while increasing Human Resources’ performance and minimizing organizational impact.

Detailed Information:
Success for UC Flex Human Resources has been defined as follows:

General Critical Success Factors:

The UC Flex Human Resources implementation must come in on time, on budget and with the functional scope that will be defined and agreed to during the Blueprint Phase of the project.
Adequate knowledge transfer must take place from the external (IBM and SAP) consultants to UC personnel, through all phases of the implementation so that UC will be fully capable of supporting the SAP system at the conclusion of the initial phase of the implementation effort.
The organizational impact of the new system must be minimized by dedicated Change Management activities that support a smooth transition to the new UC Flex environment.

Functional Critical Success Factors:
- Business processes and practices contained in the mySAP Business Solution will be adopted to improve UC practices and procedures.
- UC must be able to go live with Personnel Administration, Organizational Management, Payroll, Time Management, Benefits Administration and certain services in Manager Self Service in June 2006, and with Employee Self Service (Open Enrollment), Personnel Development and Training in October 2006.
- Shadow systems should be eliminated wherever possible.
- The initial implementation of the mySAP software will specifically target the replacement of existing Integral-provided functionality
Technical Critical Success Factors:

Standard SAP configuration practices and capabilities will be adopted. The SAP program code will not be customized or modified.
Existing interfaces with HRMS must be allowed for in the implementation of the new SAP system (i.e., KRONOS and UniverSIS).
The new system will provide the ability to interface to and provide data for other UC web applications.

Q5. What is the Process Change Leadership Group (PCLG)?

Key Message(s):
With the expansion of UC Flex to include Human Resources, the Program Management Office has created the HR Process Change Leadership Group (PCLG) to resolve implementation and business process issues raised during the implementation of the UC Flex HR Module, and make decisions that ensure that the configured SAP solution meets the needs of the University as a whole and the objectives of the UC Flex project.

Detailed Information:

The PCLG’s responsibilities include:
- Approving the SAP Business Blueprint (Functional Design)
- Controlling the Functional Scope and approving any Functional Scope changes
- Resolving, in a timely manner, any process-related issues where alternative approaches exist that require a decision to be made
- Assessing the organizational impacts of the SAP Design
- Acting as Change Leaders to ensure organizational impacts are understood by the UC Community and are adequately addressed.
The PCLG is comprised of representatives from across the University and the UC Flex project. The voting members are:

Betty Young (Chair), Executive Director of Human Resources, Administrative & Business Services
Heather Cox, Director of Human Resources, Medical Center
Julie Flammer, Director of Business Affairs, Finance
Martine Hodges, Director of Business Affairs, Administrative & Business Services
Ken Wolterman, Director of Business Affairs, Provost West.

Non-voting members include (as appropriate):

UC Flex Program Managers
HR Process Owners
UC Flex HR Team Leads
UC Flex Integration Manager
UC Flex Change Management & Training Team Leads.

The PCLG will meet regularly to discuss and resolve any issues relating to the HR project. The members of the Process Change Leadership Group provide support to the UC Flex Executive Steering Committee to resolve Human Resources implementation issues and make decisions regarding the system functionality to ensure the configured solution meets the needs of the University as a whole.

Q6. Will training be provided for employees using the new Human Resources system and processes?

Key Message(s):
Yes. Ensuring that all staff are adequately trained prior to using or working with the new UC Flex Human Resources system is an identified “Critical Success Factor” for the UC Flex initiative. The End User Training Strategy used for UC Flex Financials has been modified for use on UC Flex Human Resources. The strategy defines the training approach, audience, materials, timeline and roles and responsibilities. Specific information regarding UC Flex Human Resources training will be available closer to the go-live date.

Detailed Information:

During the later part of the Realization Phase, a Role Mapping exercise was conducted by the UC Flex Change Management and Training Team working with the UC Flex Business Process Team. The purpose was to assign all identified UC Flex Human Resources transactions for each functional area to UC Flex roles. These roles represent the functions that UC users will be performing in the new system. The results of the role mapping process are used to develop a role-based training curriculum for end users. By adopting a role-based training approach, the UC Flex Change Management and Training Team can help ensure that UC users will be trained primarily on the functions and processes that they will be performing in the new system, prior to the system going live.
The role mapping exercise provides input that helps to define the training approach, audience, materials, timeline and roles and responsibilities. It also assists in defining the training modules to be developed (the course curriculum) and the method of delivery (i.e. classroom-based, CBT’s, “Train-the-Trainer”).
The training solution adopts a role-based approach that will accelerate learning, increase retention, and reduce maintenance. These training materials will be designed to:

Teach end users new processes before they learn new tasks
Provide ample opportunity to practice the new tasks on the system
Help new end users quickly transition from novices to experts
Support end users back on the job.

Q7. How will I know what training I need to take to do my job using the new UC Flex HR system?

A. Training has been a critical success factor for the UC Flex initiative from the outset. The goal is to provide everyone using the new system with the instruction and support needed to do their jobs once the implementation of the new system begins in June this year.

In April, each identified UC Flex HR user received an Individual Course Plan that listed all of the UC Flex HR training courses they are required to attend prior to go-live. Details on how to register for courses were also provided. Participation in the courses identified in the Individual Course Plan is essential for users to be able to perform their jobs using the new UC Flex HR system.

It is important to note that the "UC Flex Overview and Navigation" course is a prerequisite to all other UC Flex HR courses and users will not be permitted to attend any other course until they have completed the Navigation course. This course is available now and users who are new to the UC Flex system may register to attend via the UC Flex Training Opportunities Web Site at https://secure-server.uc.edu/ucflex/trainingopp/. Once the Individual Course Plans are distributed, if you have any questions or if you do not receive a plan and feel you should, please contact your UC Flex HR Transition Leader.

Q1. How will UC Flex affect pay statements and paychecks?

A. All employees will continue to receive accurate and timely paychecks, direct deposits and pay statements. The UC Flex team is conducting detailed and rigorous parallel payroll testing to confirm that payroll data is accurate prior to go-live. Due to new benefits and tax calculations, check amounts will be accurate, but they may differ, compared to current amounts.

On July 11, bi-weekly employees will receive the first paychecks generated by the UC Flex system, with monthly employees receiving their first UC Flex paychecks on July 31. Employees will see some differences, including:

All UC pay statements will have a new format. Statements will provide new useful information, such as year-to-date amounts for taxes, retirement amounts and some earnings, as well as itemized retroactive calculations, and pay rate information for hourly employees. Additionally, employees who have earned leave time that is not available to be used while they are on probation will see these “provisional” leave balances itemized on their pay statement.

To safeguard employees’ personal information, social security numbers will not be printed on checks or statements.

All students will be paid bi-weekly. This will be a significant change for graduate students who are currently paid monthly.

Keep a lookout for a document previewing the new pay statements, which will be mailed to all UC employees before the first paychecks are distributed on July 11.

Q2. Will the amount of my paycheck change?

