1
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PURPOSE
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1.1
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The purpose of this directive is to provide you with information concerning
changes to the Regional Pay System (RPS). These changes will serve to ensure
that cleaner data is entered immediately into the RPS which would subsequently
provide better, more accurate and useful historical data. This historical data
can then be utilized to provide more automation when retroactive payments are
required, to update the pension quotation system with more complete information
and to better assist in the automated process of the PWGSC 2000.
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2
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BACKGROUND
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2.1
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It has been identified that data currently resident on the PWGSC Compensation
systems may be corrupt on certain employee accounts. This data has the effect
of producing output, whether payments, rejects or other information,
inaccurately. Furthermore, over the years departments and paying offices have
found ways to use the Regional Pay System to overcome pay processing problems
to achieve a desired payment result. This process caused corruption to
down-line applications and systems such as Salary-service and Contributor.
These down-line systems are used to support other operational activities such
as pay retroactivity and pension processes and therefore must be accurate.
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3
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POLICY
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3.1
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Effective June 14, 1996, the Regional Pay System will be amended to ensure that
transactions are correctly input and processed properly. In the past, many
transactions while input properly by departments were rejected by the down-line
systems and subsequently re-input by Pay Offices. Edits have been moved to the
front-end (at input) so that once correctly completed, payments would process
and down-line systems would be accurately updated without Pay Office
intervention. This will have the effect of increasing service levels for Pay
and Benefits Specialists and ultimately employees overall.
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It must be noted that corrupt data may currently reside on the PWGSC
Salary-service master file. Therefore, for the first few months valid
transactions may not be accepted by the system. When this occurs, it is
imperative that departments immediately contact their Pay Office to make the
necessary corrections to the Salary-service file for affected employees so that
the transactions can then be re-input and accepted. As the files get corrected,
future corruption will be eliminated requiring fewer interventions by Pay
Offices.
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Paying Offices have been advised that these requests are to be treated as
urgent and corrected immediately.
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3.2
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Appropriate departmental training is in progress and manual changes will be
issued shortly.
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3.3
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The following lists the screens, processes and transactions which have been
affected by this initiative:
1) Entitlement Adjustment Screen (EAJ), 2) Reporting of Leave
Without Pay (LWOP), 3) Reversal of LWOP, 4)
Ongoing LWOP (new process), 5) Reversal of ongoing
LWOP, 6) Pay Equity, 7) Struck off Strength (SOS)
effective date in the past, 8) LWOP reporting on Temporary
Struck off Strength (T-SOS), 9) On-line Salary-service
Inquiry.
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4
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PROCEDURES/INSTRUCTIONS
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4.1
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Effective June 14, 1996, system changes will be implemented to reflect the
following processes and procedures.
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4.2
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EAJ SCREEN
This screen has been modified to allow only the following entitlement codes
to be input:
189 - Retroactivity on Taken on Strength (TOS), 199 -
Retroactivity on RE-TOS, 148 - Maternity Allowance.
Departments using the EAJ screen to effect payments for entitlement codes
001, 002, 171 and 401-405 will now experience front end rejects preventing the
transaction from processing. The appropriate action is to utilize the correct
screens for these entitlement codes. This restriction was imposed since
information input on the EAJ screen bypasses the Salary-service Master
resulting in missing information and rendering certain future retroactive
payments inaccurate.
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When incorrect codes are used on the EAJ screen, Error message I03
"Invalid Deduction/Entitlement (D/E) code for this PAC" will be
produced on screen for the on-line clients. Procedures already outlined in the
Personnel-Pay Input Manual must be followed for the transaction being
input.
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4.3
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Reporting of LWOP (15C301)
The edit requirements have been enhanced to ensure that dates input
correspond to the number and quantity of Days/Weeks input on the transaction.
Edits on salary will be on the actual salary for the time period of the LWOP
and not necessarily the current salary on the Pay Master file.
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Hourly input has been enhanced to allow for reporting of compressed work week
and shift work; i.e. employees could be working more than the standard work
week as per their collective agreement (e.g. 9.33 hours).
