Using Time Reporter Status in the Selection Process

To understand how the system selects time reporters for processing, you must know how the application uses the TA_STATUS and EARLIEST_CHGDT fields on the TL_TR_STATUS table. This table stores information about who is eligible for processing and what the earliest addition or update to time-related data is for each time reporter since the last Time Administration run.

Critical TL_TR_STATUS Record Fields

Field Name	Description
EMPLID	The time reporter's employee ID number.
EMPL_RCD	The time reporter's employee record number.
TA_STATUS	Indicates whether the time reporter should be run through Time Administration. Valid values are Y (the time reporter should be run) and N (the time reporter should not be run).
EARLIEST_CHGDT	The date-under-report of the earliest addition or update to time-related data for a time reporter since the last Time Administration run. The earliest change date helps determine both the range of dates and the amount of data that will be processed for each time reporter.

Note:

When forecasting Payable Time, the system does not check TA_STATUS. It also uses the date you enter in the Process Period with this Date field on the Starting the Time Administration Process as the EARLIEST_CHGDT for all selected time reporters.

As a rule, the system processes only time reporters whose TA_STATUS is Y or whose EARLIEST_CHGDT is less than or equal to the current or process date specified on the TA Run Control page. You set the run control date to either the current date or another date (the process date) depending on who you want to process and what periods you want to process.

The system processes time reporters whose TA_STATUS is set to Y or whose EARLIEST_CHGDT is less than or equal to the current or process date specified on the Time Administration Run Control page.

The TA_STATUS and EARLIEST_CHGDT fields in the TL_TR_STATUS table are updated at different times and for different reasons:

Updating TL_TR_STATUS When There Are New Enrollments

When a time reporter is enrolled in Time and Labor, the system inserts a new row in the TL_TR_STATUS record.

For newly hired time reporters, the system sets TA_STATUS to Y and the EARLIEST_CHGDT to the date entered as the Payable Time Start Date on the Create Time Reporter Data page. If this date field is not completed, then the EARLIEST_CHGDT is set to the TL enrollment date.

Updating TL_TR_STATUS When There Is New or Modified Data

In the case of positive time reporters, when data is changed or new data is added that might affect payable time, TA_STATUS is set to Y (if it was previously set to N) and the EARLIEST_CHGDT is set to reflect the earliest date for which new time was reported or the earliest date for which existing time data was modified—even if the modification extends into prior periods.

In the case of exception time reporters, TA_STATUS always equals Y, and the EARLIEST_CHGDT is automatically reset, after processing, to the first day of the next workgroup period (this is the period immediately following the one intersected by the current date or process date used in the current Time Administration run). This enables the system to know which period to process in the subsequent run (the period to be processed is the one intersected by the earliest change date).

Note:

After a time reporter has been processed, the time reporter is not reprocessed unless new data is entered that causes the EARLIEST_CHGT field to be reset in the period that was just processed or in a prior period.

There are three sources of new or modified data that can cause the TL_TR_STATUS record to be updated:

• The report by Time Period or Week views on the Timesheet page (for punch and elapsed time), and the Web Clock – Enter Punch page can cause the EARLIEST_CHGDT to be set to the earliest date of reported time and the TA_STATUS to be set to Y.

• Batch time entered through the TCD Interface, Rapid Time pages, or Mass Time pages goes through Submit Time and starts the Validation process, which causes TL_TR_STATUS to be updated.

• Changes to effective-dated rows of information using the online system initiates Referential Integrity and starts the Validation process. The Validation process updates TL_TR_STATUS.

Note:

The Validation process resets the EARLIEST_CHGDT to reflect retroactive changes in data. If a time reporter is affected by these changes, but does not have data going back as far as the earliest change date, the system recognizes this and sets the EARLIEST_CHGDT to coincide with the first actual instance of reported or scheduled time. For example, suppose that employee A has time data going back to 5 January 2002. This is also the day he joined Workgroup A. Now suppose that the Time and Labor administrator finds that all time reporters in Workgroup A should have been in Workgroup B beginning on 1 January 2000. Because time reporter A only has time date going back to 5 January 2002, his earliest change date will be set to 5 January 2002.

The following table describes the conditions that update the Earliest Change Data and TA Status:

Condition	ECD (Earliest Change Date)	TA Status
1. Upgrade: When Payable time exists	Maximum Date of Payable Time + 1 date in Payable Time	Y
2. Upgrade: When no payable time exists	Current Datetime	Y
3. When Employee Enrolled in T&L	Either TL Enrollment Date or Date > Effective Date entered in (Payable Time Start field on Create Time Reporter Data)	Y
4. When Employee changes from Positive to Exception Workgroup, or Workgroup type is changed from Positive to Exception	All Employees impacted are determined, and ECD becomes the Effective date of the change, if current ECD > Effective date of the change	Y (Changed from N to Y)
5. Positive Workgroup: When Out Punch is missing for Max Date processing	ECD will remain on missing out punch date	N
6. Positive Workgroup: When Out Punches are reported or time for Elapsed Reporter is processed	Next Period Begin Date	N
7. Positive Workgroup: When Exceptions are generated	Minimum date of Exception Generated	Y
8. Exception Workgroup: When time is processed for the current period	Next Period Begin Date	Y
9. Exception Workgroup: Exceptions are generated	Minimum date of Exception Generated	Y
10. In case of Holiday: If the maximum date of payable time generated, is less than the End date of the Period of Interest (POI). ECD will be adjusted to the holiday date to trigger holiday template rules.	To the date of Holiday date.	TA Status will depend on positive or exception workgroup

Resetting TL_TR_STATUS at the End of a Time Administration Run

At the end of a Time Administration run, the system resets the values in the TL_TR_STATUS record as described in step 16, Updating TR Status.

Updating Status as a Result of a Processing Exception

When an exception of high severity is generated (one that prevents a time reporter from being fully processed), the time reporter's TA_STATUS and EARLIEST_CHGDT is not reset in the usual way. Instead, TA_STATUS will remain Y and the EARLIEST_CHGDT is changed to the earliest Exception date, so that the time reporter can be processed again after the exception is resolved. For example, suppose that time is originally reported for September 7, 2004 through September 21, 2004, where TA_STATUS = Y and EARLIEST_CHGDT = September 7, 2004. After Time Administration is run, an exception is created for September 15, 2004. TA_STATUS remains Y and EARLIEST_CHGDT is reset from September 7 to September 15.