Effective:October 4, 2004
Revised:March 9, 2017
Reviewed:March 10, 2017
Purpose
To describe requirements, policies, and procedures to enable employees to enter their own time in the
Payroll System through Employee Self Service (ESS) and for supervisors to approve time in ESS.
Background
In 2004 the DAS Division of Finance implemented self-service functionality for state employees. This web- based system provides employees access to functionality that allows them to view and change some of their payroll data. This functionality is referred to as Employee Self Service (ESS). Employees may also enter their own time using ESS. Employee entry of hours worked and leave taken replaces time entry by a payroll technician. The system also includes functionally that enables supervisors to approve the time entries of employees. Time that has been entered and approved through ESS is included in the employee’s paycheck. Having employees enter time on-line eliminates the need for a paper time sheet and time entry by payroll technicians.
Policy
A. Agency management must designate at least one person to act as the Agency Payroll Coordinator. This person is responsible to monitor the agency’s ESS process, to ensure that staff is available to assist agency employees and supervisors, and to approve ESS time entries when the supervisor and the alternate are not available. (For many agencies, the Payroll Coordinator duties are performed by the ERIC Group in the Department of Human Resource Management, DHRM.)
B. State Payroll will set up ESS time entry capabilities for each employee and time entry approval capabilities for their supervisors.
C. Agencies that do not want to use ESS for time entry may use the ‘Choose Optional Processes’ transaction in the payroll system to designate employees that should NOT have the ability to enter time in ESS.
D. Agencies must assure that employees’ records in the Department of Human Resource Management’s
HR Enterprise System (HRE) contain:
• The Work Schedule code of 199 that allows for time entry 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• The Pay Status code of 1 that requires time entry
• A unique Position Number (the same number cannot be assigned to other employees)
• The Position ID of the supervisor who approves the employee’s time (see the “Position” window in the HRE system)|
ESS will malfunction if the above HRE data does not conform to this policy. The agency is responsible for any problems that may result from inaccurate or missing data.
E. Agencies must inform employees and supervisors when and how to use ESS. Agencies also must notify employees and their supervisors that if the employee’s time is not entered and approved within established deadlines, the employee’s paycheck may be delayed. The ESS system will send email notification automatically to employees and supervisors who have not entered or approved time by the deadline.
F. Agency time entry operators must continue to enter some data in the Cross Application Time Sheet (CATS) entry screen. Non-hourly pay such as mileage reimbursem*nts and incentive awards must be entered in CATS screens. Time entries and corrections must also be entered in CATS when the deadline for ESS time entry has passed (usually the close of business on the first Monday of the next pay period).
G. Employees working two or more positions (dual employment) will be allowed to use ESS only for time worked in the primary position. Paper time sheets will continue to be used for secondary positions. Time entries for secondary positions should be made in CATS after the ESS time entry for that period is closed.
H. Transfer of an employee who uses ESS time entry to an organization that does not use ESS time entry should occur only at the beginning of a pay period. If the transfer occurs mid-pay period, the sending organization must notify the receiving organization that any time entered by the employee before the transfer must be approved by the receiving agency.
Procedures
Responsibility
Action
Agency Management
Designate at least one person in the agency to act as the Agency Payroll Coordinator. Send the name of the designee to the DAS Division of Finance State Payroll Section via e-mail at [emailprotected].
Agency Payroll Coordinator
- Inform employees and supervisors when and how to use ESS.
- Ensure employees understand the established deadlines for entering time and supervisors understand established deadlines for approvals. (See example of employee notification below)
Employee
- Complete your entries of time worked or leave taken by the last workday of the pay period. If you fail to complete your entries before the ESS data entry period is closed, complete a paper document with your correct time entries, sign and date it, and give it to your supervisor. (The ESS time entry periods usually begin on the first Tuesday of the period and end on the first Monday of the next period.)
- Document any other pay such as mileage reimbursem*nt and give to your supervisor for approval.
Supervisor
- Approve your employees’ time entries within four calendar days of the last workday of the pay period. If you will not be available during those four days, you should ask your manager to approve your employees’ time entries. You may also ask your alternate approver providing you have set one up.
- Use ESS to set up an alternate approver who should be notified if neither you nor your manager would be available to approve time entries.
- If you cannot approve an employee’s time entries, ask the employee to correct the time entries before the ESS time entry period is closed (usually the close of business on the first Monday of the next period). If the entry period is already closed, have the employee sign a paper document showing the correct entries and add your signature to the document. Give the document to your agency time entry operator for data entry.
- Give any other pay documents to your agency time entry operator.
Agency Payroll Coordinator
- Run the Time Entry Alerts Report to identify employees who have not entered time or whose time has not been approved. Remind the employees and supervisors listed on the report that time must be entered and approved before employees can be paid.
- Approve employee’s time if there are no supervisors, managers, or alternates available.
- If the next ESS time entry period is already open and the employee has not entered time correctly for the prior period, have the employee prepare and sign a paper document showing the correct entries, and have the supervisor add his or her approval signature. Give the document to a time entry operator to enter into payroll using the Cross Application Time Sheet (CATS) screen.
Agency Time Entry Operator
Enter other pay entries and missing or correction time entries in CATS during the normal time entry week.
DAS Division of Finance Payroll
Section
Notify the receiving organization when an employee using ESS for time entry transfers mid-period to an organization that is not using ESS.
Introduction to Employee Self Service
As an employee of the State of Utah you may use the Internet to perform some Employee Self Service
(ESS) functions. For example, you can view your leave balances or check stub and change your direct
deposit amounts or W-4 income tax withholding data. Over time, additional functionality will be added.
If you have been designated to use ESS for time entry, your time must be entered by the last day of the pay period or your paycheck may be delayed.
To use ESS, employees must have a State of Utah e-mail address and a LAN password. The recommended browser to use is Chrome, although other browsers will work too. Allow pop-up windows to open.
Because this is a secure site, the URL for ESS must be typed exactly as shown:
https://ess2.finance.utah.gov/irj/
The login screen looks like this:
Enter your State of Utah e-mail address and LAN password in the appropriate boxes. Press the “Enter” key or the “Login” button. The ESS Welcome screen will open. If any problems with this login screen occur, call the DTS Help Desk at 801-538-3440.
Click “Forgot Password?” before logging in, and then click “My Account” (located in the top tool bar) to access Account Maintenance in order to change password or establish a process to help recover a password.