A. The implementation of UC Flex HR will not affect employees’ hourly pay rates or annual salaries. Similarly, the new system will not affect employee’ benefits coverage or the cost of benefits paid by UC. However, your pay amount may vary from your current take-home pay amount because of changes in the way the new UC Flex system makes calculations, compared to the current system. For example, federal and state tax withholding may differ due to differences in the new system’s calculation methods. Also, the new system stores more accurate benefits rates.

Nine-month faculty who are eligible for sick time may notice a different pay amount compared to HRMS, when their pay is pro-rated for vacation and sick time. This is because pro-rating for faculty will be based on the academic calendar, rather than the standard number of working days per month.

Employees with multiple assignments who receive life insurance and Long Term Disability (LTD) may notice a difference in paycheck amounts. Today in HRMS, life insurance and LTD calculations for employees who have multiple assignments are based on the employee's main assignment only. In UC Flex, benefit calculations are based on the employee’s combined assignments. The impact is that benefit deductions for employees with multiple appointments will increase, and employees will see this difference in their pay statements.

Employees with life insurance will see increased costs during the year if their age bracket changes. In our current system, the increase is based on the employee’s age on January 1. In the new system, increases will occur in the period following the employee’s birthday if the increased age put the employee in a new age bracket for life insurance coverage.

Q3. The benefits contributions and benefits deductions on my new statement show different amounts than my previous pay statement. Why is this?

A. Employee deductions for medical and dental coverage, as well as UC contributions for medical and dental may appear higher on your new statement. However, the differences between the employee’s deduction and UC’s contribution will be the same in both systems. This is due to the way that costs were stored in the previous system. For example: assume an employee in the old system had a medical deduction of $500 and medical employer contribution of $450. In the UC Flex system, assume this same employee’s medical deduction is $560 and the medical employer contribution is $510. The difference for this employee in both systems is $50.

Q4. I’ve heard that you can receive two pay statements at the same time. Why is that?

A. The new UC Flex pay statement has an updated format that uses static windows to organize information in an easy-to-read format. Typically, all the information for a pay statement will fit on a single page. However, some employees may occasionally have a pay statement that is too long to be printed on a single page. This may occur if there are several additional line items for retroactive pay calculations. If this occurs, you will receive two separate sealed statements. If you receive a printed paycheck, rather than direct deposit, the check portion of the second statement will be void. Open both mailings and review them together to see a complete picture of your statement.

Q5. How will graduate assistants be affected by UC Flex?

A. When UC Flex is implemented in June, all students will be paid bi-weekly, or every two weeks. This means that graduate assistants who are currently paid monthly will receive bi-weekly paychecks. Graduate assistants’ total pay is based on their departments’ offer letter, and the implementation of UC Flex will not affect their total pay. Also, the status of graduate assistants is not changing – which means they continue to be paid a salary, not an hourly rate. The only changes graduate assistants will see are their pay frequency will change from monthly to bi-weekly, and the amount of pay included on each check will reflect two weeks of pay rather than one month.

Q6. Who do I contact if I have questions about my new paycheck or pay statement?

A. If you have questions when you receive your pay statement send an e-mail to UCFlexPay@uc.edu. If you need immediate assistance contact the HR Service Center at (513) 556-2452.

Q7. Why don’t I see year-to-date values for all my earnings and deductions?

A. Only the year-to-date values that are required for year-end processing of W-2 Forms and Total Compensation Statements were converted from the legacy HRMS system. This means that gross year-to-date earnings were not converted, as well as many deduction types including parking, life insurance, and benefits. Year-to-date values that were not converted are maintained as history records in HRMS. For these unconverted values, your pay statement will display cumulative values beginning July 2006 rather than year-to-date values. Beginning January 2007, you will see year-to-date values for each earning and deduction type on your pay statement.

Q8. Why does my marital status for state tax withholding display incorrectly on my pay statement?

A. If you noticed that your marital status appears incorrectly on your pay statement for state tax withholding, do not be concerned. When pay statements are printed, the system displays, “Single” as the default marital status for state tax, regardless of the employee’s actual marital status or number of dependents. State tax calculations are not based on the marital status or number of dependents. They are based on the number of exemptions you have indicated on your Form W-4 State Tax Withholding.

Q9. Can you explain how earnings on my pay statement are calculated?

A. The Paycheck Summary section on your pay statement displays your earnings. Earnings are calculated as the sum of regular earnings, employer benefit contributions and employer benefit credits. Group Term Life Insurance, which appears on your pay statement as GTLI Taxable, is not included in your earnings calculation because it is imputed income. Imputed income is the value of group term life insurance coverage provided by the University in excess of $50,000. GTLI is taxable to the employee as a rate based on the employee’s age; it is not included in earnings.

Q10. I noticed that my life insurance cost increased. What caused this?

A. Employees with life insurance will see increased costs during the year, if their age bracket changes. In our legacy HRMS system, the increase was based on the employee’s age on January 1. In the new system, increases will occur in the pay period following the employee’s birthday if the increased age puts the employee in a new age bracket for life insurance coverage.

Q11. Are leave balances duplicated for employees with multiple assignments?

A. No. For employees who have multiple assignments, you may notice that your leave balances appear to be duplicated on your pay statement for each assignment. This is due to an error which causes your leave balance to be printed on your pay statement for each assignment. The error is being corrected. Your actual leave balances are not duplicated in the UC Flex system.

Q1. What is changing with the Kronos IDs used by hourly employees to clock in and out?

A. All hourly employees report their time so they can be paid. Kronos is the name of the system that collects working hours. Some hourly employees swipe their badge to clock in and out and send their working hours to the Kronos system. And some hourly employees use a telephone-based system called Teletime to send their working hours to the Kronos system.

On June 18, 2006 UC is implementing a new HR system called UC Flex. Starting on June 21, 2006 all Kronos users will have a new Kronos ID number. Currently, Kronos IDs are a 10-digit number consisting of the last five digits of your Social Security Number plus the 5-digit department number. In the future, all Kronos User IDs will consist of your personnel assignment number in UC Flex.

If you clock in and out by swiping your badge, you will continue to use your existing badge. The Kronos system will recognize you and begin using the new Kronos ID automatically. If you use the Teletime system to clock in and out, it will be important for you to know your new Kronos ID number beginning on June 21, 2006.

Individual communication will be sent to all hourly employees immediately before go live to let them know your their Kronos ID. If you have questions, please contact your timekeeper.

Q2. What if I have more than one job?

A. If you have more than one job at UC, then you will use a different Kronos ID for each job. Your Kronos User ID consists of your personnel assignment number in UC Flex and each job has a unique assignment number. Be sure to use the appropriate number to record your time, so that your time is recorded for the right job.

Q3. When will this change take effect?

A. If you clock in and out by swiping your badge, you will continue to use your existing badge. The Kronos system will recognize you and begin using the new Kronos ID automatically, on Wednesday June 21.

