Time Entry can be accomplished in many different ways. You can use templates, self service timecards, and time management structures and policies to enter time and labor.
Yes, you can create a number of templates to provide default time entries that workers just need to edit, review, and submit. For example, there are templates that display the time entries from the previous timecard, or entries based on time management rules, or assignments from Project Resource Management.
Using templates minimizes time entry and therefore helps to reduce errors. Configuring the timecard layouts also helps because you can use field label and values that are meaningful to your workers.
You can create as many time entry rules as you require to validate entries before they are saved or submitted.
Yes, costing segments from the Cost Allocation flexfield are available for entry on the Payroll and Exception layout. You can also add these segments to any other layout.
Yes. Using the Retrieval Error Handling report, you can identify timecards that were not passed to the appropriate application during the retrieval processes.
Using Self Service, workers can select a timecard template to provide default time and labor data. For example:
Workers who are assigned to time management structures and policies might use the Work Schedule template, which autogenerates their time based on their rotation plan, and holiday calendar.
Similarly, people assigned to projects managed through Oracle Project Resource Management might use the PJRM Assignments template so that their project, expenditure type, and hours information is automatically recorded on the timecard.
Others working in consistent patterns from week to week might use the Last Period Timecard template, so that their entries from the previous timecard are defaulted onto the new timecard.
You can set up any other templates your workers require, and you can set preferences to enable them to create their own templates.
Whichever template is used, the time entry procedures are the same: each worker can edit the defaulted values on the timecard, review the new values, and submit the timecard. Similarly, workers who don't use templates, but make their entries on a blank timecard each time, follow the same procedure: enter values, review them, and submit. The timecard is automatically submitted to an approval process.
A worker's ability to edit an existing timecard is controlled by the preference Timecard Status Allowing Edits. Here you can specify whether workers can only edit new, working, and rejected timecards, or can also edit submitted, approved, or even processed timecards. You can further restrict edits using this preference by specifying the age of the oldest timecard a worker can edit. For example, if you specify 7 days for workers on weekly timecards, they will always be able to edit the current timecard and last week's timecard (since 7 days ago falls within the previous timecard period).
The Timecard Status Allowing Edits preference also controls a worker's ability to enter timecards in advance. For example, if you specify a limit of 14 days for workers on weekly timecards, they can enter timecards for this week and the next two weeks, which enables them to submit vacation time in advance.
When the Self Service timecards are approved, they are ready to be retrieved by the recipient applications that use the data. You can run the following processes:
Using an Oracle Projects responsibility, you can run PRC: Transaction Import to transfer time from OTL to Projects
Using an HRMS responsibility, you can run Transfer Time from OTL to BEE to transfer time to Batch Element Entry, and then to Oracle Human Resources or Oracle Payroll.
For employees with the OTL Rules Evaluation preference set to Yes, this process does not transfer time directly to BEE. It transfers to the professional forms Timecard window, where you can review the batch, make corrections, and enter exceptions. Then use the OTLR processes to transfer to BEE and Oracle Projects.
See: Transferring Time and Labor Data From the Timecard Window.
Important: Attention: If you do make corrections or enter exceptions in the Timecard window, be aware that the information the employee can see in Self-Service will not be the same as the data transferred to BEE from the Timecard window.
To check the results of these processes, run the Retrieval Error Handling Report.
You can record your time when away from the office using a spreadsheet and then upload the spreadsheet into Oracle Time & Labor for review and submission.
If you want to define a list of projects and tasks that you currently work on to download to a spreadsheet, then set the Enable Download of Defined Project List segment of the Self Service Disconnected Entry Option for Worker preference to Yes.
The layout used for downloading a timecard is determined by the value of the Export segment of the Timecard Layout preference. Oracle Time & Labor delivers seeded download layouts for each timecard layout. If this segment is blank, then the value in the Timecard entry segment is used for download. If this is the case, and the layout contains the Detail button to add comments, then the detail information is not available. To make this information available, use the Download Layout Preference option.
Note: You can download the payroll layout using start/stop time fields by selecting the payroll download layout preference.
Use the Self-Service Templates window.
To export a template for time entry
Choose Templates from the Self Service OTL Menu.
Do one of the following:
Click Download on the desired template line.
Click Create Template, if information you want to download does not exist as a template.
Click the Download Project List button if you want to define a list of projects and tasks to download in a separate .CSV file.
