Understanding Processing Job Step Progression Using the Stand-Alone Method

Using the stand-alone method, you process job step progression information by submitting timecard automation rules. You submit these rules for processing after you have entered all timecards into the system for the current pay period and before you process pre-payroll. Use the stand-alone method to process job step progression information outside of the payroll cycle to avoid increasing the processing time of the payroll cycle. The stand-alone method also enables you to review and approve timecards that are created by the job step progression rules before they are processed through a payroll cycle. Lastly, the stand-alone method enables you to process job step progression information at one time for employees that are included in different payroll cycles.

For example, you can use the stand-alone method to process job step progression information for employees in Company A at the same time that you process job step progression information for employees in Company B, even if you process separate payroll cycles for each of the companies. After timecards have been entered, but before pre-payroll has been run for either company, you would process step progression information for the employee group, which would include all job step progression employees in Company A and Company B.

Before you process pre-payroll, you can review the timecards that are created for employees that move to the next job level within the work dates that you are processing. If necessary, you can modify or delete the timecards that are created. Finally, you approve the timecards and process the employees through their respective payroll cycles. To update job step progression history, these timecards must be processed in order through a complete payroll cycle. The system also automatically updates employee information for all employees who move to the next job level during the payroll cycle. Using the processing options for the Pay Cycle Workbench program (P07210), you can specify which fields are automatically updated.

Note:

When you process job step progression timecards that were created using the stand-alone method through the payroll cycle, the system generates a message before pre-payroll is processed asking whether step progression timecards have been approved. This message is a reminder to review and approve timecards before processing them through a payroll cycle. If you do not approve step progression timecards, they will not be included in the payroll process.

You use the stand-alone method of processing step progression information if these statements are true about the organization:

You do not want to increase the processing time of the payroll cycle.

You want to review  and approve timecards that are created using timecard automation before they are processed through a payroll cycle.

You want to simultaneously process step progression information for employees that are in different payroll cycles.