If you use Teletime to record your working time, continue to use your current Kronos ID until noon on Monday June 19. At this time, Kronos will be taken down. Starting Wednesday, June 21, you will begin using your new Kronos ID. Please work with your supervisor to report hours worked to your timekeeper, so your hours can be manually entered for any time you worked after noon on June 19.

Q4. How will the new Kronos IDs be communicated?

A. Look for a printed announcement distributed via mail location that provides your individual Kronos ID(s). Announcements should be distributed during the week of June 12, 2006. If you have multiple jobs you will receive a separate announcement for each job. If you have not received your new Kronos ID by June 21, contact your timekeeper.

Q5. Who do I contact if I have questions about my Kronos ID or problems clocking in and out?

A. If you have questions contact your timekeeper.

Q1. What is UC Flex doing to protect and secure employees’ Social Security Numbers?

A. UC Flex is consistent with the university's policy to discontinue the use of Social Security Numbers as a unique identifying number for IT systems. In the UC Flex system, employees are identified by their name or by their UCID number. Employee Social Security Numbers continue to be maintained in the UC Flex system for benefits and tax purposes. However, only UC Flex users with appropriate security access will be able to view Social Security Numbers.

Social Security Numbers will no longer be printed on employee paychecks. Additionally, Social Security Numbers will not be available in the Business Warehouse reporting system, and will not appear on Employee Self Service screens.

Q2. What is the UCID?

A. The University of Cincinnati is implementing a unique identifying number for all UC students and employees. The UCID number consists of the letter M, followed by 8 digits—for example: M00123456. The UCID number will enable systems across the University to move away from using student and employee Social Security Numbers as a unique identifier, thus safeguarding your personal information.

Q3. When will I need to use my UCID?

A. Multiple systems across the University contain student and employee information, and the implementation of this new unique identifying number will not be completed overnight. Starting on June 18, 2006 when the UC Flex HR system is implemented, UCID will be used as the unique identifying number for all UC employees in the University’s new Human Resources system. There is no need to memorize your UCID right away. However, as more systems and functions across the University begin using the new number, such as UniverSIS, you will see the UCID is increasingly used to identify yourself.

Q4. How can I find my UCID number?

A. Starting in July, employee pay statements will be printed with the new UCID number instead of Social Security Number. Later this Fall when Employee Self Service is implemented as part of the UC Flex project, benefits-eligible employees will see their UCID online as part of their personal HR record. Additionally, employees can call the HR Service Center to find their UCID.

Q5. Need more information?

A. Questions about the new UCID can be directed to the Help Desk at 556-HELP or HelpDesk@UC.Edu.

Q1. Will the same HR information continue to be available in UC Flex?

A. HR data will be converted from the current HR system to the new UC Flex system, ensuring that all the information will continue to be available. However, data will be organized differently in UC Flex. The new system is designed to provide more flexibility and the data structure reflects this increased flexibility. Depending on how closely you work with HR data today, you may need to become familiar with the new data structure in UC Flex.

One example of a significant change is the job class code. If you are familiar with the job class code as it is used today, you know that the information contained in the job class table is used to define an employee’s title, EEO code, pay, benefits and other information. This same information is contained in UC Flex, but it is not organized into a single job class table. Different fields, such as position, employee group, and personnel area are used in UC Flex to store the information that is currently found in the job class table.

Q2. Will all Graduate Assistants be converted into the new UC Flex system?
Will they automatically be set up with a bi-weekly pay frequency, or do we need to enter a PCR to request this?

A. Four student pooled positions will exist when we convert to UC Flex, namely, Graduate Assistant, Student Worker, Co-op Student and Work Study Student. Graduate Assistants are exempt, paid on a salaried basis, and pay is established using a recurring wage type with a start and end date. All other student positions are non-exempt, paid on an hourly basis and pay is based on hours submitted through the timekeeping process. All students will be paid on a bi-weekly frequency. Student positions will be converted to the new system as follows:

Graduate Assistants, if their end date in HRMS is May 31 or later, will convert into UC Flex but without a salary amount. To set up a salary, use the PCR-Recurring payment with the appropriate wage type and start/end dates.

Graduate Assistants with end dates prior to May 31 will not be active in your organizational unit. To establish a record for these students, use either PeopleAdmin or the new hire form (available on the HR website on June 2).

Active students paid on an hourly basis will convert into UC Flex.

Students who were paid monthly and are not Graduate Assistants will not be active in your organization. To set up a record for these students, use either PeopleAdmin or the new hire form.

Q3. When Graduate Assistants are converted into the new system, will their records include the salary and old budget information associated with their appointments?

A. No, they will have an employee record set up in the new system, but it will not include accounting information or a salary amount. Use the PCR-Recurring Payment to set up the salary and the accounting information for the employee record. Follow the 2006 payroll calendar to be sure the PCR is submitted in time for the appropriate pay date. To set up a new Graduate Assistant record, use the new hire process.

Q4. How will account lines be converted to the new system and what changes will I need to make?

A. At go live, the new system will pick up all account lines that are active as of July 1 and they will be set up in the new system with an end date of 12/31/9999. If you have any future dated account lines, with start dates of July 2 or later, use the Cost Distribution PCR to set them up in the new UC Flex system. Also, if you want to start using lower level cost centers or internal orders, use the Cost Distribution PCR to set them up. Please be aware that for current active Grants do not change the funding lines. However, lower level cost centers can be used on new grants set up after July 1, 2006. Step-by-step instructions for this transaction will be covered in the course titled, “Initiating and Approving PCRs.”

Use the time before go live to plan the PCRs you plan to complete immediately after PCR go live on June 26. Please refer to the 2006 Payroll Calendar http://www.hr.uc.edu/peis/calendar2006.pdf and the 2006 PAF Schedule http://www.hr.uc.edu/PEIS/pafs02.pdf to prioritize your work. While retroactive changes are possible in UC Flex, they should be limited.

Q1. Will HR data continue to be available for reporting purposes in BI/Query or BI/Web?

A. BI/Query and BI/Web will continue to be used for UniverSIS reporting, but it will not contain current HR data after UC Flex HR is implemented in June. When HRMS is replaced by UC Flex HR, BI/Query and BI/Web will not continue to be updated with current HR information. Instead, Business Warehouse (BW) and UC Flex HR will be the source for HR reports.

Q2. Will Labor History reports be available online after HR go-live?

A. Fiscal Year 2006 Labor History detail data will be available as it is today in Business Warehouse. These reports are stored in a folder named Labor History (Encumbrance and Non), subfolder FY2006 Legacy. For FY2007, payroll will be run from UC Flex and those reports are in the main Labor History folder.

Q3. Is a vacant position report available in the new system?

A. The UC Flex team is currently working to design and develop a vacant position report. Look for an announcement as soon as this report is available. Step-by-step instructions will be available on the UC Flex website.

Q4. Where can I find the most current key data structure information?

A. The key data structure which is used to group employees into personnel area, subarea, employee group and subgroup, is updated when changes are needed. See the latest Key Data Structures on the UC Flex website: http://www.uc.edu/ucflex/documents/Key_Data_Structures_June_10_2006.pdf.