Note: You can see this button only if you enable the segment in the Self Service Disconnected Entry Option for Worker preference and if you have the correct download layouts set up.
If you chose the Download button, then review the data in the Template window to ensure this is the correct template to download. Click the Download Project List button if you also want to include a list of projects and tasks in the template .CSV file.
If you chose the Download Project List button, then select the projects and tasks you want to include in a separate .CSV file.
Click Download.
Select the option to Save File to Disk.
In the Windows dialogue box, enter the file name and location. The extension must be .csv.
Once the template is saved as a spreadsheet, you can enter your time for the week into the .csv file. You can add or update existing line items as desired. However, make sure you do not modify the Oracle Reserve section.
You can view the valid list of projects and the associated task by scrolling down within the saved .csv file. The listed projects have the appropriate task associated to each project. This features allows you to select and enter the correct project and task information on the downloaded timecard.
When you have entered all the time data, save your work to be uploaded into Oracle Time & Labor.
Tip: Include the date of the last day of the time period in the file name to help you identify it later, since this information is not stored on the spreadsheet itself. For example, you could name the file, time_12Nov.csv.
To upload a timecard to Oracle Time & Labor
Choose Time Entry from the Self Service OTL Menu.
Choose Upload Timecard from the Time Entry window.
Select the Timecard Period for the timecard you are uploading.
If the timecard period is not displayed in the list of values, select a timecard period closer to the desired period and click on the Go button. Continue moving towards the desired timecard period by selecting a timecard period and Go button until the desired period is displayed.
Choose the Browse Button and select the file name to Upload.
Once both the timecard period and file name are displayed, choose Upload Timecard.
The Timecard page opens displaying the data entered from the spreadsheet that has a corresponding field on the timecard layout.
Do one of the following:
Edit your entries
Save for later without submitting your entries
Review and submit your entries.
Use the Transfer Time from OTL to BEE process to transfer time and labor data from Oracle Time & Labor to Batch Element Entries for processing.
Note: To ensure data integrity, ensure workers make all timecard changes in OTL and not in BEE.
Oracle Time & Labor provides you with a profile option allowing you to determine the number of past days for which retrieval considers changes.
If you set the OTL Rules Evaluation preference to Yes for your workers, then the Transfer Time from OTL to BEE process does not transfer time directly to BEE. The process transfers the data to the professional forms Timecard window, where you can review the batch, make corrections, and enter exceptions. You then run the OTLR Validate and Transfer processes to transfer the data to BEE.
See: Validating Work Schedule Timecards for BEE
See: Transferring Timecards to BEE
If you set this preference to No, then the Transfer Time from OTL to BEE process moves the data from the self-service timecard to the BEE batch directly.
Use the Submit Requests window from an HRMS responsibility.
To run the Transfer Time from OTL to BEE process
Select Transfer Time from OTL to BEE.
In the Parameters window, enter the following:
Start Date - the date for which the report begins the transfer.
End Date - the date for which the report ends the transfer.
The following selections are optional and will narrow the data transferred from OTL to BEE. If you select one or more of the following, your transfer will be specific to only the criteria entered for each option.
Government Reporting Entity (for US and other localizations that support GREs)
Organization
Location
Payroll
Employee Name
Enter the following criteria:
Retrieval Transaction Code - enter a Retrieval Transaction Code to identify the timecards you want the process to retrieve. You can use this code to identify this run when you submit the Retrieval Error Handling Report. You can also use this code to reprocess timecards that have changed. The code must not exceed 24 characters.
Batch Selection - select New to transfer all timecards that meet the defined criteria. Select Old with the appropriate Retrieval Transaction Code to re-run a transfer process exactly as before.
Based upon the entry selected in step 4, you must enter either an existing batch reference or a new reference:
Batch Reference - if you selected Old in Batch Selection, select the Batch Reference associated with the old batch.
New Batch Reference - if you selected New in Batch Selection, enter a Batch Reference to the new batch.
The reference must not exceed 15 characters. This becomes the batch ID in BEE, with a suffix--such as _a or _b--if the batch has been broken into smaller subunits. By default, there are 25 timecards in each batch (determined by the HXT_Batch_Size profile option).
Status in BEE - select one of the following to indicate what status the transferred data will have when the transfer process is complete:
Transferred, meaning the batch header and all the lines have been transferred from BEE to element entries.
