PeopleSoft Absence Management 9.1 PeopleBook

Setting Up Self Service Absence Transactions

This chapter provides an overview of the set up tasks for self service absence transactions and explains how to:

Define self service absence rules by country.
Define self service absence rules by take element.
Define forecasting rules for self service absence requests.
View or modify text on self service absence pages.

See Also

Understanding Self Service Setup Tasks

Payees and managers can use web-based browser pages, referred to as self service pages, to enter online requests for absences, view current and future absence balances, and run the Absence Forecasting process. Managers and administrators can also use self service pages to approve, deny, or push back absence requests.

Requests that are entered through the self service pages are treated as actual absences once they are approved, and are included in the Absence Take process.

This section lists prerequisites and common elements and provides an overview of the high-level setup tasks for self service absence transactions.

Prerequisite

Before you can define take rules for self service absence transactions, you must specify which absence take types are eligible for self service use. On the Absence Take Types page for a given absence type, select the Allow Request in Self Service check box. This enables you to define self service rules for any take element with that absence type.

See Defining Absence Types and Reasons.

Common Elements Used in This Chapter

Status

When you create a new country-specific or Take-specific rule for absence self service, the rule's default status is Active. Changing the status of a rule to Inactive can impact absence requests that have been entered but not yet approved. Before changing the status of a rule to Inactive, consider how this action will affect already submitted requests.

Setup Tasks for Self Service Absence Transactions

The setup tasks for absence self service are as follows:

Define self service rules for each country.

Country-specific rules apply to all take elements for a given country. They control some of the field displays on the self service pages, and determine who can use the online Forecasting and Balance Inquiry processes. You can define a different set of self service rules for each country.
Define self service rules for each take element.

For each take element that you want to make available to self service users, you define an additional set of rules. These rules specify whether partial-day absences are allowed, approval requirements for absence requests, how to display forecasting results, and other usage rules.
Select the entitlement balances to display in the forecasting results.

If you enable self service users to run the online Forecasting process or Absence Inquiry process, specify which entitlement balances to display to self service users.
(Optional) Modify fields labels and page text, as needed.

The Text Catalog stores the text that appears on the self service pages, including field labels, button names, links, page instructions, and warnings. You can modify this text by editing entries in the Text Catalog.

Note. The sequence of steps 2 and 3 can be reversed.

Defining Self Service Absence Rules by Country

To define country-specific rules for using the absence self service pages, use the Country Configuration (GP_ABS_SS_CNTRY) component.

This section discusses how to:

Select fields for displaying entitlement balances.
Select fields for displaying absence history.
Select forecasting options and fields.
Enter balance elements and select display options.
Select absence event deletion options.

Pages Used to Define Self Service Absence Rules by Country

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Entitlement Grid	GP_ABS_SS_CNTRY1	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country, Entitlement Grid	Select the entitlement fields that appear on the View Absence Balances page.
History Grid	GP_ABS_SS_CNTRY2	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country, History Grid	Select the history fields that appear on the View Absence Requests page.
Forecasting Grid	GP_ABS_SS_CNTRY3	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country, Forecasting Grid	Select forecasting options and fields to display on the View Forecasting Details page.
Balances	GP_BAL_ELIG_SS	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country, Balances	Enter balance elements and select display options on the View Absence Entitlement Balance page.
Event Entry	GP_ABS_EVT_ENTRY	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country, Event Entry	Select deletion options to allow absent entries to be deleted on the Absence Event Entry page.

Selecting Fields for Displaying Entitlement Balances

Access the Entitlement Grid page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country, Entitlement Grid).

The fields on this page control what appears on the View Absence Balances page.

Accrual Period	Select to have the system display the accumulator period for each entitlement balance, for example, year-to-date or month-to-date. (Define the period for an entitlement accumulator on the Accumulator Periods for Element <element name> page. Select the entitlement accumulators on the Balances page. )
From Date and To Date	Select to display the begin and end dates of the accrual period.
User Key 1...6	Select to display the values of up to six user keys that are associated with the entitlement accumulator. (Define user key values on an entitlement element's Auto Generated Accumulators page.)

Selecting Fields for Displaying Absence History

Access the History Grid page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country, History Grid).

The fields on this page control what appears on the View Absence Requests page.

Default History Date Range	Select to define the default date range for displaying historical absence events. When you select this check box, the system displays 90 days before the current date and 90 days after the current date. Note. Users can select dates outside of this date range by editing the From and Through fields on the View Absence Requests page.
Days Before Current Date and Days After Current Date	Use these fields to modify the default date range for displaying historical absence events.
Requested By	Select to display a column that identifies who (which role) submitted each request: the employer, administrator, or manager. Names are not displayed. This field is selected by default.
Duration	Select to display the duration of the absence event. This field is selected by default.

Selecting Forecasting Options and Fields

Access the Forecasting Grid page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country, Forecasting Grid).

All check boxes on this page are selected by default.

Forecast Request Enabled

Select to enable self service users to run the online Absence Forecasting process. This causes a Forecast Balance button to appear on the Employee - Request Absence page and Manager - Request Absence page.

For self service users to run the forecasting process for a given absence take element, the country take rule for that take element must also allow forecasting. (The Allow Forecasting check box must be selected on the take element's Forecasting Messages page.)