Q5. How can I see a Time Report for a salaried employee?

A. A Business Warehouse report is available for reporting quota balances - HR500: Time/Quota Balances, and absences - HR520: Absence Report, for salaried employees.
Click the following links to access step-by-step instructions:
http://www.uc.edu/ucflex/documents/WI_HR500_Time_Quota_Balance.pdf
http://www.uc.edu/ucflex/documents/WI_HR520_Absence.pdf

Q1. How does a new person get entered into the UC Flex system?

A. PeopleAdmin is the preferred method for processing new hires into the UC Flex system. As an alternative, paper-based forms is available on the HR web site to complete the hiring process for UC Flex. The PAF and ePAF will no longer be used after UC Flex is implemented.

Q2. Will training be provided for the new paper form that is available for processing new hires?

A. No. The preferred way to hire an employee is to use PeopleAdmin and there is on-going training being provided by the HR Team. A paper process currently exists and the forms used to complete this process are being revised and will be available on the HR website on June 2. No formal training is necessary for the paper forms.

Q3. For concurrent employment, will the employee need to complete new paperwork, such as I-9, even if they already have paperwork on file for their original assignment?

A. No, if an employee currently holding a position fills another position and has already completed an I-9 form, the employee’s personal data may not change when the hiring event occurs but information about the assignment (eg, organization unit, position, work location) and salary will be needed from the hiring unit in order to complete the personnel action. The HR Service Center will confirm that all appropriate information has been collected when the action is processed.

Q4. Regarding student employee forms, such as exemption form and enrollment verification, will these be done online now?

A. No, these forms will continue to be processed through the HR Service Center as part of the hiring process. These are paper based forms today and will remain as such.

Q5. Frequently foreign student hires have a temporary Social Security Number while they are waiting for their permanent number. How should this be entered in UC Flex?

A. As long as the temporary Social Security Number is a unique number, it can be entered in the new UC Flex system. There is no need to delay entering the student in the system. When the permanent SSN is available, the student can use the Personal Data Form (PDF) available on the HR web site along with required paper work to initiate the change.

Q1. What is the process for New Hire Benefits Enrollment?

A. Beginning on July 10, Employee Self Service (ESS) will be piloted with a limited number of users in preparation for a university-wide roll out in October. Pilot participants will include the following:

For Benefits Enrollment process – all benefits-eligible new hires, university-wide

For all other ESS process – employees working in University Hall

Beginning on June 2, all new hires will be processed via PeopleAdmin or the new hire form available on the HR web site. On June 18 UC Flex will be implemented and new hires will be entered in the new system. When benefits-eligible employees are hired in the UC Flex system, they will automatically be enrolled in default benefits plans. When an employee is enrolled in benefits, the HR Service Center sends the employee a benefits enrollment form which shows the default benefit plans that the employee is currently enrolled in. Employees have 30 days from their date of hire to change their benefit selections.

Beginning on July 10, Employee Self Service will be available for new hires to make changes to their benefit selections or confirm their default selections. As an alternative, employees can also complete the benefits enrollment form and return the form to the HR Service Center. Employees can direct questions about default benefit plans to the HR Service Center.

If the employee does not update their benefits selection within 30 days, the default plan becomes effective on the employee’s benefit effective date. Typically, benefits are effective the first day of the month following 28 or 30 days of employment.

Employees will experience no break in service regarding benefits enrollment during the UC Flex transition. June 8 will be the last day that employees will be enrolled in benefits via UC’s automated system with our benefits provider, Humana. Between June 9 and June 18 benefits enrollment will be manually sent to Humana.

New Hire Benefits Enrollment Process

Q2. How will employees who are hired on June 2 or later enroll in benefits until ESS becomes available?

A. During the transition to UC Flex, employees will complete the benefits enrollment form and return it to the HR Service Center. Employees will experience no break in service regarding benefits enrollment during the UC Flex transition.

Q3. Is Employee Self Service the only method for new hires to enroll in benefits?

A. No, new hires who do not choose to use Employee Self Service can complete the benefits enrollment form and submit it to the HR Service Center.

Q4. What is the time limit for an employee to make their benefit selections?

A. Employees have 30 days from their date of hire to change their default benefit selections. If benefit selections are not changed within the 30 day window, the employee’s default benefits will become effective on the benefits effective date.

Q5. How will employees, including new hires, gain access to ESS and how will user IDs and passwords for ESS be communicated to new users?

A. Employees will automatically be set up as Employee Self Service (ESS) users when they are hired in the UC Flex system and the appropriate interfaces have processed their access. Step-by-step instructions for enrolling in benefits using ESS will be included in the new hire packet. Users can call the UCit Help Desk at 6-HELP for support with logging on to ESS.

Q1. What type of editing is done by the UC Flex system during PCR processing?

A. Edit-checks within the system will not allow a PCR to be processed for an inappropriate employee group. For example, a retirement PCR is not available for a student position; only the wage types appropriate for the position will be available in the PCR – Recurring Payments. Other transactions should be selected carefully – the “AAUP Article 15” selection, while available for all employee types, should be selected only for faculty positions.

Q2. Currently we use our old CUFS budget numbers for PAFs and ePAFs. Will we need to submit a PCR for any cost distributions that we want to track at a lower level? If so, what’s the preferred timeframe for submitting these PCRs?

A. Yes, if and when you want to start using your new, lower-level cost centers and internal orders, you will need to complete a Cost Distribution PCR. You should use the time before PCRs are available on June 26 to review the actions that you want to process and prioritize them based on effective date according to the current payroll schedule.

Q3. What are the deadlines for processing PCR approvals?

A. Departments will need to be sure that PCR initiators and approvers share the responsibility of making sure that PCRs are submitted according to the due dates described above. PCR initiators will want to be sure to leave sufficient time for the PCR to be routed through the workflow process. PCR approvers will want to check their worklist on a regular basis to keep the workflow process moving forward.

Q4. With the PCR process, are we making changes to the paperwork that is required for work-study students?

A. No, the current process that requires approval from Financial Aid prior to employing a work study student is not changing.

Q5. Can you explain how end dates for employee pay are managed in UC Flex?

A. Understanding how end dates affect an employee’s record is important to how employee pay is set up and managed in UC Flex. Every employee’s record contains one of two pay-related infotypes that determines how that employee is paid. The recurring payment infotype is set up with an end date, and the basic pay infotype has a default end date of 12/31/9999. The illustration below shows how the recurring payment and the basic pay infotypes are used for different types of employees.

Q6. How are full time faculty reappointments (with no title change) handled in UC Flex?

A. While the implementation of UC Flex will not change the process your department or college uses to approve faculty reappointments, there are some differences in how reappointments will be maintained in the new system. In HRMS, faculty appointments were set up with end-dates, where appropriate. In UC Flex, full-time faculty are set up with a basic pay infotype which has a default end date of 12/31/9999. Therefore, no action is required in the system when faculty are reappointed – the end date will continue to appear in the system as 12/31/9999.