Unprocessed, meaning that at least one batch line or the header is unprocessed and should be validated in BEE before transfer.
Valid, meaning that all of the lines plus the header are valid for transfer to element entries.
Changes Since - Defaulted from the number of days entered on the profile option OTL: Number of past days for which retrieval considers changes (days).
Additional Information: If changes are made to a timecard within the past number of days, and the system date, the retrieval process will include those timecards within the transfer process. However, if timecard changes are outside of the number of days past, those timecards will not be included in the transfer process.
Choose OK to close the Parameters window and choose Submit to run the process.
Next, you may choose to view the transferred data in BEE, Element Entries, or the professional forms Timecard window.
Use the PRC: Transaction Import process to transfer time and labor data from Oracle Time & Labor to Oracle Projects. This process transfers the timecards that meet the retrieval rules for Oracle Projects and that belong to workers with Oracle Projects in their application set and retrieval rule group (determined by preferences).
Use the Submit Requests window from an Oracle Projects responsibility.
To run the Transaction Import process
From the Submit Requests window, select Transaction Import.
In the Parameters window, select Oracle Time and Labor in the Transaction Source field. Leave the Batch Name field blank.
Choose OK to close the Parameters window and choose Submit to run the process.
Use the Retrieval Error Handling report to identify timecards that were not passed to the appropriate application during the retrieval processes (such as Transfer Time from OTL to BEE).
Use the Submit Requests window.
To run the Retrieval Error Handling Report
From the Submit Requests window, select Retrieval Error Handling Report.
In the Parameters window, enter the following:
Start Date - the date for which the report begins the search.
End Date - the date for which the report ends the search.
Transaction Code - the Retrieval Transaction Code you entered to identify the batch to transfer to BEE. (There is no transaction code for timecards transferred to Projects using Transaction Import.)
Retrieval Process - select the appropriate retrieval process name to check for any errors.
Choose OK to close the Parameters window and choose Submit to run the process.
Next, review the report generated by this process.
Follow these steps to create, validate, and approve timecards if you are not using Self Service timecards.
To create timecards using information from employee's assignments to time management structures and policies
Run the Automatic Timecard Generation process.
To check results of this process, use the Manual and Autogen report or the Batch Status Review window to see which timecards are in error.
Use the Timecard window to correct timecards with errors and to enter timecards manually.
You can manually record approval of a timecard by selecting a name in the Approver field of the Timecard window.
You can now validate and transfer the timecard data to BEE or Oracle Projects.
See: Transferring Time and Labor Data From the Timecard Window
Autogenerate timecards at the beginning of a pay cycle. Use the Submit Requests window.
Note: This process is supplied for consistency with earlier releases of Oracle Time Management. If you are using self service timecards with Oracle Time & Labor, you do not need to run this process. Workers autogenerate their own timecards when they select the Work Schedule template.
To autogenerate timecards
Choose Single Request and click OK.
Select Automatic Timecard Generation for the Request Name.
In the Parameters window, select the Payroll to process.
Select the Time Period to process.
Enter a Batch Reference if desired.
Choose OK.
Choose Submit Request.
Use the Concurrent Requests Summary window to verify timecard autogeneration completed successfully.
Use the Timecard window to view timecards created by the Automatic Timecard Generation process.
Note: To report on all timecard errors for a payroll and pay period, use the Manual and Autogen report or the Batch Status Review window. See: Reviewing Batch Status
To view autogenerated timecards
Query the Period End date and the Payroll for which you want to view timecards.
The Source field indicates which timecards have been autogenerated.
Check the Timecard Status field for an E (Error). Each Timecard with status E (Error) requires correction.
Choose the Show Error button to display the errors for a timecard.
Correct the time entry data for each timecard in error.
Save your work.
Use the Timecard window to review and edit timecards that have been autogenerated from schedule information or transferred from Self-Service by the Transfer Time From OTL to BEE process. You can use this window to make corrections or enter exceptions. However, be aware that the information an employee sees in Self-Service will then differ from the information transferred to BEE from this window.
Important: You can also enter timecards manually using this window. First you must define a batch header for BEE. See: Entering a Batch Header.
To edit a timecard
Query the timecard using the Payroll, Period End Date and/or the Employee Number.
Optionally select the name of the person approving the timecard in the Approver field. If you select a name in this field, a date and time stamp appears in the Date Approved field.
