Working with Timecards for Timecard Automation

This chapter includes an overview of timecard automation timecards, lists a prerequisite, and discusses how to:

• Review and revise timecards created by timecard automation.

• Work with timecard batches.

• View the timecard batch file audit history.

Understanding Timecard Automation Timecards

You can use the Reviewing and Approving program (P186601) to manage batches of timecards that are created or changed by the Timecard Templates program (P186301), the Retroactive Pay Rules program (P186701), or the Overtime Rules program (P186401). For example, after you use a timecard template to create a batch of timecards with which to pay the sales staff, you can review the batch of timecards to ensure that they are accurate. When you are satisfied, you can approve the batch of timecards and continue with pre-payroll processing.

After you submit a timecard template, overtime rule set, or retroactive pay rule for processing, the system assigns a number and an initial status of Pending Approval to the resulting batch of timecards. As long as the batch of timecards is pending approval, you can review and revise it in the Reviewing and Approving program. When you finish working with the batch of timecards, you can change its status by either approving or canceling the batch.

For example, before you pay the sales staff, you review the accuracy of the batch of timecards that was created using a timecard template. After reviewing the batch, you realize that it does not cover the correct dates. You cancel the batch, thereby deleting the timecards. You then return to the Timecard Templates program, update the timecard template, and resubmit the batch. You then note that the batch of timecards is acceptable, at which point you approve it and continue with pre-payroll processing.

The processes for reviewing, approving, and canceling timecards are the same regardless of the program from which a batch of timecards originated. For example, you can approve a batch of timecards that was created with an overtime rule set to pay overtime to the warehouse staff. You can use the same process to approve a batch of timecards that was created with a timecard template to pay consultants a bonus.

You can review new or changed timecards that are pending approval. The system determines how you can review batches of timecards in the Reviewing and Approving program based on the program in which the timecards originated. However, when you access batches of timecards directly through the Timecard Templates program, the Retroactive Pay Rules program, or the Overtime Rules program, the system displays only those batches that originated in the particular program.

As long as a batch of timecards is pending approval, you can revise individual timecards by selecting the batch of timecards and the appropriate timecard. You can revise the status of batches of timecards by approving or canceling those that are pending approval. You can also run reports that display the timecards in a specific batch.

Prerequisite

Create timecards using the timecard automation process.

See Setting Up Timecard Automation, Setting Up Functions and Formulas for Timecard Automation.

See Also

Entering Timecards for Employees

Reviewing and Revising Timecards Created by Timecard Automation

This section provides an overview of timecard review and revision and discusses the forms used to review and revise timecards that are created by timecard automation.

Understanding Timecard Review and Revision

When a batch of timecards is pending approval, you can use the Reviewing and Approving program (P186601) to review, approve, or cancel the batch. Within the Timecard Automation module, when timecards are created in F06116, they are marked as pending. You cannot process pending timecards in a payroll cycle.

When you approve a batch of timecards, the system removes the pending marker, which enables the timecards to be included in a payroll cycle. When you cancel a batch of timecards, the system removes the timecards that were created by the Timecard Automation module from the F06116 table and returns to their original state any timecards that were changed. For example, when you use a timecard template to pay quarterly bonuses to the consulting staff, you might want to verify the accuracy of the timecards. You must approve the batch before you can process the timecards in a payroll cycle.

The Timecard Templates program (P186301), the Retroactive Pay Rules program (P186701), and the Overtime Rules program (P186401) each manage timecards differently. The view that you use to review batches of timecards might differ depending on which process created the timecards. Timecard templates create new timecards, retroactive pay rules create new timecards based on existing timecards, and overtime rule sets can create new timecards and change existing timecards.

A view is the manner in which the Reviewing and Approving Timecards program displays the header information, relationships between timecards, and information that is specific to the originating program for a batch of timecards. A relationship shows the connections between originating timecards and new or changed timecards.

The views that are available for each program include:

• Timecard Templates: Basic.

• Retroactive Pay Rules: Before, After, Both.

• Overtime Rule Sets: Before, After.

The Timecard Templates program uses a timecard template to create new timecards. You can review new timecards using a basic view. The term basic refers to the batch of timecards that the system creates. No relationships exist among these timecards.