Because full time faculty appointments are not set up in the system with end dates, it is essential for an employee to be separated in UC Flex when their faculty appointment expires. Separations must be done in a timely manner so employees do not continue to receive pay. HRMS was set up to end an employee’s job and pay when their appointment ended. In UC Flex, however, only employees who are paid using a recurring payment infotype, (adjuncts and graduate assistants) have end dates in the system to stop their payments. As a reminder, even though payments will automatically stop on the pay end date for adjuncts and graduate assistants it is still important to separate these employees to ensure the university’s employee records are accurate and up-to-date.

Q7. How are faculty promotions done in the new system?

A. In the past, you used a PAF or ePAF to promote a faculty to a new title. In UC Flex, there is no PCR for changing an employee’s title. Faculty promotions will be processed as organizational reassignment personnel actions. The procedure is to complete a Position Maintenance Request form, which is available on the HR web site. Attach a copy of the promotion decision, and submit the form to the Organizational Management (OM) team. The OM Team will confirm the information needed to complete the organizational reassignment action and forward any salary change information to the HR Service Center to be entered in UC Flex.

Q8. How are graduate assistants reappointed and separated in the new system?

A. Graduate assistants are paid with a recurring payment infotype which is set up with an end date. If a graduate assistant is already set up in the system with an up-to-date employee record, departments can use the Recurring Payments PCR to re-establish their pay for the academic year. If the graduate assistant does not have an employee record or the record needs to be updated, complete the new hire form available on the HR web site, attach the department’s letter of reappointment and submit this to the OM Team. The OM Team will confirm the information needed to complete the hire and forward the information to the HR Service Center to be entered in UC Flex. Once the employee’s record is available in UC Flex, the department uses the Recurring Payments PCR to establish the graduate assistant’s pay for the academic year. At the end of their appointment, use the Separation PCR to separate a graduate assistant. Departments may not want to separate graduate assistants each academic year, if the graduate assistant may return the following year.

Q9. What are the details regarding employee’s records being locked during payroll processing?

A. The UC Flex system will require that employee records be locked during time and payroll processing. UC Flex is an integrated system, so an employee’s record cannot be open for maintenance at the same time the employee’s record is needed for processing time and payroll. Before time and payroll processes are initiated, users who are currently maintaining employee records will see a system message advising them that employee maintenance transactions will become unavailable in five minutes. If users do not end the transaction before time and payroll processes are initiated, their transaction will be automatically terminated. Any unsaved work will be lost. To prevent the loss of data, users must complete and save their entries.

This is not system downtime because the UC Flex system will continue to be available. The only functions that will not be available are employee record maintenance transactions. Reporting and display transactions will still be available.

Locked employee records will primarily affect central users, with the exception of decentral users who are responsible for entering Kronos account lines and maintaining employee records for Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (RPT).

When will employee records be locked for maintenance? Users can expect employee records to be locked for short periods of time each month during bi-weekly and monthly processing for time and payroll.

For bi-weekly employees, records will be locked at times on Wednesday and Thursday following the end of the biiweekly pay period. Days may change if the processing week includes a holiday.

For monthly employees, records will be locked at times during the fourth and fifth day before the monthly paycheck date.

Q10. Does the letter of resignation get sent to the HRSC with a voluntary separation?

A. The letter of resignation can be faxed or mailed if the employee furnishes one. If the employee does not supply the department with a letter the department can use the comments section to indicate that no letter is available.

Q11. If someone is retiring from a primary position, but still has an Adjunct position that he/she will complete, how will this be handled?

A. When faculty retire they need to be completely off the payroll for a defined period of time. Which means they cannot retire and continue to be paid for an adjunct position. They need to plan their retirement date to occur between quarters if they plan to continue being paid on an adjunct position after they retire.

Q12. What is the ADL approval process for the Compensation Department?

A. Compensation is an exception approver for ADL and TWL wage types. Complete the Additional Pay Worksheet (on HR website) and paste it into the comments section of the PCR.

Q13. Can you use ADL for incentive pay in base pay?

A. No. ADL is not appropriate for this purpose.

Q14. How are work study students handled?

A. Work Study positions are pooled positions. Students are hired into a work study position for the time they are employed. If the student is already working at UC, the work study assignment would be in addition to their other assignments). The procedure to follow is to hire the student into the position, using either the New Hire Form or PeopleAdmin. Wages for work study students are paid in two ways: Department's share (25%) is a base pay hourly rate and is specified on the hire form/hiring proposal; Financial Aid share (75%) is a recurring wage type also submitted at hire.

Q15. If multiple cost distribution lines come over in conversion, how will percentages be distributed?

A. They will be distributed using the same percentages used in HRMS as of July 1, 2006.

Q16. Will Social Security Numbers be masked to decentral users in PA20?

A. Yes.

Q17. Will all PCRs for work study students go through Financial Aid for approval or at least have a notification routed to Financial Aid?

A. The Recurring Payment PCR is the only PCR applicable for Work Study Students - and that will go through Financial Aid.

Q18. If a PCR Initiator is out for an extended length of time and a PCR is sent back to them from the Approver, will it also go back to the Initiator's back up? If not, how will the back up Initiator know about it?

A. No, a PCR returned by the approver will not go the initiator backup. The department can use the PCR Status report to monitor all PCRs. If one is returned they can contact the Workflow Administrator (via 6-HELP) to release the PCR.

Q19. If a monthly employee cannot receive a TWL, is ADL an alternative?

A. Yes, the ADL would be an acceptable alternative. HR is in the process of evaluating the TWL for monthly employees.

Q20. Is the SAP - UniverSIS interface validating Social Security Numbers in UC Flex to ensure that students are enrolled and to make sure they are not eligible to be retired?

A. Currently, there is no automatic validation that occurs between UniverSIS and UC Flex.

Q21. Can you change the priority of a PCR using the priority column?

A. No. The Priority column is not configured for UC, and it will be removed from the screen.

Q22. Will we submit PCRs for Non-Employees?

A. Yes. When a non-employee leaves, either voluntarily or involuntarily, a Separation PCR needs to be submitted.

Q23. What should the Effective date be for a separation or retirement if an employee leaves on a Friday and it is the last working day of the month, but not necessarily the last day of the month?

A. The separation date is always the day after the last working day. For the correct retirement date you should consult with the retiring employee as this needs to correspond with the date given to STRS, PERS, etc.

Q24. In the Separation PCR, what is the Unclassified Termination reason code?

A. Labor Relations asked that this reason be provided, as unclassified employees serve at the discretion of the Board of Trustees.

Q25. What dates should be entered for Faculty 910 and 912 for leave of absence dates during summer?

A. The work schedule for 910 and 912 faculty does not include summer. Therefore it would not be appropriate to process a leave of absence for summer.

Q26. When an On Call Recurring Payment is entered with an account line not on the cost distribution or in Kronos, will a new Kronos Account Line need to be entered in PA30?