Forecast Balance Enabled	Select to enable self service users to run the online Balance Inquiry process. This causes a View Forecast Balances link to appear on the Request Absence pages and the View Absence Balances pages.
From Date and To Date	Select to have the forecasting results display the From Date and the To Date for the forecasted period.
User Key 1...6	Select to display the values of the user keys that are defined for the forecasted entitlement element's accumulator.

Entering Balance Elements and Selecting Display Options

Access the Balances page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country, Balances).

The fields on this page control what appears on the View Absence Entitlement Balances page in the Self Service component.

Effective Date

The date that the balance accumulator will appear on the View Absence Entitlement Balances page.

Element Name

Select the accumulator element for the entitlement balance you want to display.

Unit Type

Select Days or Hours as the units to display on the self service pages. These are units that users see when viewing absence entitlement balances.

Note. The selected unit type should match the unit type defined for the take element.

Display Results if Zero

Select to display the element on the View Absence Entitlement Balances page when there is no balance for that accumulator. The system displays the balances as of the most recent run of the Entitlement process for the employee.

Selecting Absence Event Deletion Options

Access the Event Entry page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country, Event Entry).

The fields on this page control deletion options on the Absence Event Entry page.

Delete Option

Select a value to determine which absence events can be deleted on the Absence Event Entry page. Valid values are All Events, All Events Except Finalized, and All Events Except Processed. The delete button is disabled on the Absence Event Entry page for all rows that do not meet the criteria indicated by the Delete Option.

Allow Start and End Time

Select to enable employees to enter a start and end time for absence requests.

Note. This field is only available if you have installed the integration with Oracle Workforce Scheduling

See Integrating with Oracle Workforce Scheduling.

Defining Self Service Absence Rules by Take Element

To define Take-specific self service absence rules, use the Country Take (GP_ABS_BAL_SS_DEF) component.

This section provides overviews of PeopleSoft-delivered Approval Process IDs and approval framework events, absence duration and end date calculations, forecasting messages, and discusses how to:

Define units, administrative rules, and display rules for absence requests.
Define rules for entering absence dates.
Define user fields to display.
Select forecasting rules and messages.
Customize forecasting messages.
Link configurable section templates to extended absence components.

Understanding PeopleSoft Delivered Approval Process IDs and Approval Framework Events

Approval Process IDs determine how absence request submissions, approvals, denials, and requests for rework are routed among approvers, requesters, and absence administrators. Self service absence transactions that require action by a user appear in both user worklists and emails. The content of the email message is defined using the Generic Template pages in the PeopleTools Workflow Notifications component. Which email template is used depends on the user's role (approver, requester, or administrator), and the approval framework event.

Delivered Approval Process IDs for Absence Management

The following table lists the delivered Approval Process IDs:

Approval Process ID	Description
AbsenceManagement	Absence Self Service
Absence_Mgmt_ByDeptManager	Absence Mgmt By Dept Manager
Absence_Mgmt_ByPosMgmt	Absence Mgmt ByPosMgmt
Absence_Mgmt_ByPosnDeptMgr	Approval ID by Posn Dept Mgr
Absence_Mgmt_ByPosnSupervisor	Absence Mgmt By PosnSupervisor
Absence_Mgmt_BySupervisorId	Absence Mgmt BySupervisorId
Abs Mgmt - Leave Donations	Leave Donations
AM_Extended_Abs	Extended Absence

See Setting Up Direct Reports.

Email Notification Templates for Absence Management Self Service Transactions

The following table lists the email template names that are used for each role based on the approval framework event:

Approval Framework Event	Requester Templates	Approver Templates	Administrator Templates	Absence Request Action Button
Launch	GP_ABS_SS_SUB			Submit
Approve		GP_ABS_SS_APPR_READY		Submit
OnApprove	GP_ABS_SS_APPR	GP_ABS_SS_APPR		Approve
OnDeny	GP_ABS_SS_DNY	GP_ABS_SS_DNY		Deny
Back		GP_ABS_SS_WRK		Needs Rework (Used when there are multiple levels of approval. For example, when Approver 2 pushes back to Approver 1.)
Terminate	GP_ABS_SS_WRK			Needs Rework
Error			GP_ABS_SS_ERR	NONE

See PeopleTools 8.52: Workflow Technology PeopleBook, Using Notification Templates

Understanding Absence Duration and End Date Calculations

Depending on the rules that you define, the system can automatically calculate the duration of an absence event or its end date when a user enters an absence request. Calculation occurs when the user clicks a button on the Request Absence page.

The following factors can affect the calculation of an absence duration or end date:

Partial-day absences.

Users can indicate whether partial-day absences apply to the first day of the absence event, all days, the last day, or the first day and the last day.
Absence Take formulas.

If the formulas that your organization has defined for absence Take processing do not recognize partial hours, users can enter partial-day absences, but they are not used in calculations.
Holidays and off days.

Specify to allow absence to start or end on a holiday or off day. Also, determine the calculation rule on the end date and/or duration.
Unit type.

If the unit type defined for the absence (in the Unit Type field on the Absence page) is days, partial hours recorded for an absence event are ignored by the duration and end date calculations.

Calculations for Absences with a Unit Type of Hours

When the unit type defined for the absence is hours, the system calculates the end date and duration of an absence event as follows:

End Date

To calculate the end date, the system applies the hours entered in the Duration field to the scheduled hours, day by day, starting with the begin date. Partial hours and half-days are taken into account. If there's a negative balance when the end date is reached (that is, scheduled hours for the end date exceed any remaining duration hours) the partial hours for the end date are adjusted to reflect the difference of hours.

