Considerations for Using Worker Numbers

Every person record in the enterprise has a person number. You can also allocate worker numbers to employee and contingent worker work relationships.

Worker numbers are optional: they're provided primarily for Oracle E-Business Suite customers who have used employee and contingent worker numbers and want to continue using them.

Enabling Worker Numbers

By default, worker numbers aren't used. You can enable worker numbers at the enterprise and legal-employer levels using the Manage Enterprise HCM Information and Manage Legal Entity HCM Information tasks in the Setup and Maintenance work area respectively. If you enable worker numbers, each employee and contingent worker work relationship must have a worker number. If you don't enable worker numbers, they can't be used. If you enable the worker number at both the enterprise and legal employer levels, then the setting at the legal employer takes precedence.

Selecting the Number-Generation Method

Use the Manage Enterprise HCM Information task in the Setup and Maintenance work area, to select the number generation method for the enterprise. Worker numbers can be generated either manually or automatically.

If you select manual generation, you're recommended to define a numbering scheme to suit local requirements. For example, determine whether uniqueness within the enterprise or at the legal-employer level is important, and define the numbering scheme accordingly.

If you select automatic worker-number generation, numbers can be allocated from either an enterprise sequence or a legal employer sequence. If you use a legal-employer sequence, worker numbers aren't guaranteed to be unique in the enterprise. When you use a legal-employer sequence, the worker number doesn't change if you rehire in the same legal employer. However, the worker number changes if you rehire in a different legal employer or globally transfer to a different legal employer.

If you use an enterprise sequence, the worker number doesn't change when you:

• Rehire in the same legal employer.

• Rehire in a different legal employer.

• Globally transfer to a different legal employer.

Setting the Number-Generation Method for a Legal Employer

All legal employers automatically inherit the enterprise number-generation method if a method isn't specified at the legal employer level. You can override the number-generation method at the legal employer level by

• Selecting manual worker-number generation for a legal employer at any time.

• Selecting automatic worker-number generation for a legal employer, provided that no employee or contingent worker work relationships exist for that legal employer.

Use the Manage Legal Entity HCM Information task in the Setup and Maintenance work area, to select the number generation method for the legal employer.