A. The account line for On Call (CLL) is recorded via the Recurring Payment PCR. Then, when the on call hours are worked, the hours recorded in Kronos will be charged against the rate identified on Infotype14/Recurring Payment.

Q27. Can students receive bonuses? If so, do they get routed through HR Compensation for approval?

A. The university has announced that departments should set their own bonus policy. Once written those policies are approved by HR. Therefore, if a department has an approved bonus policy which includes students - then students can receive a bonus.

Q28. Can students receive a one-time payment?

A. Graduate Assistants can receive a one-time payment if it represents duties that are consistent with the duties of a Graduate Assistant as described in the graduate handbook. Regarding hourly students, this question is still under discussion in HR.

Q29. How does an ADM wage type affect Faculty retirement?

A. Both ADM and ADS are included in retirement salary.

Q30. Will encumbrances be across fiscal years or only in one fiscal year after October?

A. Currently, once Position Budget Control (PBC) is turned on in October, commitments (encumbrances) will be fiscal-year driven. The standard implementation of PBC is fiscal-year based. However we are looking into alternatives for crossing fiscal years, but at this time, do not have a final solution.

Q31. When a Grant is abolished, will the severance still be one month for every year of service up to 6 months?

A. The funding source of an abolished position is irrelevant. All abolishment will follow the same university policies.

Q32. Where will the PCR Tracking report be located in the Portal?

A. On the Maintain HR tab.

Q33. Is there any significance to PCRs being bold or unbold on the Approver screen?

A. No, if the Approver can see the PCR then they can access it. If they click on the PCR and there is an error, it means that someone else is processing it.

Q34. Is a PCR tied to the initiator's position? What happens when a new person comes into the initiator's position?

A. The PCR is attached to the employee it is processed for. When a new person comes into the initiator position he/she will be able to see all PCR for those employees for which he/she has authorizations for. The various roles assigned to a position, such as PCR initiator, PCR approver, Timekeeper, Salary Leave Administrator, etc. have information maintained on the position. The procedure for creating or updating this information is to complete the Position Maintenance Request Form on the HR website and submit it to the OM Team for processing. Departments will need to consider this as their employees move into and out of positions.

Q35. What is the name of the new cost distribution report?

A. The R3 Cost Distribution report is ZHRPA_COST_DIST.

Q36. There is a report for monitoring PCRs. What is the name of the report and how do I execute it?

A. Access the PCR Status report by selecting the Maintain HR tab, and clicking HR Reports on the left.

Q37. Where will the online PAF forms be for those PAFs that weren’t replaced with a PCR?

A. There will be no PAF forms. The New Hire and the Transfer forms are on the HR web site, though new hires and transfers processed through PeopleAdmin will not require paper forms. A different form is available for organizational and position changes. There are no paper forms for the processes for which PCRs have been built.

Q38. How is the UCID (also called Person ID or M Number) generated?

A. The system will generate the UCID. It will be the letter M followed by 8 numerical digits.

Q39. Is there a calculation to determine stipends for Graduate Assistants?

A. Yes, take the annual award amount, divide it by the appropriate number of pay periods, submit that amount on a Recurring Payment PCR with the appropriate beginning and end dates.

Q40. Retroactive cost distribution changes only apply to distributions that occurred in UC Flex. Example: If an incorrect distribution occurred in July 2006 or after, it should be corrected in UC Flex as a retroactive change. If the incorrect distribution occurred prior to July 1, 2006, it has to be discussed with Financial Services to address how it will be corrected because this was processed in HRMS?

A. The procedure for prior calendar year and prior UC Flex cancelled check and overpayment is as follows:

Prior Calendar Year (December 2005 and prior) - The employee pays back gross and should take a credit on his tax return in the year he paid it back. A new W-2 will not be created, because the employee had a constructive receipt of the money in the prior year. A copy of the employee's check and a screen print of the account line it was charged to will be sent to Government Cost Compliance (GCC), and GCC will process a JP and SK to correct UC Flex and the legacy labor history.

Prior UC Flex (January 2006 to June 2006) - A new process is in place. When a retroactive overpayment or cancelled check has been indentified to HRSC, they will enter data in UC Flex for prior SAP adjustments to adjust GTN totals and correct the taxes, reductions and deductions to the correct chart of accounts. HRSC will also create an accurate W-2 at year end. This information will be posted to the current period and period in Financials. It will create a claim which will create a receivable. Copies of all grant related documents will be sent to Sponsored Programs Accounting (SPA) at mail location 0225 or scanned and sent to John Ungruhe's attention to be disseminated to the appropriate Grant Administrator.

Q41. How long will ePAF history be available?

A. The data will be available in e-PAF for one year.

Q42. Where can I find cost assignment information for an employee’s recurring and one time payments?

A. Cost Assignment information can be displayed using transaction code PA20. Refer to the Handout: Display Cost Assignment for Recurring and One-Time Payments on the UC Flex website for step-by-step instructions. Also, the Cost Distribution Report (ZHRPA_14_COST_DIST) can be a useful tool. It displays cost distribution information for all recurring and one time payments, including the accounts, dates and amounts. Step-by-step instructions for the R/3 Cost Distribution Report will be available on the UC Flex website.

Q43. What is the purpose of the cost distribution infotype 27?

A. Cost distribution (Infotype 27) defines how costs associated with an employee’s basic pay (Infotype 8) are distributed across various accounts. An employee’s cost distribution infotype does not affect the validity dates for an employee’s pay, whether they are paid via basic pay or recurring payments.

Q44. I need to submit a PCR for an employee who has more than one assignment. How can I tell which is the primary assignment?

A. When working with an employee who has more than one position, be sure you are working with the correct assignment when submitting a PCR. As a PCR initiator, you will only see employee assignments that are in the organizational units you are authorized to update. If you need to determine which position is the employee’s primary assignment use transaction PA20 to access the employee’s record and display Infotype 712 - Main Personnel Assignment. A checkmark is displayed next to the employee’s primary assignment.

Q45. How can I find the default cost distribution for a pooled position?

A. When a new employee is hired into a pooled position they inherit the cost distribution associated with that position. To see the cost distribution of any position, use transaction code PPOSE to access the Organization and Staffing Display screen. In the Find by area, select Position and enter search criteria to find the position you want. Select the position in the Overview panel and select the Cost Distribution tab in the Detail area to see the cost distribution associated with that position. This information will be inherited by new employees who are hired into this position. This may not be the cost distribution that you want for a specific employee in a pooled position. To make changes to the employee’s cost distribution, submit a Cost Distribution PCR to create a new cost distribution for the employee.

Q46. How can I tell if my PCR is stuck in workflow?

A. You can use report ZPCRSTAT to monitor a PCR through the approval process. Enter the PCR confirmation number and you can see the status of that PCR. If the PCR is waiting for an approver to take action you can contact the individual directly. As a PCR initiator you will receive a notification when a PCR has been processed by the HR Service Center. If you display the employee’s record after you see the notification and see that changes were not applied, the PCR may be stuck in workflow. If you believe that a PCR is stuck in workflow, send an e-mail to ucflex@uc.edu with a request to check the status of your PCR in workflow.

