1. Payroll Implementation Guide
  2. Understanding Processing Job Step Progression Using the Automatic Method

Understanding Processing Job Step Progression Using the Automatic Method

When you use the automatic method to process job step progression, the system completes all job step progression processing during the payroll cycle. The system automatically determines which step progression rules to use to process step progression information during the pre-payroll step of the payroll cycle. The system uses these rules to create timecards automatically for employees who meet the requirements of their current job level and move to the next job level within the pay period.

For example, if an employee worked 40 hours during the pay period, but only needs 10 hours to meet the requirements to move to the next job level, the step progression function automatically creates a new timecard for the new job and adjusts the hours on the old timecard for the old job. The step progression function modifies the existing timecard from 40 hours to the 10 hours, and creates a new timecard for the 30 hours that are associated with the new job level. This process ensures that the employee is paid at the correct rate for all of the hours that are worked during the pay period.

After you process job step progression information during pre-payroll, you can delete or keep the step progression timecards that were created during pre-payroll processing if you reset payroll. If you reset payroll to make changes that do not affect the step progression timecards, you might keep them to decrease processing time when you resubmit pre-payroll.

During the final update step of the payroll cycle, the system updates job step progression history for all step progression employees. The system also updates employee information for employees that move to the next job level during the payroll cycle. Using the processing options for the Pay Cycle Workbench program (P07210), you can determine which fields the system automatically updates in the F060116 table.

You use the automatic method to process job step progression information if these statements are true:

  • You are not concerned about the processing time of the payroll cycle.

    Using the automatic method, the system retrieves job step progression history for each job step progression employee during the pre-payroll step of the payroll cycle. This might significantly increase processing time.

  • You do not want to review timecards that are created using timecard automation functions before they are processed through the payroll cycle.