Using Approvals and Delegations with Time and Labor

This chapter provides an overview of the approval process in Time and Labor and discusses how to:

• Approve reported time.

• Approve payable time.

• Work with delegations in Time and Labor

Understanding the Approval Process in Time and Labor

Depending on your requirements, you can configure time approvals for the following options:

• Reported time.

• Payable time.

• Both reported and payable time.

You can also set up email notifications for particular events. For managers, these include reported time needing approval, payable time needing approval, exceptions that have been generated, or a scheduled event that has been modified. For employees, email notifications include reported time which has been approved, payable time which has been approved, reported time which has been denied, or reported time which has been modified.

Many daily tasks are part of a larger process that involves several steps and people working together. The term workflow refers to this process, which could encompass, for example, the approval of a time-off request. To facilitate this type of multiuser process, PeopleSoft can automatically trigger workflow notifications to inform the next approver in the process of work waiting.

Approval Framework and Time and Labor

The Approval Framework is the engine that provides capabilities for creating, running, and managing the approval processes. The engine uses a series of database objects combined with application component configuration settings to determine how to process approvals using workflow.

The Approval Framework is a common component that is shared across multiple PeopleSoft applications both within HRMS and other application families. Due to the widespread use of this engine, you'll find documentation pertaining to it in various locations:

• Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: Workflow Technology describes the Approval Framework and application setup in full detail.

  It is the primary source of information for approval workflow.

• This chapter expands on the PeopleTools chapter, describing the setup steps and details for the Approval Framework that are specific to the HRMS application line.

• Application-specific HRMS PeopleBooks expand on all of the above texts by providing approval workflow details that relate to specific business processes.

The following transactions in Time and Labor can require approval:

• When an employee reports time.

• When a manager or administrator reports time on behalf of the employee.

• Time Administration generates payable time.

Approval Foundation Elements

This section discusses the several foundation elements of the Approval Framework, their definition, and how they are used for Time and Labor approvals and delegations. The following elements are discussed here:

• Process ID

• Header record

• Definition ID

• User list

• Approval events and actions

Process IDs

A process ID is a unique approval process identifier for the approval transaction. Process IDs are registered in the Approval Framework transaction registry using the Register Transaction page. The process ID is passed to the Approval Framework when the Time and Labor application invokes the Application Framework application classes. Time and Labor provides the following process IDs:

• TLReportedTime.

• TLPayableTime.

Header Record

After an approval process is defined, validated, and made active, the system can process a transaction for approval. Each PeopleSoft application typically has a top-level database record that distinguishes one transaction from the next. These top-level records are called header records. When a transaction is submitted for approval, the Approval Framework combines the approval process definition with the header record instance and line records, if line level approval is configured, to create a unique approval process instance. Time and Labor uses the following records as header records for approvals:

• TL_RPTD_TIME for reported time approvals.

• TL_PAYABLE_TIME for payable time approvals.

Definition ID

Each approval process ID can have one or more definition IDs for an approval transaction. The definition ID, with the other elements on the Setup Process Definitions page, enables the Approval Framework to determine which approval process ID to initiate, and determines the stage, path, and steps the approval process uses.

Time and Labor delivers the following definition IDs:

• TLByDeptManager

• TLByPosnDeptMgr

• TLByPosnSupervisor

• TLByPosMgmt

• TLBySupervisorID

• TLGroupSingleStageALL

• TLGroupMultiStageSOME

• TLGroupMultiStageALL

Note. All delivered Time and Labor definition IDs use the TL Approval Administrator in the Admin Role, which is the role used by workflow to route the transaction to all users filling that role in case of an error during approval processing. The error conditions are no approvers or not enough approvers.

User List

A user list is a collection of users (Peoplesoft Operator IDs) expressed as the result of an SQL statement, Peoplesoft role, or Peoplesoft Application Class. The system routes approval transactions to these users, based on the step level definition created on the Setup Process Definitions page. Time and Labor user lists are based on either the delivered user lists for HRMS or the Time and Labor group.

The user lists based on the delivered user lists for HRMS are:

• TLAdhocGroup

• TLByDeptManager

• TLByGroup1

• TLByGroup2

• TLByPosMgmt

• TLByPosnDeptMgr

• TLByPosnSupervisor

• TLBySupervisor ID

   

You can use Time and Labor groups for approvals, whether you are using department security or Time and Labor group security, on the Static Group page (TL_GROUP_S1) or the Dynamic Group page (TL_GROUP_D1).