An error is generated if the Apply to All Days check box is selected and the duration hours cannot be evenly divided by the partial hours or is not a sum of all scheduled hours divided by two, if half day is selected.
Duration

The system adds the scheduled hours for the requested absence dates and adjusts the sum for partial or 1/2 day absences.

Example 1: Calculating End Date

Assume an employee works eight hours each day from Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday are off days (zero hour). The employee entered an absence request with a begin date of Wed, January 07 and a duration of 24 hours. The absence take is defined in hours. The following table shows the system-calculated duration for various scenarios:

Start Date	Duration	Start Date Partial Hours	1/2 Day Begin Date	All Days	End Date Partial Hours	1/2 Day End Date	End Date	Comments
01/07/2004	24	0	N	N	0	N	01/09/2004	8 hrs/ Wed, Thu, Fri
01/07/2004	24	3	N	N	5	N	01/12/2004	3 hrs/ Wed (bgn day); 8hrs/2days; 0 hr/ Sat, Sun; 5hrs/ Mon (end day)
01/07/2004	24	0	Y	N	4	N	01/12/2004	4 hrs/Wed (bgn day); 8hrs/2days; 0 hr/Sat, Sun; 4hrs/ Mon (end day)
01/07/2004	24	0	N	Y / All Days Hrs: 4 Hrs	0	N	01/14/2004	4 hrs/Wed, Thu, Fri; 0 hr/Sat, Sun, 4hrs/Mon, Tue, Wed
01/07/2004	24	0	N	Y/ All Days are Half Days	0	N	01/14/2004	4 hrs/ Wed, Thu, Fri; 0 hr/ Sat, Sun, 4hrs/ Mon, Tue, Wed
01/07/2004	24	0	N	Y / All Days Hrs: 5 Hrs	0	N	Error	24 not divisible by 5
01/07/2004	5	5	N	N	0	N	01/07/2004	24 not divisible by 5

Example 2: Calculating Duration

Assume an employee works eight hours each day from Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday are off days (zero hour). The employee enters an absence request and provides the begin date and the end date. The absence take is defined in hours. The following table shows the system-calculated duration for various scenarios.

Start Date	End Date	State Date Partial Hours	1/2 Day Begin Date	All Days	End Date Partial Hours	1/2 Day End Date	Duration	Comments
01/05/2004	01/08/2004	0	N	N	0	N	32	8 hrs/ Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu
01/05/2004	01/08/2004	3	N	N	0	N	27	3 hrs/ Mon; 8hrs/ Tue, Wed, Thu
01/05/2004	01/08/2004	0	N	N	3	N	27	8hrs/ Mon, Tue, Wed; 3hrs/ Thu
01/05/2004	01/08/2004	3	N	N	3	N	22	3 hrs/ Mon; 8hrs/ Tue, Wed; 3hrs/ Thu
01/05/2004	01/08/2004	0	N	Y/All Days Hrs: 3 Hrs	0	N	12	3 hrs/ Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu
01/05/2004	01/08/2004	0	Y	N	0	N	28	4 hrs/ Mon; 8hrs/ Tue, Wed, Thu
01/05/2004	01/08/2004	0	N	N	0	Y	28	8hrs/ Mon, Tue, Wed; 4 hrs/ Thu
01/05/2004	01/08/2004	0	Y	N	0	Y	24	4 hrs/ Mon; 8hrs/ Tue, Wed; 4 hrs/ Thu
01/05/2004	01/08/2004	0	N	Y/All Days are Half Days	0	N	16	4 hrs/ Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu
01/05/2004	01/10/2004	0	N	N	0	Y	40	8hrs/ Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri; 0hr/ Sat
01/04/2004	01/08/2004	0	Y	N	0	N	32	0hrs/ Sun; 8hrs/ Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu
01/04/2004	01/10/2004	0	N	Y/All Days are Half Days	0	N	20	0hrs/ Sun; 4hrs/ Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu; 0hr/ Sat

Understanding Forecasting Messages

If you enable self service users to run the online Forecasting process, you can define the message to display at the end of that process. Use the Text Catalog to define the text for up to three messages: a success message, a warning message, and an error message. The entitlement element's forecasting formula specifies the conditions for issuing each message. You will map the value that's returned for each condition to the corresponding message that you define in the Text Catalog.

To define forecasting messages:

Use the Text Catalog to define a status message, a description, or both for each possible Forecasting outcome: success, warning, and error.
Use the Customize Messages page to map each message type (success, warning, error) to the value returned by the forecasting formula and to specify which text to display from the text catalog.

See Viewing or Modifying Text on Self Service Absence Pages.

Pages Used to Define Self Service Absence Rules by Take Element

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Absences	GP_ABS_ELIG_SS	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country Take, Absences	For a given Take element and country, define absence units (days or hours), who can submit and approve requests, what happens to cancelled requests, and whether to allow partial-day absences. You can also specify whether to display the absence reason and entitlement balances.
Date Rules	GP_ABS_ELIG2_SS	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country Take, Date Rules	Define rules for entering absence dates, such as whether absences can begin or end on a holiday or off-day and whether to have the system calculate an absence's end date or duration.
User Fields	GP_ABS_ELIG3_SS	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country Take, User Fields	Define user fields.
Forecasting Messages	GP_ABS_ELIG4_SS	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country Take, Forecasting Messages	Define forecasting rules.
View Messages	GP_ABS_ELIG42_SEC	Click the View Messages link on the Forecasting Messages page.	View the default messages that are returned by the online forecasting process.
Customize Messages	GP_ABS_ELIG4_SEC	Click the Customize Messages link on the Forecasting Messages page.	Customize the messages that are returned by the online forecasting process.
Configurations	GP_ABS_ELIG5_SS	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country Take, Configurations	Link configurable section templates to extended absence components and define access to the templates.

