Creating or editing pay groups

To create or edit a pay group:

  1. Select Maintenance > Payroll Settings > Payroll Close > Pay Group.
  2. Click Create New Entry to create a pay group. Or click Edit next to an existing pay group to edit the pay group.
  3. Specify this information:
    Pay Group
    Specify the name of the pay group. For easier recognition, ensure the name reflects the pay group type.
    Description
    Specify a short description for the pay group.
    Pay Group Type
    Select the pay group type that defines the length and frequency of the group’s pay periods using the lookup:
    • Bi-Weekly: Pay is paid every 2 weeks, based on the start and end dates defined for the pay group for each pay period.
    • Monthly: Pay is paid once a month, starting on the 1st day of each month.
    • Semi-Monthly: Pay is paid twice a month, starting on the 1st and 16th of each month.
    • Un-Paid: This pay group type is reserved for employees who are not paid by the payroll system.
    • Weekly: Pay is paid once a week.
    • Custom: This pay group type is based on a user-defined duration or a specified day of the month.

    You can also create your own pay group type if none of the core types suit your needs. See Working with pay group types.

    Once set, this value cannot be modified. To change this value, you must replace the pay group with a new one.

    Payroll Administrators
    Select the users who will act as payroll administrators and be able to access the Payroll Close process using the lookup.
    Export Type
    Select the export type using the lookup, which defines the export configuration file type to be used to export pay group data.
    Hands Off Date
    Select the Hands Off date using the calendar.

    Edits cannot be made to the employee data or the timesheet on or before this date.

    The Hands Off date is usually set months before the pay period defined for the pay group. This date is set to ensure that employee data is not changed. The application will not create retroactive records for any changes that are made to employee data records before this date.

    Automatically advance Hands Off date on payroll close
    Select this check box if you want the Hands Off date to advance to the next pay period once a pay period is closed. The Hands Off date will automatically move forward by the amount of days included in the pay period. For example, if the pay period is bi-weekly, the Hands Off date will move 14 days forward to the next period once the current pay period is closed. In almost all cases this option should be checked, unless you want the period between the current pay period and the Hands Off date to increase continuously over the lifetime of the application.
    Start of Year / Day
    Select the Start of Year / Day date using the calendar. The Start of Year / Day date is the start of the year date of the pay group. This is usually set to the calendar start (January 1) of the current year.
    Adjustments to be created for this group
    Select this check box if you want changes to previous pay periods to result in retroactive adjustments.
    Adjustment Offset (days)
    Specify the number of days after the current pay period’s end date during which retroactive adjustments for the past pay period can be created. Retroactive adjustments created in this adjustment period are included in the current payroll export.

    The adjustment period is important. The period lets you create retroactive adjustments after the end date of the pay period. The adjustments can then be included in the current export. Previously, retroactive adjustments had to be created during the actual pay period.

    See Determining the adjustment period based on the offset.

    Note: Never change the adjustment offset of an active pay group.
    Export of unauthorized records
    Select whether you can export a pay group with unauthorized records and include the records in the current pay period export using the lookup:
    • Disallow: Disallow export of pay group if any unauthorized records exist.
    • Ignore: Export pay group excluding any unauthorized records.
    • Allow: Export pay group including any unauthorized records.

    Once set (when creating a new pay group), this value cannot be modified. To change this value, you must replace the pay group with a new one.

    Number of days to create pay periods into the future
    Specify the number of days that define how long in advance you can generate pay periods.
  4. Specify this information in the Current Pay Period section:
    Start Date
    Specify the day when the current (or first) pay period begins.
    End Date
    Specify the day when the current (or first) pay period ends.
    Lock Down Date
    Select the Lock Down date using the calendar. Timesheets on this date or before this date can only be edited by authorized users such as a payroll administrator.
    Automatically advance date on payroll close
    Select this check box if you want the Lock Down date to advance to the next pay period once a pay period is closed. The Lock Down date will automatically move forward by the amount of days included in the pay period. For example, if the pay period is bi-weekly, the Lock Down date will move 14 days forward to the next period once the current pay period is closed. Unless there is a specific reason not to use this option within your organization, we recommend that you check this option.
    Timesheet Lockout
    Select the date when the Lock Down date is moved to lock out unauthorized users using the calendar. After the lockout has occurred, the actual Lock Down date will be set to the day after the current pay period’s end date. The Timesheet Lockout is used to determine when the Lock Down date is to be moved, if this date is to be moved automatically.

    The Timesheet Lockout is used to move the Lock Down date automatically to the end date of the pay period you plan on closing. This automated move of the date temporarily locks out non-privileged users.

    The Timesheet Lockout task must also be configured to leverage this functionality.

    Time
    (Optional) Specify the time of day when the Timesheet Lockout should occur.
    Automatically advance date on payroll close
    Select this check box if you want the Lock Down date to advance to the next pay period once a pay period is closed. The Timesheet Lockout will automatically move forward by the amount of days included in the pay period. For example, if the pay period is bi-weekly, the Timesheet Lockout will move 14 days forward to the next period once the current pay period is closed. Unless there is a specific reason not to use this option within your organization, we recommend that you check this option.
  5. Click Save.
    The application automatically creates the specific pay period dates based the information entered for the pay group.