Approval Events and Actions

The first step in the approval process is to identify the first person to approve the transaction. This person is based on the Approval Process definition. If the system identifies this person, the system sends a notification indicating that there is a reported time or payable time waiting for approval. The approver has the option to:

• Approve the time request. The system sends a notification to the next person in the approval process, if one is indicated.

• Deny the time request. The system terminates the approval process. The originator of the time request receives a notification indicating that the time request has been denied.

• Push back the time request. The originator of the time request receives a notification indicating that the time request needs their attention.

  Note. All Time and Labor delivered approval definitions contain one step. The push back always goes back to the originator in Time and Labor.

Approval Definition and Approval Flow

The routing path of an approval request is be based on the approval stages, paths, and steps. These elements make up the Time and Labor process definitions, which are used for Time and Labor approvals. The process definition dictates:

1. How the approval request proceeds from approver to approver.

2. How many approvers must approve a request before it is routed to the next approver.

3. If an approval request carried out in a parallel or sequential manner.

The following table describes the requirements and differences between the Time and Labor approvals definitions:

See Setting Up and Working with Approvals.

Configuring Approval Transactions

PeopleSoft delivers the following events and email notification templates for configuring approval transactions for time and Labor:

Note. These templates are delivered. If modifications are needed refer to the Applications Fundamentals Documentation. The events delivered must not be modified to ensure the correct functioning of the Time and Labor Self Service applications. You might be able to modify this set up if you have a thorough understanding of the Approval Framework, PeopleCode and Time and Labor Self-service.

See Also

Configuring Approval Transactions

Prerequisites

These steps are prerequisites to setting up and using approvals and delegations in Time and Labor.

Step 1

Define your URL for the URL Identifier TL_APPROVALS on the URL Maintenance page (PeopleTools, Utilities, Administration, URLs).

See Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: System and Server Administration, Using PeopleTools Utilities

Step 2

Set the workflow defaults on the Worklist System Defaults page (PeopleTools, Workflow, Defaults & Messages, Set Workflow Defaults).

Note. You must recycle and clear the cache on the application server for your changes to take effect.

See Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: Workflow Technology, Administering PeopleSoft Workflow

Step 3

Specify the user profile attributes for each user in the User Profiles component (PeopleTools, Security, User Profiles, User Profiles). Including the following:

• Defining an email address for each approver on the User Profiles - General page.

• Select the Routing Preferences on the Workflow page.

• Establish the user profiles taking the following roles into consideration:

  • AWE Administrator

    This role provides access to the Approval Framework configuration and administration components.

  • AdhocUser_Role

    This role provides access to the ROLE_MANAGER for an ad hoc approver or reviewer.

  • EOAW_ADMINISTRATOR

    This role is the default role for Enterprise Components Approval Framework.

  • TL Approval Administrator

    This role provides access to the CAPTURE_TIME_AND_LABOR, EOAW_APPROVAL_WORKFLOW, and ROLE_MANAGER roles to set up and manage Time and Labor approvals.

  • Worklist Administrator

    This role receives worklist processes that have timed-out.

  • HCM Delegation Admin

    This role accesses all of the Delegation Administrator's delegation components.

See Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: Security Administration, Administering User Profiles

Step 4

Define the SMTP settings for the application server and the process server.

See Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: System and Server Administration, Setting Application Server Domain Parameters

Approving Reported Time

This section provides an overview of approving reported time and discusses how to:

• Approve reported time.

• Work with timesheets.

• Review and enter absence events.

• Enter absence event details.

• Forecast absence events.

• Approve absence events.

• View reported hours summary and absence entitlement balances.

Understanding Approval of Reported Time

You have the ability to require approval of reported time, after it has been submitted, by selecting the Approve Reported Time option on the Workgroup or TRC definition. If specified for a workgroup, all reported time for employees in that workgroup needs approval. If specified at the TRC level, only reported time associated with the TRC needs approval.

Reported time that requires approval, regardless of the source, must be approved before it will be selected and processed by Time Administration to generate payable time. Time that has been submitted, either through interfaces or online, is available for approval.

When approved, the reported time status is Approved, and it is ready to be selected by the Time Administration process for payable time generation.

If reported time is denied, the reported time is given a status of Denied and will not be processed by Time Administration. The time remains in a Denied status until it is resubmitted.