Defining Units, Administrative Rules, and Display Rules for Absence Requests

Access the Absences page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country Take, Absences).

Self Service Rules

Unit Type

Select Days or Hours as the units to display on the self service pages. These are units that users enter when requesting time off.

Note. The selected unit type should match the unit type defined for the Take element.

Administrative Rules

Allow Request By	Specify who can request absences for this Take element through the self service pages. Values are: Employee, Employee and Manager (default), and Manager.
Request As	Specify whether this Take element can be requested as an Employee, Manager, or is Not Applicable in the manager self service page.
Override Request As	Specify whether the Request As option selected can be overridden on the manager self service page.
Approval Process ID	Select the approval Process ID to use for the Country and absence take element. Approval Process ID refers to the technical definitions that control the execution of the approval process and its integration with the Approval Workflow Engine. In addition notifications (emails and worklist) are defined within Approval Process ID. See Understanding the Approval Process.
Approval Definition ID	Select the ID that corresponds to this type of approval, based on how you set up the approval framework. PeopleSoft delivers one approval Definition ID that is used for six delivered Process IDs. The selection of Definition ID for the self service Take elements at the country level depends on how the company has set up Direct Reports. This field is optional. You can also set up Administrative Rules without entering a value in this field. If you define an absence Take without a Definition ID, the system does not use the approval framework when employees or managers select this Take element on absence self service pages. See Understanding the Approval Process. Note. If your absence request does not require approval, then leave Approval Process ID and Approval Definition ID blank. The absence request will be automatically approved once the user submits it.
Cancellation Option	Specify what happens when an absence request is cancelled. Options are: Change Status on Record: (Default) Select to have the system change the status of the request to Cancelled. When a request's status is set to Canceled, you can no longer access the request. Delete from Database: Select to have the system delete the request from the database.
Allow Entry in Time and Labor	Select to allow absence event entry on the Timesheets page in PeopleSoft Time and Labor. You cannot select both the Allow Entry in Time and Labor field and the Allow Entry as Extended Absence field.
Allow Entry as Extended Absence	Select to enable users to choose this absence take as an extended absence. You cannot select both the Allow Entry in Time and Labor field and the Allow Entry as Extended Absence field.

Page Display Rules

Display Reason	Select to enable self service users to specify the reason for the absence. This check box is selected by default.
Reason Required	Select to require that users enter the reason for the absence.
Display Current Balance	Select to display the balance for the absence entitlement element, as of the last finalized absence run on the Request Absence page. The balance will not reflect the number of units that the user is requesting. This check box is not selected by default.
Current Balance Accumulator	If you selected the Display Current Balance check box, select the accumulator element that stores the current balance for this absence Take element.
Balance Display Option	Indicate which value you want the system to display as the current balance, when there are multiple instances of the accumulator with different user keys. Select one of the following options: Not Summarized (default). Consider using this option when your rules for displaying the current balance are very complex. Create an accumulator that summarizes the value of the element contributors. The system will display the value of the most current instance of the accumulator. Summarized. Select this option to have the system display the sum of the values of the multiple instances.
Display Original Begin Date	Select to display the Original Start Date field on the Request Absence page.
Allow Partial Days	This check box works with the Partial Days Option field. Select it to indicate whether partial day absences are allowed. Do not select the check box if partial days or hours are not allowed.
Partial Days Option	This field becomes available when you select the Allow Partial Days check box. Options are: Half Days: With this option, users can select a check box to enter a request for a half-day absence. The system determines the number of hours absent by looking at the user's schedule. Partial Hours: With this option, users can request a partial-day absence by entering the number of absent hours. This is the default option. Partial Hours and Half Days: With this option, users can request a partial-day absence by selecting a check box for a half-day absence or by entering the number of hours. None is the default value when the Allow Partial Days check box is not selected.
Allow Start and End Time	Select to enable employees to enter a start and end time for absence requests. You must select the Allow Partial Days check box and choose a partial days option in order to select this check box. Note. This field becomes available when you install the integration with Oracle Workforce Scheduling. See Integrating with Oracle Workforce Scheduling.

In the following example, the Summarized option would return a value of 20 for the KOAE PTO accumulator.

Accumulator	From	To	User Key 1	User Key 2	Value
KOAE PTO	January 1, 2000	December 31, 2000	CIA A	Pay group A	5
KOAE PTO	January 1, 2001	December 31, 2001	CIA A	Pay group A	8
KOAE PTO	January 1, 2002	July 31, 2002	CIA B	Pay group B	4
KOAE PTO	August 1, 2002	December 31, 2002	CIA B	Pay group B	2
KOAE PTO	January 1, 2003	December 31, 2003	CIA B	Pay group XYZ	1

See Also

Setting Up Direct Reports

Defining Rules for Entering Absence Dates

Access the Date Rules page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country Take, Date Rules).