Q47. What is the process for setting up TWL supplemental pay?

A. You can now use Personnel Change Requests (PCRs) in the UC Flex system to set up TWL supplements for hourly employees. There are two types of TWL supplements:

TWL - All Hours is used for employees who should be paid according to their union contract, or UC policy for unrepresented employees, for hours worked in a higher position. This TWL wage type is the same as that used in the HRMS legacy system with the only difference being that the UC Flex system will determine the hours to be paid at the TWL rate based on the hours reported in Kronos. Kronos timekeepers will no longer be required to enter TWL in Kronos for these employees.

TWL - Partial Hours is used for an employee who should only be paid TWL for the hours actually worked in a higher position. This wage type is used by the Utilities organizational unit while an employee fills the Lead Supervisor position during the supervisor’s absence. These hours may vary week to week, requiring the Kronos timekeeper to enter the TWL hours in Kronos. Pointing in Kronos is not required.

Step 1: PCR Initiator creates a Recurring Payment PCR for the employee, as follows:
Select the appropriate reason code, as follows, and enter the hourly TWL pay rate.

To pay the TWL supplement for all the employee’s hours, select the reason code TWL - All Hours

To pay the TWL supplement for some of the employee’s hours, based on timekeeper’s entry, select the reason code TWL - Partial Hours

Copy and paste the Additional Payment Worksheet into the comments section of the PCR.

Step 2: The PCR is routed for approval, based on the defined workflow for the employee type.

Step 3: The approved PCR is received by the HR Service Center and the appropriate wage type is set up for the employee based on the reason code and rate entered on the PCR.

Step 4: Employees with TWL - All Hours will receive the supplement for all hours recorded in Kronos. Employees with TWL - Partial Hours will receive the supplement only for the hours designated in Kronos by the timekeeper as TWL.

Q48. What is the procedure for handling retroactive pay adjustments?

A. The UC Flex system is date-driven, which means that retroactive pay is processed automatically. For example, when you process a salary adjustment PCR for those employees who are paid via Basic Pay (Infotype 8) with an effective date that is in the past, the system will automatically calculate the retroactive pay for the employee, and it will be included in the employee’s pay the next time payroll is processed. Similarly, for an employee who is paid via a recurring payment PCR, if a recurring payment PCR is processed with an effective date that is in the past, the system will automatically calculate the retroactive amount.

However, the earliest date that can be used for processing retroactive pay is limited by the date when the system was implemented. For bi-weekly processing, retroactive pay cannot be automatically processed before June 18, 2006. For monthly employees retroactive pay cannot be automatically processed before July 1, 2006.

If the effective date is prior to these dates, contact the Payroll in the HR Service Center to determine how to handle the manual retroactive pay adjustment.

Q49. How are work study students set up in the UC Flex system?

A. Before you can hire a work study student, make sure you have a work study student pooled position available in your organizational unit. You also need to work with Financial Aid to ensure your recruit is eligible for work study.

It is important to understand how the two components of work study student pay is set up in the UC Flex system. 25% of the employee’s pay is set up on the Basic Pay infotype and is paid by the employee’s organizational unit. The remaining 75% is covered by a work study grant, which is set up on the Recurring Payment Infotype 14.

Please be aware that all work study student positions that were converted to the new UC Flex system were set to end on July 1, 2006. Any work study positions that are approved beyond July 1, need to be extended with a Recurring Payment PCR.

If you have work study student positions which are approved to continue after July 1 and you have not submitted a Recurring Payment PCR, you need to take immediate action. Please take a few minutes to check the Recurring Payments for your work study student positions to ensure they have the appropriate end dates. If you have work study student positions that need to be extended, submit a Recurring Payment PCR immediately to establish the student’s pay with a new end date. If students in these positions need to receive back pay, the Recurring Payment PCR must be processed in the system before you can submit an off-cycle check request.

If a work study student’s position has not been approved to be extended, and you wish to retain the employee as a non-work study student worker, you need to process a new hire form to move them into a regular student worker position and submit a separation PCR to end their work study position.

If a work study student is paid from another account other than their cost distribution, or if they are paid at a different pay rate, then an additional assignment must be created for the work study student. Once the new assignment is created in UC Flex and a new hire is created in Kronos, then the work study student will need to clock in and out using the correct Kronos ID that correlates to the position with the correct cost distribution and/or pay rate for the work being performed.

Because UC Flex is configured to pay work study students from both a basic pay and a recurring payment, it is not possible to use a Kronos Account Line to override a work study student's cost distribution or their Basic Pay. Therefore, there should never be any pointing in Kronos for a work study student. If a work study student should be paid from another account, other than their cost distribution, or if they should be paid at a different pay rate, then an additional assignment must be created for the work study student. Once the new assignment is created in UC Flex and a new hire is created in Kronos, then the work study student will need to clock in and out using the correct Kronos ID that correlates to the position with the correct cost distribution and/or pay rate for the work being performed.

If you have questions, please send an e-mail to ucflex@uc.edu.

Q50. How is graduate assistant pay handled in the UC Flex system?

A. Graduate assistants’ pay is set up on the Recurring Paymant Infotype 14, not the Basic Pay Infotype 8. The Cost Distribution Infotype 27 does not affect graduate assistant pay, since the cost distribution only defines how basic pay is distributed. To view the cost assignment for recurring payment (Infotype 14) refer to Handout: Display Cost Assignment for Recurring and One-Time Payments on the UC Flex website for step-by-step instructions. Also, the Cost Distribution Report (ZHRPA_14_COST_DIST) can be a useful tool. It displays cost distribution information for all recurring and one time payments, including the accounts, dates and amounts. Step-by-step instructions for the R/3 Cost Distribution Report will be available on the UC Flex website.

Q51. How were PCR Initiators and PCR Approvers identified? What should I do if I think I should be an initiator or approver?

A. PCR Initiators and PCR Approvers were identified by members of the Process Change Leadership Group (PCLG) working together with their designated Transition Leaders. PCR Initiator and PCR approver roles can only be requested by Liaisons and Transition Leaders.

Q52. How do I correct an employee’s cost distribution if I made a mistake on the cost distribution PCR?

A. Cost distributions have beginning and end validity dates associated with them. These validity dates allow the system to establish a historical record. Only one record can be valid for a particular date in time. If you have entered a PCR using the wrong account information, you should not try to correct it by trying to delete the record or by entering a zero dollar amount for the incorrect cost distribution. Instead enter a new cost distribution with the correct information with a beginning date that will delimit the incorrect cost distribution. Review the example below.

The original cost distribution with incorrect account information might look like this:

7/1/2006 to 12/31/9999 Incorrect Account Amount

To correct it, enter a new cost distribution with correct account information with the same start date as the incorrect PCR. The new cost distribution will overwrite the end date of the original cost distribution.