Important! Approvers cannot directly approve time with a status of Denied. When you select a row with denied time, the only available option is to submit the time for approval once more. The status of the time changes from Denied to Needs Approval until the approval process is completed.

Approvals at the Approve Reported Time Summary Level

Because approvals are based on stages, paths, steps, and routing approval transactions through the approval path, the manager only sees reported time that needs approval where the approval transaction is pending within the Approval Framework and the requestor ID within the Approval Framework equals the manager's operator ID.

Pages Used to Approve Reported Time

Approving Reported Time

Access the Approve Reported Time Summary page (Manager Self Service, Time Management, Approve Time and Exceptions, Reported Time, Approve Reported Time).

Note. The previous screenshot does not display the entire screen. On your system, scroll to the right to see all of the fields on the page.

Employee Selection Criteria

Enter selection criteria in the fields in this collapsible group box. You can select a group of employees or individual employees. The fields that are displayed in this group box are defined in Manager Search Options. If the Manager Search Options are cleared, the criteria that are displayed are derived from the Manager Search Defaults page in the Time and Labor Installation component.

See Setting Up Manager Search Options.

Note. The approval status monitor does not display on the Timesheet Summary page, the Approve Reported Time Summary page or the Approve Payable Time Summary page.

Employee Grid

Note. All columns are displayed when viewing reported time using the by Day or Week View By options. If the All Time Before or All Time After options are selected, fewer columns are displayed. All columns can be sorted, ascending or descending, by clicking the column headers, with the exception of the TRC columns.

Working with Timesheets

Access the Timesheet page (Manager Self Service, Time Management, Approve Time and Exceptions, Reported Time, Approve Reported Time, click the employee name link on the Approve Reported Time page).

Note. The previous screenshot does not display the entire screen. On your system, scroll to the right to see all of the fields on the page.

The Timesheet page enables the manager to work with an employee's reported time in more detail. You can adjust entries, select some or all incidences of time needing approval and click either the Approve or Deny buttons.

The placement of the Comments icon on the Timesheet page depends on the type of Timesheet that is displayed, either punch or elapsed. The comment icon is in the first column of the time grid on the punch timesheet. Click it to access the Comments page. For elapsed timesheets, the comment icon is included in the Reported Time Status grid that you can access using the link below the Apply Rules button. The Reported Time Status link and grid are not displayed on punch timesheets.

The manager can navigate to the previous or next employee in the list that was generated on the Approve Reported Time page by clicking the Previous Employee or Next Employee links.

Click the Submit button to validate reported time and set the status to Needs Approval. Time that has no errors after being validated is set to Needs Approval. If the user is reporting more time or modifying time for an existing row that has already been processed, and has a status of Approved, then the whole day (or row) is again set to a status of Needs Approval.

After clicking the Approve or Deny buttons, the manager is transferred to a confirmation page. To return to the Timesheet page click the OK or CANCEL button.

Reported Time that does not need approval is set to a status of Submitted.

If an Absence Event cannot be entered or approved in Timesheet, use the Request Absence or Approve Absence Go To links. You cannot return to the Timesheet after you have navigated beyond the Approve Absence Request or Request Absence pages.

See Also

Understanding Payable Time

Entering Comments

Access the Comments page (click the comment icon on the Timesheet).

Include in Approval Comments	Select to add the comments to the Approval Framework for the approval instance.
Comment	Enter any comments regarding the time entered.

Running Online Rules and Viewing Payable Time Detail

Access the Payable Time Detail page (Manager Self Service, Time Management, Approve Time and Exceptions, Reported Time, Approve Reported Time, click the employee name link on the Approve Reported Time page, click the Apply Rules button on the Timesheet page).

For time with a status of Submitted or Approved, click the Apply Rules button on the Timesheet page to display payable time with a status of Online Estimate on the Payable Time Detail page.

See Entering, Viewing, or Changing Employee's Time.

Reviewing and Entering Absence Events

Click the Absence Event - select to view link on the Timesheet page.

The Absence Events section is collapsed by default when you access the Timesheet page.

The Absence Events grid on the Timesheet page enables the manager to review, add, change, and approve absence events.

The Absence Entitlement Balances grid displays Absence Entitlement balances as of the last time the absence process was completed and finalized.

If the employee is enrolled in compensatory or leave plans, those balances are displayed in a separate grid.

See Forecasting Absence Entitlement Balance During Absence Entry.

See Defining Self Service Absence Rules by Country.

Entering Absence Event Details

Click the Details link in the Absence Events grid to access this page.

