Element Resolution
This topic provides an overview of element resolution and discusses:
Definition as of date.
Begin and end dates.
Generation control.
Arrears.
Earnings and deductions.
Overrides.
Recalculate options.
There are many factors that affect the resolution of an element that meets the eligibility criteria. In general, there's an element resolution program for each element type. Earning and deduction elements are handled by the same program.
All effective-dated elements contain a Definition As Of Date field, which tells the system which effective-dated row to use when retrieving an element definition. You provide the Definition As Of Date information on the Element Name page. If, for example, you select Calendar Period Begin Date, the system retrieves the element definition that was in effect as of the calendar period's first day.
Begin and end dates are used with override instructions, specifying the period during which an override applies. Processing rules for begin and end dates vary, depending on the type of override that's being processed.
Generation control enables you to further control whether an earning, deduction, absence entitlement, or entitlement adjustment is processed for a payee. You define the criteria under which elements should be resolved. Criteria can be based on HR status, run type, segment status, and other parameters.
For each parameter, you select whether the entries exclude or include the element during batch processing. Each payee must pass all generation control conditions for the element to be processed.
If a payee fails generation control for a deduction, payback processing might still occur and retroactive adjustments can still resolve. If a payee fails generation control for an earning, retroactive adjustments still resolve.
When a deduction fails generation control processing, payback processing can still occur, depending on the Arrears Payback Controlled By field on the Arrears page. The two values are All Pay Runs and Deduction Schedule. Deduction Schedule means the deduction must have passed generation control to do arrears payback processing. All Pay Runs means that even if the deduction doesn't pass generation control, payback processing occurs.
The following explains the element resolution code in the earnings/deduction program.
After passing eligibility, the element rule is overlaid with entries from the Payee Assignment By Element page, the Element Assignment By Payee page, or the Positive Input page.
If required payee level components are missing, the element isn't resolved. Retroactive adjustment processing and payback processing can still occur.
Note: In this context, element means element/user field set.
The last step is checking generation control.
If generation control fails, the earning or deduction element doesn't resolve but the arrears payback and retroactive adjustment processing can occur.
You can override a value or an element definition at various levels. For example, you can override primary elements, such as earnings, deductions, and absences, at the payee level and exclude an element from the process list for all payees, by using the calendar exclude feature.
You can not allow payee level overrides for an element by deselecting the Payee check box on the Element Name page, Override Levels group box.
If there are several levels of overrides for an element, the system follows a hierarchy during processing.
The Always Recalculate option on the Element Name page, the Retro Recalculation Option on the Earnings/Deductions - Calculation page, and the Recalculate option on the section component determine the recalculation options.
If you select Always Recalculate on the Element Name page, the system recalculates the element whenever it encounters it in the calculation process. So when you're updating a formula and recalculating or resolving it, the system uses the previously resolved value of the element if this check box is deselected. Always Recalculate applies only to the period that's being resolved.
On the Earnings/Deductions Calculation page, the Retro Recalculation Option enables you to select Always Recalculate or Do Not Recalculate. If Do Not Recalculate is selected, the earning/deduction program doesn't resolve the element in a retroactive period, but returns the value from the previous calculation. This applies to earnings and deductions, their components, arrears processing, and retroactive adjustments.
Note: The Recalculate setting on a section applies only to the element on that section, not to the entire element resolution chain. In other words, it does not apply to the elements used by the parent element.
PIN Manager Logic
When the PIN Manager is called to resolve an element, it:
Checks to see whether the element has already been resolved for the current time frame (segment or slice).
If the element isn't resolved, it calls the appropriate element resolution program to resolve it.
If the element is resolved, the system checks the recalculation logic.
Recalculation Logic
The recalculation logic is as follows:
The system reads the Always Recalculate check box on the Element Name page.
If the check box is selected, the appropriate element resolution program is called; if it isn't, the system takes the next step.
If the PIN Manager was called from the process list, the PIN Manager reads the Recalculate check box from the section of the current element.
If the check box is selected, the appropriate element resolution program is called. If the check box isn't selected, the PIN Manager returns the previously resolved value for the element. The element isn't recalculated.
Example 1
You assign a value of 10 to variable V1 in formula F1 and use V1 in a different formula, F2. If V1 has Always Recalculate selected, the following occurs:
When the formula program calls the PIN Manager to get the V1 value, it determines that V1 is resolved. Because Always Recalculate is selected, the PIN Manager calls the variable element resolution program to resolve the element. V1 is resolved to whatever the definition contains. The value assigned to V1 from F1 is lost.
If you deselect the Always Recalculate check box for V1, the value assigned to V1 from the formula isn't lost. The PIN Manager, called from F2 to resolve V1, determines that V1 is resolved. Additionally, it determines that Always Recalculate isn't selected and returns the previously resolved value to the formula program.
Dates, arrays, and brackets can assign values to variables. For proper calculation, you must consider recalculation logic.
Example 2
In this example, the Always Recalculate check box must be selected. During resolution of a count element, daily processing occurs. The PIN Manager is called to resolve the formula, which isn't used elsewhere, once each day. The formula is resolved for the first day. On the second day, the first-day value is used, unless Always Recalculate is selected for the formula.