Generating Multiple Resolutions Using Element Assignments

In Global Payroll you can cause multiple resolutions of an earning or deduction using element assignments.

There are two ways to do this:

• You can enter multiple earning or deduction assignments with overlapping begin and end dates, without specifying user fields.

• You can define separate instances of an earning or deduction assignment with overlapping begin and end dates, and specify user fields.

When the system encounters multiple assignments of an element with overlapping begin and end dates on the earning/deduction assignment pages (without user fields), it resolves each assignment separately, without generating a unique accumulator instance for each resolution.

For example, if you define three instances of Deduction A in July, the system resolves each instance, and sums the results in the auto-generated accumulators for the deduction.

To generate multiple resolutions of an earning or deduction using element assignments without user fields:

1. Define the earning or deduction on the element definition page.

2. Select Payee as the override level when you define the earning or deduction.

3. Access the Element Assignment By Payee page or the Payee Assignment By Element page, and enter more than one assignment for the same element.

   The system automatically assigns an instance number to each entry to distinguish one assignment from another.

   Note: You can use the Process Order field to control the order in which an element is processed if there is more than one instance of the element per segment.

   When payroll processes the element, it resolves it once for each entry, and sums the results in the auto-generated accumulators.

When the system encounters multiple assignments with overlapping begin and end dates and different user field values, it resolves each assignment separately. Depending on the user keys of the accumulators, the system generates separate accumulator instances to store the different resolutions:

• If the user keys on the auto-generated accumulators (or other accumulators created to store the element's resolutions) match the element's user fields, the system generates separate accumulator instances to store each resolution of the element.

  For example, if you define three instances of Deduction A in July, you associate the deduction with the user field Location, and there are deduction assignments for three locations (locations A, B, and C) in a single segment, the system resolves the deduction for each location, and stores the results in separate accumulator instances (one for each location).

• If the user keys on the auto-generated accumulators (or other accumulators created to store the element's resolutions) do not match the element's user fields, the system may or may not sum all resolutions of the element in a single accumulator instance.

  The exact behavior depends on how the system resolves the accumulator keys (if any). For example, assume that Deduction A has a user field of state, and that the corresponding accumulator has a user key of company. If there are two instances of the deduction (one for California and one for New York), and the first instance is associated with company ABC while the second is associated with company DEF, the system would create a separate accumulator instance for each resolution.

To generate multiple resolutions using element assignments with user fields:

1. Define the earning or deduction on the element definition pages.

   For example, define a loan payback deduction called LOAN.

2. Click the User Fields link on the Element Name page for the earning or deduction to access the User Fields page.

   For example, click the User Fields link for the LOAN deduction.

3. Define a user field on the User Fields page so that you can make unique assignments of the element based on user field values.

   For example, define a user field called Loan Type.

4. Define the user field as a variable and specify the name of the variable.

   User fields associated with an earning or deduction must be defined as variables. This is because only variables can be overridden on the element assignment pages.

   Note: To associate a variable with an element using user fields, you must have previously defined the variable on the variable definition pages. You define the value of the variable on the Element Assignment By Payee and Element Detail pages when you assign the element to a payee.

5. (Optional) Click the Copy User Fields button on the Auto-Generated Accumulators page of the earning/deduction definition component to transfer the element's user fields to the auto-generated accumulators.

   If you do this, the system generates a separate accumulator instance for each resolution with a different user field value.

   Note: The system automatically transfers the user fields associated with a deduction to the deduction's auto-generated arrears accumulators—you do not need to copy user keys to the arrears accumulators. However, you must click the Copy User Fields button to transfer user fields to all other auto-generated accumulators.

6. Select Payee override as the override level on the earning or deduction definition.

7. Access the Element Assignment By Payee page or the Payee Assignment By Element page, and enter multiple element assignments for the payee using the Instance Number and the user fields to distinguish one assignment from another.

   When payroll processes the element, it resolves each entry, and generates a separate accumulator instance for each assignment with unique user field values.

   For example, assign the LOAN deduction multiple times to the same payee with different instance numbers and different user field values (different loan types).