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It must be noted that for hourly reported LWOP, the difference between the
number of days of LWOP on the transaction and the number of days in the from
and to period on the transaction cannot exceed 2 days (based on the (Assigned
Work Week) AWW). Example:
Employee's AWW = 30 hours, LWOP Effective from 21-08-95(1),
LWOP Effective to 24-08-95(2), H/D/W = H, No. hours = 17 input.
The four day period noted above would calculate as 24 hours
based on the AWW on the master of 30 hours. Based on the new edits, two days
worth of hours would equal 12 hours. Therefore in the above example, since the
difference between the number of hours of LWOP and the number of hours covered
by the "from and to" dates on the transaction, does not exceed 2 days
(based on the AWW), this transaction would be processed. Conversely, if the
LWOP was 10 hours, the 2 day threshold would be exceeded and the input would be
rejected.
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This limitation has been imposed due to the fact that numerous departments
input LWOP with a from/to period equal to a complete month, when the actual
LWOP is less than the full month period. Consequently, future LWOP transactions
input for that same month would reject in the downline systems and recorrupt
the data.
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4.4
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Reversal of LWOP (18C401)
Front-end edits have been developed to ensure that when a reversal of a LWOP
period is input, a matching period of LWOP must be resident on the
Salary-service file. The LWOP reversal itself need not be for the full period
but must be totally contained within a period on the master. For
example:
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Original input is 15C301 01-08-95 (1) to 04-08-95 (2) = 4 days.
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Reversal period is input as 18C401 from 02-08-95 (1) to 03-08-95 (2)= 2
days.
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The system would then correctly reflect the actual period of LWOP as
follows: 15C301 01-08-95(1) to 01-08-95(2) = 1
day and 04-08-95(1) to 04-08-95 (2)="1" day.
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The edit requirements have been enhanced to ensure that dates input correspond
to the number of Days/Weeks input on the same transaction.
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It must be noted that the current process of input of complete days or half
days still exists. If LWOP is to be entered for fractions of a day (other than
.50) "the number of hours" must be used as the proper manner of
reporting.
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4.5
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Ongoing LWOP (15C383)
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This code has been developed to allow for recovery of LWOP on an ongoing basis,
rather than repeated closed period transactions. This occurs when an employee
returns from a T-SOS period and takes repeated LWOP days; or when an employee
"returns" to duty on rehabilitation leave.
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Code 383 will be input on the existing reduction commence (REC) screen or via
the current batch option.
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The code may also be used for employees who wish to take ongoing periods of
child care and nurturing leave (reason code A).
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This code is treated in the same manner as code 301, whereby mandatory
deductions such as tax, CPP, UIC, PSSA, DI/LTD, DB and 4% are taken into
consideration when the transaction is processing.
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Code 383 can only be commenced on a current basis. Therefore, any LWOP that
occurred in the past must continue to be input via PAC 15C 301.
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Input is as follows:
15C 383 eff. from must be the start date of the current pay period and the
to date must be an end date of a future pay period or can be left blank. Rate
base must be in accordance with employee's basic rate. Rate amount must be
current salary. If acting, the acting salary must be used. Hours, days, weeks
indicator must be input and the number of H/D/W must reflect the exact
reduction to be applied per pay period; i.e., if the employee is taking 2 days
of LWOP per pay period, 2 days must be highlighted in this area. The
appropriate reason code must be reflected.
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Again, please note that only complete days or half days may be input. Any other
fraction of a day must be entered as hours. If an employee has additional LWOP
during the ongoing period, the 15C301 will process without impacting the
ongoing LWOP action (15C383). A warning message is issued advising that another
LWOP has been entered. If the 15C301 transaction is correct, disregard the
message.
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If input does not include a termination date or, the end date previously input
is to be amended, the new Ongoing LWOP (OLS) screen is to be used to make the
appropriate changes.
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Input instructions are as follows:
15S383 must contain the original effective from date from the PAC 15C383 and
the end date must again be the end date of a future pay period.
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Example:
15C383 eff. from 11-01-96(1) eff. to date blank,
15S383 eff. from 11-01-96(1) eff. to date 03-04-96(2).
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If the LWOP is to end during a pay period then a reversal input is required
(18C384) to repay any LWOP taken in error.
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4.6
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Reversal of Ongoing LWOP (18C384)
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This code has been created to facilitate the reversal of the
15C383.