The Retroactive Pay Rules program uses a retroactive pay rule and original timecards to create new timecards. You can review original and new timecards using before, after, or both views:

The Overtime Rule Sets program uses an overtime rule set and original timecards to create new timecards and change the original timecards. You can review new and changed timecards in Before or After view:

Revising Timecards Created by Timecard Automation

The Reviewing and Approving Timecards program (P186601) enables you to access the Speed Time Entry program (P051121) to revise batches of timecards. You can revise timecards from the Reviewing and Approving Timecards program only after the system processes the batch of timecards and before you approve or cancel it. For example, after you review a batch of timecards and discover that it uses an incorrect value for paying overtime to employees in the warehouse, you can revise the batch of timecards. You can revise timecards by employee or by batch number. You can also revise the status of a batch of timecards.

You can revise current timecards that were created or changed for an employee regardless of batch number. For example, assume that you pay a quarterly bonus to employees who meet certain criteria on a project, such as being employed in the quarters before and after the current quarter. After reviewing the batch of timecards, you discover that one employee was not employed during the preceding quarter. The system enables you to remove the employee instead of reprocessing the entire batch.

You can revise new timecards that are created in a specific batch of timecards. For example, assume that the organization has a division that contains several departments. If some of the employees in a department entered their time incorrectly on their timecards, you can correct the specific timecards that require changes instead of canceling the entire batch. However, when you review batches of timecards that were created by the Overtime Rules Sets program, the system displays only newly created timecards. Changed timecards are part of an original batch and are not included when you review timecards by batch. To change original timecards, you can review the timecards by employee. Doing so shows you all of the current timecards for each employee, regardless of batch number.

Note. You cannot revise historical timecards.

This table describes the batch approval statuses:

Forms Used to Review and Revise Timecards Created by Timecard Automation

Working with Timecard Batches

This section provides an overview of timecard batches and lists the forms used to revise the status of a batch of timecards.

Understanding Timecard Batches

When you review the timecards that the system created from a timecard template, a retroactive pay rule, or an overtime rule set, you might need to correct errors before you approve the batch. You can access the Speed Time Entry program (P051121) from the Timecard Automation module to revise batches of timecards or individual timecards. You can revise timecards for only those batches that have not been approved or canceled. You cannot revise historical timecards.

Revising the Status of a Batch of Timecards

After reviewing the batch of timecards and before continuing with pre-payroll processing, you can approve the batch to accept the changes and newly created timecards, or you can cancel the batch of timecards if it is incorrect, thereby rejecting the changes and the newly created timecards.

After you change the status of the batch of timecards to Approved or Canceled, you can no longer revise it or change its status.

You cannot delete the header record from the Reviewing and Approving Timecards program for a batch of timecards pending approval. You can, however, delete the header record for a batch of timecards after you have approved or canceled it.

The Labor Rules Batch Approval/Cancellation Report

When you approve or cancel a batch of timecards, the system generates the Labor Rules Batch Approval/Cancellation report (R186602). Use this report to review detailed information about the timecards in the batch. The report includes:

• Header information, such as batch number, employee group name, start date, and end date.

• Individual timecard information, such as transaction number, batch number, address name and number of each employee, PDBA code, work date, hours worked, hourly rate, and gross pay.

Forms Used to Work with Timecard Batches

Viewing the Timecard Batch File Audit History

This section provides an overview of timecard batch file audit history and discusses how to view a timecard batch file audit history.

Understanding Timecard Batch File Audit History

You use the Timecard Audit Details program (P05116Z2) to view the detailed history information of the timecard batch files. The Timecard Audit Details program displays the audit history records for each timecard selected in the sequential order. The timecards that were last saved are displayed first. You can search for the timecards based on employee number.

Form Used to View the Timecard Batch File Audit History

Viewing a Timecard Batch File Audit History

Access the Timecard Audit Details form.

Employee Number	Enter the employee number of the employee for whom you want to view the timecard audit details.
Pay Period Ending Date	Enter the last day of the pay period, as defined in the master pay cycles.
Labor Period Ending Date	Enter the last day of the labor distribution period.
TC Corrections Indicator (timecard corrections indicator)	Review the correction status of the timecard history records. Values are: Blank: The timecard or historical timecard has not been corrected. 1: The timecard has been corrected. 2: The historical timecard has been corrected.
Timecard Trans Link (timecard transaction link)	Review the transaction number of the corresponding timecard in the F06116Z1, F06116, or F0618 table.
EDI Trans Number (Electronic Data Interchange transaction number)	Review the number that an EDI transmitter assigns to a transaction.