7/1/2006 to 12/31/9999 Correct Account Amount

Q53. How does earmarking affect Leave of Absence PCRs?

A. Six PCRs in UC Flex are earmarked, which means the sequence of PCRs are controlled to protect the integrity of an employee’s record. For Leave of Absence PCRs, this means that the system will not allow you to submit a Leave of Absence Extension PCR or a Return from Leave of Absence PCR unless the employee has had a Leave of Absence PCR processed for them.

Q54. How can I keep retroactive cost distribution PCRs that do not involve grants from getting held up with SPA exception approvals?

A. Only retroactive Cost Distribution PCRs that involve grants will be routed to SPA for exception approval. To avoid unnecessary delays, process the cost distribution for future dates separately from those that require retroactive changes.

Q55. How do I submit retroactive changes to an employee’s hours?

A. For hourly employees, submit a Time Entry Correction form. On the form, list only the changes that need to be made. It is important to also update Kronos with the changes, so that the HR Service Center will be able to display the correct data in Kronos and understand the changes if there is a question concerning the Time Entry Correction form. Use one Time Entry Correction form for each pay period that requires retroactive changes.

For salaried employees, salary leave administrators will make all corrections to previously entered data directly in CATS. When the Salary Leave Supervisor approves the absences, they need to leave the start date blank and enter the last day of the month in the end date. This way all changes or additions to previously approved months will be picked up for approval and will be available for payroll processing.

Q56. I’m a salary leave administrator, and I can’t see all the employees that I’m responsible for maintaining. What should I do?

A. By using a feature called structural authorization, your access in the system should be limited to include only those organizations for which you are responsible. If you find that your access is not correct, please e-mail Larry Suttles at larry.suttles@uc.edu so your access can be corrected. If you are unable to access CAT2 or other screens in the system, you may have a problem with the security roles assigned to you. Please send an e-mail to ucflex@uc.edu.

Q57. What’s the process for applying absences in CATS, now that we are past the initial transition?

A. When the system was implemented, Salary Leave Administrators were asked to apply both June and July absences to the month of July in CATS. This was a one-time request that was required to bring absences up to date in the new UC Flex system. Moving forward, please apply all absences in CATS on the actual date they occurred.

Q58. What do I need to know about pasting text into the comments section of a PCR?

A. When you copy and paste information into a PCR from another source, such as a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet, you need to be aware that some types of special formatting cannot be accommodated in the comments section of a PCR. In general, you can paste any type of alpha numeric text, including the symbols that appear on your keyboard, such as $ or %. However, the following information cannot be included when you copy and paste:

Do not include tables that exceed 80 characters in width and 254 lines in length

Do not include Excel formulas

Do not include graphics or special formatting

Do not include HTML, such as website content

When initiators create PCRs that include comments with tables that are too large or contain special formatting described above, the PCR approver will see a portal error when he or she tries to open the PCR, and the PCR will need to be created again.

Q59. Please explain the PCR notifications sent from the "Workflow System".

A. As designed, UC Flex Workflow routes all PCRs through the approval process appropriate for each PCR. Once the HR Service Center acts upon a PCR, an email is sent to the appropriate individual stating that the PCR "has been completed". This message simply means that the Workflow process is completed not necessarily that the PCR has been implemented.

The actual status of a PCR must be determined by checking the PCR in the system itself. All those with a PCR role can run the PCR Status Report by clicking the "Maintain HR" tab then selecting "PCR Status" listed under "Reports" on the left side of the display. PCR Initiators can see the disposition of their PCRs by clicking the "MSS" tab, then the "Personnel Change Request" tab and then selecting "PCR Overview" listed on the left side of the display.

Q1. How can I go directly to my org unit in PPOSE without starting at the top of the organizational structure and drilling all the way down?

A. You can display individual organizational units using the Organization and Staffing Display screen (transaction code PPOSE). In the Find by section, expand Organizational Unit and select Search Term. Enter the name of the organizational unit you want to display, or part of the name with an asterisk (*) as a wildcard. The system will display the organization unit you selected.

Q2. I see several "Unassigned positions" in my organizational structure? What are these?

A. These records reflect employees who were inactive or unassigned in HRMS at the time data was converted from the legacy system to the new UC Flex system. Employees who were not assigned to a position at the time of implementation were converted into a placeholder position and organizational unit, called “Unassigned Position” ensuring their records were consistent with HRMS. These unassigned positions are not active in your organizational unit. Some examples of unassigned position numbers are 73333333, 76666666, and 7999999, and the designated organization unit for unassigned positions is 69999999. These records represent employees who worked for the university for some part of the calendar year, but have been separated or their appointments have ended. It is important to have these records in our new system. For example, year-to-date totals are required in the new system for year-end reporting, such as creating W-2 Forms. Also, employees can be easily rehired, such as adjunct reappointments, so their existing employee record can be maintained. If you need to reactivate a person from one of these “unassigned positions”, use the New Hire form and select the “Rehire from HRMS” action. Be sure to complete all the organizational assignment information for the employee. If a position needs to be created for the employee, use the Position Maintenance Request (PMR) form.

Q1. What is Position Budgeting & Control and what might it mean to me?

A. Position Budgeting and Control (PBC) is the tool in UC Flex used to create salary and benefit commitments (i.e., encumbrances) in the system. These commitments become real postings in the Funds Management module and can be of three different types:

...commitments for the personnel costs associated with filled positions; this type of posting is called a Funds Commitment

...commitments for the planned personnel costs associated with vacant positions; this type of posting is called a Pre-Commitment

...commitments for planned personnel costs that are paid less than the planned compensation for the position; this type of posting is called a Funds Block

Furthermore, the first step towards implementing PBC begins this Friday evening, December 22, when the PBC tool will be initialized to automatically create salary and benefit commitments. These new commitments will be visible through reporting, i.e. GR55 report groups ZFM1, ZFM2 and ZFM3, within the Commitments column on the 4-column view and in detail within the Payroll Commitments column on the 6-column view. You will notice them on BW FM reports as well -- FM805, FM810, GM/FM845, FM850, FM851, FM852, FM853, FM854, and FM855.

The second step begins in January 2007, when position budgeting will be in place for the FY08 Budget Formulation cycle. The importance of accurate HR master data is reemphasized at this time since it only increases with new functions such as PBC. Inaccurate data will stop a payroll from running because UC Flex integrates financial and human resources records.

Your continued support of this significant effort will be greatly appreciated. As always, questions can be sent to ucflex@uc.edu.

UC Flex · Questions? Contact Us.
3rd Floor University Hall · PO Box 210334 · Cincinnati, OH 45221-0334
513-556-4357

Human Resource FAQs

Project Scope and Approach Questions

Pay Statement Questions

Kronos ID Questions

UCID Questions

Data Conversion Questions

Reporting Questions

New Hire Process Questions

New Hire Benefits Enrollment Questions

Employee Record Update and PCR Questions

Organizational Management Questions

Position Budgeting and Control Questions

New Hire Benefits Enrollment Process