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Code 384 is treated in the same manner as code 401, whereby mandatory
deductions such as tax, CPP, UIC, PSSA, DI/LTD, DB and 4% are taken into
consideration when the transaction is processing. The current Entitlement
Commence (ENC) screen is to be utilized for input of this
entitlement.
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Input instructions are as follows:
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18C384 must have an effective "from date" equal to the start of the
pay period in which the reversal is to take place. The to date must be the end
date of the pay period in which the reversal is to take place. If only part of
the LWOP was to be recovered for a particular pay period, then after the 18C384
has been input, a 15C301 closed period will have to be input to adjust the
difference. Rate base must be in accordance with employees basic rate, rate
amount must be current salary and if acting, the acting salary must be used.
Hours, days, weeks indicator must be input and the number of H/D/W must reflect
the exact Hours/Days/Weeks to be repaid.
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Example: Original Ongoing LWOP is as follows:
15C 383 eff. from 13-07-95(1) eff. to 'blank' at 15 hours.
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Reversal to be processed is as follows:
18C384 eff. from 05-10-95(1) to 01-11-95(2) at 30 hours.
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As there are 2 complete pay periods in this reversal, a reject will not occur.
It must be noted that if a reversal is input with an effective "to
date" greater than the current pay period "end date", the
transaction will reject. That is to say that a reversal cannot be for a LWOP
period which has not yet occurred.
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4.7
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Pay Equity (Codes 144, 245 and 288)
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This enhancement has been developed to automatically stop an ongoing equity
payment when an employee changes BUD groups (first 3 digits must be different).
The stop will impose an "end date" of the previous half a day from
the effective date of the change. If the change occurs effective 01-11-95(1),
then the system will impose an end date of 31-10-95(2). The ongoing payment on
RPS will cease and an end date will be reflected on
Salary-Service.
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In acting pay situations which are input for a closed period in the past the
Salary-service system will automatically stop the pay equity line and reopen it
without additional input from the client. However, an 18R recovery action on
RPS must be input to collect the actual overpayment.
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4.8
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SOS Effective Date in Past (W80)
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The RPS has been enhanced to produce a front-line edit to allow for immediate
correction to the SOS date, if applicable. This will occur when the SOS date is
6 or more months earlier than the current pay period. This allows the Pay and
Benefits Specialist the opportunity to verify that the year entered is correct.
Errors commonly occur at taxation year-end whereby the wrong year is
input.
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4.9
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LWOP Reporting on T-SOS (Temporarily Struck Off Strength)
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The system has been amended to allow for input of periods of LWOP which
occurred prior to the T-SOS date. In the past, departments were forced to wait
until RE-TOS (Re-taken On Strength) before entering the outstanding LWOP. When
the employee is RE-TOS, the 15C301 will automatically be recovered from the
first regular pay.
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4.10
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On-line Salary-Service Inquiry
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In order for departments to determine the corrective action required when a
front-end Salary-Service error message is received, Read Only access has been
provided. It must be noted that, in future, all error messages starting with a
"Q" stem from anomalies between the input transaction and the
Salary-Service file. In some cases, the department must initiate corrective
action through RPS when the reject message occurs. For example, if the
department is attempting to input an ongoing LWOP transaction which contains an
incorrect rate base, input will be rejected via "Q02" message and
corrective action can be taken immediately without intervention from the Pay
Office.
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However, if a department inputs a LWOP correctly, but the Salary-service file
has an incorrect period reflected which overlaps with the intended input a
reject will occur "Q01" .Departments must then immediately contact
their Pay Office for corrective action to the Salary-service file before they
can enter the transaction without reject.
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For those clients who input via batch or bulk, a full or partial snapshot will
accompany the error message which will allow for analysis of the
problem.
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4.11
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Four new warning messages have been created which will not prevent processing
of the transaction; however, they will give the department the opportunity to
re-examine the input for accuracy.
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4.12
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Annex "A" provides a list of Reject and Warning messages which will
be received by the client. The list provides a brief explanation of the reason
for the reject or warning.
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5
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INQUIRIES
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5.1
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Any request for information regarding the foregoing should be addressed to your
PWGSC Client Service Centre.
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P. Charko
Director General
Compensation Sector
Government Operational Service