Review the Total Number of Hours on the timecard. This field is required. If you change the hours worked on any day, you must update the Total Number of Hours to sum the hours correctly.
If the employee has multiple assignments, you can select a different assignment number.
To change the number of hours worked in a day, you can do one of the following:
Enter the number of hours the employee worked on that day.
Enter the time IN and time Out fields in a 24-hour clock format.
Select the Hours Type if you wish to override the default hours type.
Select the Earning Policy if you wish to override the employee's assigned earning policy.
In the Additional Information region, update the fields as required:
Amount: Enter the value for the override amount.
Hourly Rate: Enter the values for the override hourly rate.
Reason: Select reason for absence or overtime. This field is informational only and is not passed to Batch Element Entry.
Cost Center: Select the cost center applicable for this transaction.
Project: Select the project applicable for this transaction.
Task: Select the name of this task. If using Oracle Projects, you cannot select a task without first entering a Project.
Comments: Enter additional comments for this line item. Select Edit Field from the Edit menu to enter your comments in the Editor.
Multiple: Enter the value for the override multiple.
US Only: Location: Select the location worked. This is an override location.
Shift: Select the shift this task applies to. This is an override shift.
US Only: Tax Rule: Enter the applicable Tax Rule.
US Only: Separate Check: Click on this field to request a separate check for this transaction.
Wage Code: Reserved for future use
Continue to edit time and labor data for the other days in the period.
Save your work.
If a worker has a supervisor recorded on their assignment, the supervisor's name displays in the Approver field of the professional forms Timecard window. To provide a default for workers who do not have a supervisor recorded on their assignment, you can select a default approver for your organization. If you do not provide a default, you will not be able to select an approver on the Timecard window for workers who do not have a supervisor on record.
Note: This feature does not affect the self service Timecard or approval styles. It simply provides a default on the professional forms Timecard window.
Use the Organization window.
To access the Additional Organization Information window
Query the HR Organization you are interested in.
In the Organization Classifications region, select HR Organization and choose Others. The Additional Organization Information window displays.
Select Time Management Information and choose OK.
Click in the field, and the Time Management Information window displays.
Select the appropriate default Timecard Approver.
Choose OK to close the window.
Save your work.
For workers with the OTL Rules Evaluation preference set to Yes, the Transfer Time from OTL to BEE process transfers the timecards to the professional forms Timecard window. There you can review details such as overtime and premiums, which result from the application of the OTL schedule and policy rules. Next follow these steps to transfer the data to BEE (for Oracle Human Resources and Payroll) or Oracle Projects.
Note: You can also follow these steps if you have created timecards without using Self Service.
To transfer data from the Timecard window
Run the Validate for BEE process.
Use the Batch Status Review window to see which timecards are in error.
When the validation is successful, transfer the timecards to Batch Element Entry.
Optionally, transfer the timecards to Oracle Projects.
See: Transferring Timecards to Oracle Projects
For information about using Batch Element Entry.
See: Making Batch Element Entries Using BEE, Oracle HRMS Configuring, Reporting, and System Administration Guide
Some of the validation carried out by this process is configurable: you can choose whether it generates a warning, an error, or is disabled. The validation messages are stored as lookups in the HXT Timecard Validation lookup type. Each message can have one of the following tags:
WRN, meaning that the validation produces a warning message
ERR, meaning that the validation produces an error message
SKIP, meaning that the validation is skipped (that is, disabled)
You can configure the following validation.
| Lookup | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 24_HOUR_EDIT | Hours charged to the assignments have exceeded daily maximum of 24 hours. |
| DAY_IS_HOLIDAY | Day exists on holiday calendar. |
| HOLIDAY_NOT_VAL | Holiday not valid on Holiday Calendar. |
| HOURS_NOT_EQUAL | Hours charged not equal to hours on calendar. |
| INSERT_ERRORS | Error occurred while trying to insert an error record in Timecard Errors table. |
| PERSON_NOT_IN_DB | Person not found in database. |
| PTO_CHG_ACCRUED | More PTO (such as sick or vacation) charged than accrued. |
| TIMECARD_ERRORS | There are timecard error(s) in this batch. |
| TIMECARD_INACTIVE | Timecard for inactive employees became inactive. |
| TIMECARD_NOT_APPROVED | Timecard not approved. |
Use the Application Utilities Lookups window.
To configure the HXT Timecard Validation lookup type
Query the HXT Timecard Validation lookup type.