This page is displayed automatically when you select an absence that requires additional information, regardless of whether the partial days options have been enabled.

Details

Additional Information

The fields that are displayed in this group box depend on how your organization sets up self service for Absence Management during the implementation process.

Comments

The Requestor Comments field enables the employee to enter free form text related to the absence request that becomes part of the record and is visible throughout the approval process. Comments display on the Absence Details page.

See Requesting Absence on Behalf of an Employee.

Forecasting Absence Events

The Forecast Results tab is displayed in the Absence Events grid after the absence event Forecast process is completed.

After the Forecast process is completed, a message is displayed beneath the Absence Event link to indicate the absence forecast status and time stamp. The Forecast Results tab displays the Forecast Value returned for each of the absence events. Click the Forecast Details link to review the list of returned values for each absence event.

Depending on the Country Take configuration, some absences may require forecasting to submit for approval. Depending on the Forecast Value returned, some absences may not be eligible to be submitted if they do not meet the forecasting eligibility criteria defined in the Country Take component.

See Reviewing Absence Entitlement Balance Forecast Results.

Approving Absence Events

Access the Absence grid with events awaiting approval:

Select the Absences that require approval. Absences with a status of Needs Approval, Error, and Denied can be approved.

You can approve multiple absence events in the Absence Events grid on the manager's Timesheet. If at least one of the events requires forecasting before approval, a validation error is issued that requires you to run the Forecast process. If multiple events are forecasted, a message is displayed indicating that forecasting completed successfully. Click the Forecast Details link that is displayed in the Forecast Results tab to verify the forecast results for each of the events.

Absence Source

The Source column of the Absence Events grid displays the source of entry of the absence event. Depending on the entry source, some events can be modified on the Timesheet page. This table lists the combinations of entry source, the label displayed in the Source column, and indicates in which applications the event can be modified:

Note. On Timesheets, you can approve absence events that are entered using Employee and Manager Absence Self-service pages or Employee and Manager Timesheets only if they are defined to allow entry in Time and Labor in the Country Take component.

Note. When the timesheet is the entry source for an absence, the system uses the Time and Labor approval setup. Although the country take may have approval defined, if you do not have Time and Labor approval set up the absence is auto-approved.

Approving Payable Time

This section provides an overview of approving payable time and discusses how to:

• Approve payable time.

• Approve payable time details.

• Adjust reported time.

• Approve time for a group of employees.

Understanding Approval of Payable Time

Approval of payable time is required if one or more of these conditions apply:

• The Approve Payable Time check box is selected on the employee’s workgroup setup page.

• The TRC Approval option field is set to Payable Time or Reported and Payable Time on the TRC set up page.

• The user has written a rule that identifies the employee’s payable time as time that must be approved.

You can view and approve payable time on the Approve Payable Time – Approve Time for Time Reporters or the Approve Payable Time pages. The Approve Payable Time – Approve Time for Time Reporter page displays all time reporters dependant on entries specified in the Employee Selection Criteria and date range fields and who have time with a Payable Status of Needs Approval. The Approve Payable Time page displays time entries for an individual time reporter.

Pages Used to Approve Time

Approving Payable Time

Access the Approve Payable Time - Approve Time for Time Reporters page (Time and Labor, Approve Time, Payable Time, Approve Payable Time - Approve Time for Time Reporters).

Note. Time must be processed through Time Administration and have a payable status of Needs Approval.

The Approve Payable Time – Approve Time for Time Reporter page offers manager the capability to refine their search including groups, employee IDs, a certain date range, or many other criteria, or simply to return all the employees for whom they have approval authority and who have payable time that needs approval. After the manager enters the search criteria and clicks the Get Employees button, the result list displays below the Employee Search Criteria and Date fields.

The manager can then select one or more employee rows and click the Approve button to approve the payable time. Alternatively, the manager can click the employee name link to view and approve each employee’s payable time entries.

See Employee Selection Criteria.

Employee Grid

The columns Select, Name and Total Payable Hours are always displayed. The fields selected in the Include in List column on the Manager Search Options page are also displayed.

See Setting Up User Preferences.

See Also

Understanding Payable Time

Approving Payable Time Details

Access the Approve Payable Time page (Time and Labor, Approve Time, Payable Time, Approve Payable Time - Approve Time for Time Reporters, click time reporter's Name link to view details of the entry).