Start and End Date Rules

Allow Start or End on Holiday	Select if the start or end date of the request can fall on a holiday. This field is selected by default.
Allow Start or End on Off-day	Select if the start or end date of the request can fall on a day the employee is not scheduled to work. This field is selected by default.

Calculation Rules

The option that you select here causes a Calculate End Date button, a Calculate Duration button, or a Calculate End Date or Duration button to appear on the Request Absence page.

See Understanding Absence Duration and End Date Calculations.

Calculate End Date	Select to have the Calculate End Date button appear. When entering an absence request, the user must enter the absence begin date and duration. Clicking the Calculate End Date button causes the system to calculate and display the end date. This is the default selection.
Calculate Duration	Select to have the Calculate Duration button appear. When entering an absence request, the user must enter the absence begin and end dates. Clicking the Calculate Duration button causes the system to calculate and display the duration.
If both entered recalculate	This field controls what happens when a user enters a value in both the End Date and Duration fields while entering an absence request. If you select End Date this field will be recalculated. If you select Duration, this field will be recalculated.
Exclude Holidays	Select to exclude holidays from the end date and duration calculation for requested absence events.
Exclude Off Day	Select to exclude non-worked days (based on the employee's schedule) from the end date and duration calculation for requested absence events.

Defining User Fields

Access the User Fields page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country Take, User Fields).

Display User Fields

Select to have up to four user-defined fields appear on the Request Absence page.

User Fields

Define up to four fields to appear on the Request Absence page. These fields enable you to collect additional data that you may need for absence tracking. You can use these fields as system elements and embed them in rules to perform a specific task with the information that users enter.

For each field you define, specify the format, the field label, and whether users are required to complete the field.

Field <number> Format	Options are Character, Date, Decimal, and Monetary.
Label <number>	Enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters for the field name. To appear on the Absence Detail page, the field must have a label.
Field <number> Required	Select if users are required to complete the field.

Defining Forecasting Rules

Access the Forecasting Messages page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country Take, Forecasting Messages).

Forecasting Rules

Allow Forecasting	Select to enable self service users to run the online forecasting process. A Forecast Balance button will appear on the Request Absence page. This check box is not selected by default. Note. For self service users to run the forecasting process, the country rules for that Take element must also allow forecasting. (The Forecast Request Enabled check box must be selected on the Forecasting Grid page.)
Submission Role	If forecasting is required before submitting an absence request, specify who must run the process. Options are: Employee, Manager, Employee and Manager, and Not Applicable(default). This field works in conjunction with the Forecasting Reqd to Submit check box. If you select the Forecasting Reqd to Submit check box, then you must specify a role in this field.
Forecasting Reqd to Submit (forecasting required to submit)	Select to require that the Forecasting process be run before submitting an absence request. This check box is not selected by default. Depending on your rules, the results of the forecasting process may determine whether or not the request can be submitted. Users receive an error message when they click Submit on the Absence Request page without first forecasting the absence entitlement balance.
Approval Role	If forecasting is required, specify who can run the forecasting process. Options are: Manager and Not Applicable.
Forecasting Reqd to Approve (forecasting required to approve)	Select to require that the online forecasting process be run before approving an absence request.

Forecasting Messages

The system can display the message, “Forecasting Completed Successfully” at the end of the forecasting process, or it can display customized messages that you create. You can have a different message display when the forecasting process is successful, generates a warning, or results in an error. You define the criteria for issuing a success, warning, or error message.

Default Message and View Messages	Select to have the system display the default message after a user runs the forecasting process. Click the View Messages link to access the View Messages page to see the default message. There is a default message for successful forecasting and one for system error.
Customized Message	Select to have a customized message display after a user runs the online forecasting process.
Allow Warning and Submit/Approve Warning	Select to enable users to submit absence requests when the forecasting process results in a warning. In the Submit Warning field, specify who can submit requests with warnings. Options are: Employee, Manager, Employee and Manager (default), and Not Applicable.
Allow Errors and Submit/Approve Error	Select to enable users to submit absence requests when the forecasting process results in an error. In the Submit Error field, specify who can submit requests with errors. Options are: Employee, Manager, Employee and Manager (default), and Not Applicable.

Customizing Forecasting Messages

Access the Customize Messages page (click the Customize Messages link on the Forecasting Messages page).

Message Type

Select the type of message to define: Error, Success, or Warning.

Forecasting Value

Enter the value that the Forecasting process (the forecasting formula) will return to trigger the display of this message. You can enter up to 20 alphanumeric characters in this field (the maximum field length for a character element in Absence Management).

Display Option

Specify the type of information in the Text Catalog that is to display after forecasting is complete. Options are: Status, Description and Both (default).

Status Text ID

If you selected Display Status or Both in the Display Option field, enter the text ID from the HR Text Catalog for the status message.

Description Text ID

If you selected Display Description or Both in the Display Option field, enter the text ID from the HR Text Catalog for the description.

Linking Configurable Section Templates to Extended Absence Components

Access the Configurations page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Country Take, Configurations).

Component Name

Select an extended absence component that will link to a configurable section page to link to the configurable section template.

Template

Select a defined configurable section template.

Authorization

Select the access mode used by the extended absence request to access the configurable section template. The values areFull Edit and Display.