For each lookup, check the value in the Tag field. You can update the values to WRN, ERR, or SKIP to control whether the validation is performed, and the type of message it generates.
Note: In addition to the lookups described in the table above, there is the ABS_NOT_ASG_TO_ACRL lookup (meaning that the absence is not part of a PTO accrual plan associated with this assignment). This validation is performed during time entry on the professional forms Timecard window, not by the Validate for BEE process. You can update the tag for this lookup in the same way as the others. For example, you might want to change the tag from WRN to SKIP to speed up data entry.
Save your work.
Run the Validate for BEE process to check timecards before transferring them from the Timecard window to Batch Element Entry.
Use this process only for timecards transferred to the professional forms Timecard window for OTL Rules evaluation or generated by the Automatic Timecard Generation process.
Use the Submit Requests window.
Note: You can configure the validation performed by this process. See: Configuring the Validate for BEE Process
To validate timecards
Select Single Request and choose OK.
In the Request Name field select Validate for BEE.
In the Parameters window, select the Starting Batch Name. This is the batch that you wish to validate.
Optionally, select the Ending Batch name. Use this option to validate multiple batches (named sequentially) within one job.
Optionally, select the Batch Reference.
Enter a batch name to merge the batch of timecards this process produces into consolidated batches.
Note: Set the HXT: Merge Batch Timecards profile option to Yes to enable the merging of timecards into single batches.
Choose OK to close the Parameters window.
Choose Submit Request to start the Validate for BEE process.
Use the Batch Status Review window to view, in one or more batches, all timecards transferred to the professional forms Timecard window for OTL Rules evaluation. You can determine which timecards, if any, are in error.
To review batch status
Enter any of the following fields to select the batches of timecards to review: Payroll, Period End date, Batch Reference, and Batch Status. Use the Beginning and Ending Batch fields to select a range of batch numbers to review.
Choose the Find button. The Batch Status Review window lists all the employees in the first selected batch, with the total hours from their timecards and the timecard status.
Choose the Batch Total button to view the total hours and total amount for the batch.
Close the Batch Totals window and press the Down Arrow key to view the next batch you selected.
To view a timecard from the Batch Status Review window
Click in the row for the timecard you want to review.
Choose the Timecard button.
Run the Transfer to BEE process to transfer validated timecards from the Timecard window to batch lines. Use the Submit Requests window.
Note: Use this process only for timecards generated by the Automatic Timecard Generation process or transferred to the professional forms Timecard window for OTL Rules evaluation.
To transfer timecards
Select Single Request and choose OK.
Select Transfer to BEE in the Request Name field.
In the Parameters window, enter the process date, which is the Period End Date for the Batch of timecards you are transferring.
Select the Starting Batch Name, which is the batch that you wish to transfer.
Optionally, select the Ending Batch Name (to transfer multiple batches, named sequentially) and the Batch Reference.
Choose OK to close the Parameters window.
Choose Submit Request to start the Transfer process.
Note: Check the batch job on the Concurrent Requests Summary window to verify the Transfer to BEE process completed with a Normal Status. Then you can view timecards you have transferred to Batch Element Entry using the Batch Header and Batch Lines windows.
Use the Submit Requests window to transfer timecards from the Timecard window to Oracle Projects.
Note: Use this process for timecards generated by the Automatic Timecard Generation process or for timecards transferred to the professional forms Timecard window for OTL Rules evaluation.
You can transfer other self-service timecards to Oracle Projects using the PRC: Transaction Import process.
See: Running Transaction Import from OTL to Oracle Projects
To transfer timecard/project data to Oracle Projects
Select Single Request and choose OK.
In the Request Name field, select Transfer to Project Accounting.
In the Parameters window, enter the Payroll Name and Time Period.
Choose OK to close the Parameters window and choose Submit Request.
For employees assigned to work schedules, Oracle Time & Labor provides a fast method of viewing their time without paging through numerous timecards on the Timecards window. Use the Review of Employee Time folder to view an employee's time for a certain period and by all the types of hours worked. You can view all timecards that have been generated by the Automatic Timecard Generation process or transferred to the professional forms Timecard window for OTL Rules evaluation.
To use the Review of Employee Time folder
Select the employee's name or assignment number.
Optionally, enter dates to restrict the pay periods you want to view.
Run the query.
The folder displays the total hours and the breakdown of hours by type for each pay period within the dates you selected.