Select the check box in the Select column next to the rows that you want to approve. The system displays all data for the payable time in the appropriate field. If no data exists for the field, it is blank.

Select the Time Reporting Elements or Task Reporting Elements tabs to view additional details about the time that needs approval.

Adjusting Reported Time

Access the Timesheet page (Manager Self Service, Time Management, Approve Time and Exceptions, Reported Time, Approve Reported Time, click the employee name link on the Approve Reported Time page).

This page is the same as the Timesheet page. When time is adjusted using the Timesheet page, the reported time will need to be resubmitted and the Time Administration process run again. This will turn the adjusted reported time into payable time that can then be approved.

See Also

Reporting Time

Approving Time for a Group of Employees

You can approve payable time in batches. This essentially overrides any open Approval Framework transactions.

Access the Request Batch Approval Process page (Time and Labor, Approve Time, Request Batch Approval Process, Request Batch Approval Process).

From Date and End Date	Enter the start and end date for the time reporters who have reported time that you want to include in the batch approval process.
Accounting Date	Defaults to current date. Can be changed to synchronize with a date within an accounting period used in Project Costing and PeopleSoft General Ledger.
EmplID	Enter or select the Employee ID that you want to include or exclude during the approve time process. If you select EmplID, Group ID is unavailable for entry for that row.
Empl Rcd Nbr	Displays the employee record number for the EmplID. If EmplID is blank, this field is blank.
Group ID	Enter or select the Group ID of the employees that you want to include during the approve time process. If you select a Group ID, EmplID is unavailable for entry for that row.
Include/Exclude Indicator	You can Include or Exclude individual employees. For example, enter the Group ID for a group of employees, add a row, and enter the Employee ID of the employee whom you do not want to include in the approve time process. Then, select Exclude for that row. The system will not approve time for that employee, even though they belong to the group. Use the same procedure to add an employee to the group.

Working with Delegations in Time and Labor

This section provides an overview of delegation and discusses how to review delivered Time and Labor delegation set up.

Understanding Delegation

Time and Labor uses delegation to enable one person to authorize another to serve as his or her representative when managing time transactions. A manager can delegate their tasks of approving time, entering employee time, or entering their own time to another person due to workload or their own absence from the office.

Delegation Framework

The delegation framework supports the following types of delegation:

• Downward delegation of authority to a direct report or another person lower down in the reporting hierarchy.

• Upward delegation of authority to a manager or another person higher up in the reporting hierarchy.

• Lateral delegation of authority to a peer either within the same division or in a different division within the reporting hierarchy.

Note. To prevent situations of cascading or circular delegation chains, once the delegation framework passes delegated authority over a transaction to a proxy, the proxy cannot delegate authority over that transaction to another user. The delegation framework only passes authority over transactions from initial delegator to initial proxy.

Delivered Delegation Set Up for Time and Labor

The delegation framework for Time and Labor is delivered with the system. To review this framework:

1. Review delegation transactions for workflow on the Register Workflow Transaction page.

2. Review delegation permission lists and roles through PeopleTools Security components.

3. Define installation settings for delegation on the Delegation Installation Settings page.

4. Review transactions for delegation on the Configure Delegation Transaction page.

Reviewing Delivered Time and Labor Delegation Set Up

This section discusses how to:

• Review workflow transactions.

• Review permission lists and roles for delegation.

• Define installation settings.

• Review delegation transactions.

Reviewing Workflow Transactions

The PeopleSoft system delivers the following transactions that are pre-configured for the Time and Labor delegation framework:

• TLReportedTime

• TLPayableTime

See Linking Workflow Transactions.

See Setting Up Approval Process Definitions.

Reviewing Permission Lists and Roles for Delegation

PeopleSoft Enterprise Human Resources delivers as system data several permission lists that are required for use of the delegation framework.

This table describes the delivered Time and Labor roles for the delegation framework:

Note. Setting up permission lists and role security is discussed in detail in a PeopleTools PeopleBook.

See Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: Security Administration

See Setting Up Permission Lists and Roles for Delegation.

Defining Installation Settings

When using delegations in Time and Labor, you should select the All Persons hierarchy and the By Dept Security Tree hierarchy on the Delegation Installation Settings page, since Time and Labor group security is not supported by the delegation framework.

See Defining Delegation Installation Settings.

See Setting Up Access to Direct Reports Data.

Reviewing Delegation Transactions

This table lists the delegation transactions delivered for Time and Labor:

See Configuring Delegation Transactions.