In order to display configurable section information for user self-service, link the configurable section templates you created to each of the extended absence components you are using. Then specify the desired type of user access to the displayed configurable section page.

For example, using the information shown in the Configurations page graphic, when a user accesses the GP_ABS_EA_EEREQ extended absence component, using the Cayman Islands FMLA maternity absence take, the GP_ABS_FMLA_ELG template specifies the composition of the displayed configurable section page. The users accessing the configurable section page have full edit access on the displayed page.

Defining Forecasting Rules for Self Service Absence Requests

To define rules for using the self service Forecasting and Balance Inquiry processes, use the Forecasting (GP_ABS_SS_FCST) component.

This section discusses how to:

Select entitlement balances to display in forecasting results.
Select entitlement balances to display in balance inquiry results.

Pages Used to Define Self Service Forecasting Rules

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Forecasting	GP_ABS_TAKE6	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Forecasting, Forecasting	Specify which forecasting result elements to display in the Forecasting Results grid. Also specify whether to display a customized label from the HR Text Catalog as the description or the element description as defined on the Element Name page (GP_PIN).
Balance Inquiry	GP_ABS_TAKE7	Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Forecasting, Balance Inquiry	Specify which entitlement balances the Balance Inquiry process is to display and whether to display a customized label from the HR Text Catalog as the description or the element description as defined on the Element Name page (GP_PIN).

Defining Rules for Self Service Absence Entitlement Balance Forecasting

Access the Forecasting page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Forecasting, Forecasting).

This page displays the forecasting rules defined for a Take element on the Absence Take - Forecasting page. The Forecast Element field at the top of the page shows the formula that the system resolves during the Forecasting process. The Forecasting Results Element List grid shows what appears on the Absence Forecast Results page (in the Absence Event Entry component) after you run the Forecasting process. You can have all or a subset of these results display to self service users after they run the forecasting process.

Note. To enter information on this page, the Allow Forecasting check box must be selected on the Forecasting Messages page, as well as the Forecasting Used check box on the Absence Take definition page.

Self Service	Select to have the forecasting results for this element display to self service users.
Label	Specify the label for the Forecast element that displays in self service. If no label is specified, it will display the element's description.

See Also

Defining Forecasting Rules

Defining Rules for the Self Service Balance Inquiry Process

Access the Balance Inquiry page (Set Up HRMS, Product Related, Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt, Absence Management, Forecasting, Balance Inquiry).

This page is similar in function to the Forecasting page but applies to rules for the Balance Inquiry process.

Reviewing System Generated Forecasting Error Status Messages

The following table provides a list of system generated error messages that appear when the Forecast Balance process ends in error. Absence and system administrators use this information to manage the absence forecasting functionality when message errors appear.

Note. These messages are formatted differently depending on the component where they appear, either Absence Administrator pages or Absence Self Service pages. Use Absence Administrator pages (Absence Event Entry and Review Absence Balances) if you need additional information to resolve any of these error messages.

Message ID	Functional	Technical
471 - MSGID-NO-TXN-DATA	No Forecast Transaction Row (GP_TXN_DATA). This row is inserted by push button PeopleCode.	Transaction record is missing. Select on PS_GP_TXN_DATA matching on TXN_ID, TXN_NUM returns no rows. This would be due to a problem in the PeopleCode or with the data input if running GPPOLRUN manually either from DOS or from Animator. Not likely to occur online unless bug in PeopleCode.
472 - MSGID-INVALID-TXN-DATA	Invalid data on the forecast transaction row (GP_TXN_DATA). One or more of the following fields are missing from this record: OPRID, BATCH_RUN_ID, CAL_RUN_ID, EMPLID, or COUNTRY.	Transaction record data is invalid. A row exists on PS_GP_TXN_DATA matching TXN_ID, TXN_NUM but one or more of the other fields is blank (OPRID, BATCH_RUN_ID, CAL_RUN_ID, EMPLID, COUNTRY). Not likely to occur online unless bug in PeopleCode.
473 - NO-TXN	No Forecast Transaction Definition (GP_TXN). Please add a Transaction Definition for the TXN_ID and COUNTRY listed. Main Menu > Set Up HRMS > Product Related > Global Payroll & Absence Mgmt > Elements > Absence Forecast Transactions. Transaction ID = 100 for Absence Forecasting and 110 for Balance Forecasting.	Transaction definition is missing. Select on PS_GP_TXN matching TXN_ID returns no rows. This is a data set up issue. Not likely to occur as the definition is required for the online transaction.
474 - INVALID-TXN	Invalid Forecast Transaction Definition Data (GP_TXN). The Calendar Group ID (the forecast calendar template) is missing. When adding a new Absence Forecast Transaction, please make sure that you are associating the correct Calendar Template. Also make sure the template contains all the calendars and dates that you want to forecast for all the employee/pay groups that you want to make forecasting available to.	Transaction definition is invalid. A row exists on PS_GP_TXN matching TXN_ID but CAL-RUN-ID-TMPLT is blank. This is a data setup issue. It is also unlikely to occur.
475 - OL-RUNCTL-MISSING	Run Control Missing for Forecast Process (GP_RUNCTL). This is inserted by the push button PeopleCode.	Run Control is missing. Select on PS_GP_RUNCTL matching on OPRID and RUN_CNTL_ID returns no rows. This would be due to a problem in the PeopleCode or with the data input if running GPPOLRUN manually either from DOS or from Animator. Not likely to occur online unless bug in PeopleCode.
476 - INVALID-RUNCTL	Invalid Run Control (GP_RUNCTL). The Calendar Group ID is missing. The Run Control was inserted by push button PeopleCode.	Run Control data is invalid. A row exists on PS_GP_RUNCTL matching OPRID and RUN_CNTL_ID but CAL_RUN_ID is blank. Not likely to occur online unless bug in PeopleCode.
477 - NO-EVENT	No Absence Events exist to forecast for this employee. This error is not likely to happen in self service because at least one event will exist when forecasting from absence self service.	There are no absence events for this employee. This is indicated if no rows are returned for a SELECT against GP_ABS_EVENT looking for the min (bgn_dt) and max (end_dt) (for non voided events only). This could happen if forecasting and only voided events exist. It wouldn’t happen if you forecast after creating or modifying an event.
478 - SQL-ERROR	SQL Error During Absence Forecasting. This type of error is not likely to happen unless there is a conflict in the database. Please contact your system or database administrator.	For each call to PTPSQLRT, there is the potential that an SQL-ERROR could occur for either the Select or the Fetch. This is set in the ZZ000-SQL-ERROR section. This requires system administrator intervention.
479 - NO-PAYEE-ERROR	Forecasting Completed Successfully! No Errors were found.	Forecasting Completed Successfully! The forecasting process ended with no errors. In self service a 479 message/status is also used when you decide to display customized messages instead of the default “Success” message (Country Take setup).
480 - PAYEE-ERROR	Forecasting Completed With Errors! This type of error requires checking for more details in the Forecast Messages tab in Absence Event Entry. There are different possible causes for this error, and therefore you need to verify the detail of each message produced by the error handling modules.	Indicates somewhere in one of the called COBOL modules a payee error was encountered. Select on PS_GPXPYE_SEG_STAT record where CALC_ACTION=’C’ and PYE_CALC_STAT in (‘00’,’02’,’03’,’04’,’05’). This requires system administrator intervention.
481 - NO-CAL-RUN-DTL	The Calendar Group ID (Template) does not cover the forecasting period. As a result, there are no calendars to process. Please add calendars to your Calendar Group ID (that is the template) to cover the forecast period.	The online transaction record and run control record are created via the online Peoplecode. Once they are selected and validated, GPPOLRUN determines the forecast period and creates a GPXCAL_RUN_DTL for each calendar to be processed in forecasting. In order to control which calendars to run, only those unfinalized calendars for the employee’s pay group from the template whose period begin and end dates fall within the FCST period begin and end date are inserted into GPXCAL_RUN_DTL selecting data from the corresponding “real” GP_CAL_RUN_DTL for that matching CAL_ID and GP_PAYGROUP. If on a subsequent select of that GPXCAL_RUN_DTL matching on CAL_RUN_ID, no records are selected, then Message #481 - NO CAL RUN DTL is generated. If none are present, that means the template for the employee’s pay group does not match up with the forecast period. This could occur if the template includes calendars for several pay groups but the necessary calendar for the pay group of the employee to process this event is missing. For example Pay Group A has Jan-Dec 04 calendars. Pay Group B has Mar-Dec 04 calendars. Employee from pay group B has event in February only. This error would be generated.
482 - INVALID-TXN-DATA-BAL	Invalid data on the forecast transaction row (GP_TXN_DATA). One or more of the following fields are missing from this record, the forecast as of date (FCST_ASOF_DT), or the take element (PIN_FCST_TAKE_NUM).	Balance Inquiry only. A row exists on PS_GP_TXN_DATA matching TXN_ID, TXN_NUM but either FCST_ASOF_DT is spaces or PIN_FCST_TAKE_NUM is zero. Not likely to occur online unless bug in PeopleCode.
483 - NO-EVENTS-TO-FCST	No Events to Forecast. The Forecast End Date is <= Period End Date of the last finalized absence calendar. The forecast end date is for absence forecasting equal to the maximum event end date. For absence balance forecasting the forecast end date is equal to the "as of date."	Consider all events are processed versus one or more new events entered retroactively. If FCST-END-DT < PRD-END-DT, this could occur if the end date of all the employee’s absence events are within a finalized calendar, if an absence event is entered for a calendar period that has already finalized, or if the As of Date of Balance Inquiry is within a finalized calendar. The employee should look at the list of their current balances instead.
484 - ASOF-DT-BEFORE-TEMPLATE	The Calendar Group ID (Template) does not cover the forecasting period. The As of Date must be greater than or equal to the earliest Begin Date of the calendar periods associated with the Calendar Group used as the template for Forecasting. Using the Calendar Group ID component, please add calendars to your template for the period in which you want to forecast.	This could occur if the As of Date of Balance Inquiry is greater than the period end date of the last finalized calendar and is less than the min (period begin date) of the calendars on the template: EVENT-BGN-DT > PRD-END-DT and EVENT-BGN-DT < TMPLT-BGN-DT. This could also occur if the As of Date of Balance Inquiry is less than the min (period begin date) of the calendars on the template: EVENT-BGN-DT < TMPLT-BGN-DT.
485 - NO-TMPLT-CALENDARS	No Calendars were found for the template. Using the Calendar Group ID component, please add calendars to your template for the period in which you want to forecast.	The calendar detail corresponding to the calendars on the template are missing or the dates are missing. This is indicated by a SELECT on a join of GP_CALENDAR, GP_CAL_DTL and GP_CAL_PRD for the CAL_RUN_ID from the run control. This is a data setup issue that requires system administrator intervention.
486 - INVALID-ASOF-DT	Balance Forecast As Of Date falls within an Absence Begin and End Date. Please select an As Of Date Before or After the Absence Event Begin/End Date.	Forecast Balance only. The Forecast Balance As of Date falls in the middle of an existing absence event. The reason this is an issue is that the design for Balance Inquiry includes creating a temporary “dummy” event for begin data/end date = As of Date. This causes issues with the rule that there cannot be two events for the same take on the same day and therefore the current Absence architecture and coding do not support that. A specific SQL against GP_ABS_EVENT looking for this situation is issued in GPPOLRUN.
487 - EVENTS-BEFORE-TEMPLATE	The Calendar Group ID (Template) does not cover the forecasting period. The event begin date must be greater than or equal to the earliest Begin Date of the calendar periods associated with the Calendar Group used as the template for Forecasting. Using the Calendar Group ID component, please add calendars to your template for the period in which you want to forecast.	This could occur if the min (bgn_dt) of all the employee’s absence events is greater than the period end date of the last finalized calendar and is less than the min (period begin date) of the calendars on the template: EVENT-BGN-DT > PRD-END-DT and EVENT-BGN-DT < TMPLT-BGN-DT. This could also occur if there are NO finalized calendars on the template and the min (bgn_dt) of all the employee’s absence events is less than the min (period begin date) of the calendars on the template: EVENT-BGN-DT < TMPLT-BGN-DT.
488 - ASOF-DT-AFTER-TEMPLATE	The Calendar Group ID (Template) does not cover the forecasting period. The As of Date must be less than or equal to the maximum End Date of the calendar periods associated with the Calendar Group used as the template for Forecasting. Using the Calendar Group ID component, please add calendars to your template for the period in which you want to forecast.	This could occur if the As of Date of Balance Inquiry is greater than the max (period end date) of the calendars on the template: FCST-END-DT > TMPLT-END-DT. This could also occur if there are NO finalized calendars on the template and if the As of Date of Balance Inquiry is greater than the max (period end date) of the calendars on the template: EVENT-END-DT > TMPLT-END-DT.
489 - EVENTS-AFTER-TEMPLATE	The Calendar Group ID (Template) does not cover the forecasting period. The event end date must be less than or equal to the maximum End Date of the calendar periods associated with the Calendar Group used as the template for Forecasting. Using the Calendar Group ID component, please add calendars to your template for the period in which you want to forecast.	This could occur if the max (end_dt) of all the employee’s absence events is greater than the max (period end date) of the calendars on the template: FCST-END-DT > TMPLT-END-DT. This could also occur if there are NO finalized calendars on the template and the max (end_dt) of all the employee’s absence events is greater than the max (period end date) of the calendars on the template: EVENT-END-DT > TMPLT-END-DT.
490 - EVENT-NOT-FCSTD	No events were forecasted. One possible cause is that the Calendar Group ID (Template) does not cover the forecasting period. As a result, there are no calendars to process. Review and add calendars to your Calendar Group ID (the template) to cover the forecast period. Another possible cause is that the date range entered for forecasting cover periods already processed and finalized. Forecasting only processes from last finalized period going forward.	The conditions detected in GPPOLRUN are “generic” in nature. It can’t detect everything without knowing more about the processing that will occur during batch. Therefore it’s possible that an event is entered and passes the GPPOLRUN checks and then goes on to batch processing. If for example there are calendars for pay group A for all of 2004 but calendars only for Feb-Dec of 2004 for pay group B, then an event entered for an employee in pay group B for January won't get caught by the GPPOLRUN edits but that event won't get processed because pay group B January calendar was not processed. This is one example where the error #490 comes into play – No events were forecasted. This is different than 477 – No events.

Viewing or Modifying Text on Self Service Absence Pages

You can use the Text Catalog feature to modify field labels, button text, and text that appears elsewhere on the self service absence pages.

Configuring the Text Catalog

Delivered Text Catalog Entries for Absence Management

The step to view delivered text catalog entries for Absence Management are:

Navigate to the Maintain Text Catalog page. (Set Up HRMS, Common Definitions, Text Catalog and Notepad, Maintain Text Catalog)
Enter HGA in the Object owner identifier field.
Click Search to view the list of text catalogs for Absence Management.

See Configuring the Text Catalog.

Message Type	Select the type of message to define: Error, Success, or Warning.
Forecasting Value	Enter the value that the Forecasting process (the forecasting formula) will return to trigger the display of this message. You can enter up to 20 alphanumeric characters in this field (the maximum field length for a character element in Absence Management).
Display Option	Specify the type of information in the Text Catalog that is to display after forecasting is complete. Options are: Status, Description and Both (default).
Status Text ID	If you selected Display Status or Both in the Display Option field, enter the text ID from the HR Text Catalog for the status message.
Description Text ID	If you selected Display Description or Both in the Display Option field, enter the text ID from the HR Text Catalog for the description.

Component Name	Select an extended absence component that will link to a configurable section page to link to the configurable section template.
Template	Select a defined configurable section template.
Authorization	Select the access mode used by the extended absence request to access the configurable section template. The values areFull Edit and Display.