Administering Time Balances—Exercises

Basic Data Setup

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to set up the basic data required for running this functionality. To enter this data, follow the instructions in the Administering Employees, Administering Wage Codes, Administering Work Hour Rules, and the Administering Working Hours Schedules exercises. If you have completed these exercises, the data you need should already be in the database, and you can proceed directly to the main exercises.

 

Main Exercises

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to show you how to define time balances, and how to connect the rule type to the employee.

Windows:
Balance Definition
Balance Conversion
Reconciliation Time Period
Balance Reconciliation

 

Creating a Flex Balance

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to create a normal flextime balance.
Note that you need a Flex Day Rule if you want to use the Time Clock functionality, or manually enter intervals in the Time Card Day window
See Administering Work Hour Rules.

Windows:
Balance Definition
Wage Codes
Work Hour Rules

  1. Open the Balance Definition window in order to create a flex balance.
  2. Press New and enter an appropriate Balance ID and Description. Set Unit to Hours and Type to Flex.
  3. In the General tab, enter -40 in the Minimum Balance field, and 40 in the Maximum Balance field.
  4. The Rounding, Daily Accrual/Withdrawal, and Threshold fields are all optional. Leave them blank for the moment. Later on you can go back and find out how they affect the time card result.
  5. Select the No Allocation of Remainder option.
    Optionally you can let the remainders go to another balance or to a specific wage code. The wage code option will add this wage code to the time card result together with the remainder value.
  6. Open the Daily Rule tab, and zoom to the Wage Codes window. 
  7. Enter the Wage Code +Flex, Positive Flex, and -Flex, Negative Flex, both with Wage Type Balance, and Transfer Option No transfer.
    Note that these wage codes are optional. The balance will be updated also without them. However, we will use them in order to better visualize in the time card window what happens with the balance.
    Enter Wage Code 801, Wage Code Name Flex accrual, Wage Type Balance Accrual, and
    Wage Code     802, Wage Code Name Flex withdrawal, Wage Type Balance Withdrawal.
    Enter an absence code that can be used by the employees to withdraw from the flex balance. Wage Code 9942, Wage Code Name Flex Withdrawal, Wage Type Absence, Transfer Option Transfer as absence.
    Also enter a wage code for the remainders if you would like to try out this functionality, e.g., Wage Code 891, Wage Code Name Flex remainder, Wage Type Information.
  8. Return to the Daily Rule tab, and enter Positive Wage Code +Flex, and Negative Wage Code -Flex.
  9. In the Wage Code Generating Balance table, enter Wage Code 801, Factor +1, and Wage Code 802, Factor -1. Conversion Default should be selected for both rows. Also enter Wage Code 9942, Factor -1, Conversion Default selected.
  10. Both checkboxes Level Balance Change and... should be selected.
  11. Now you have a flextime balance that will work. Add this balance to the rule type you will use for your employees. You do this in the Work Hour Rules window.
  12. You can test your balance by entering intervals in the Time Card Day window. Use right mouse button to open the Current Balances window in order to view the balance. Use the In/Out Time Type Normal, outside the scheduled hours to accrue to the flextime balance.

 

Creating a Compensatory Time Balance

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to create a normal compensatory time balance.

Windows:
Balance Definition
Wage Codes
Overtime for Compensatory Time
Work Hour Rules

  1. Open the Overtime for Compensatory Time window in order to enter the translation between overtime cash wage codes and overtime compensatory time wage codes. This is mandatory if you will use the Time Clock client, or manually enter interval information in the Time Card Day window.
  2. Open the Balance Definition window in order to create a compensatory time balance.
  3. Press New and enter an appropriate Balance ID and Description. Set Unit to Hours and Type to Comp.
  4. In the General tab, enter -40 in the Minimum Balance field, and 80 in the Maximum Balance field.
  5. The Rounding, Daily Accrual/Withdrawal, and Threshold fields are all optional. Leave them blank for the moment. Later on you can go back and find out how they affect the time card result.
  6. Select the No Allocation of Remainder option.
    Optionally you can let the remainders go to another balance or to a specific wage code. The wage code option will add this wage code to the time card result together with the remainder value.
  7. Open the Daily Rule tab, and zoom to the Wage Codes window. 
  8. Enter the Wage Code +Comp, Positive Comp, and -Comp, Negative Comp, both with Wage Type Balance, and Transfer Option No transfer.
    Note that these wage codes are optional. The balance will be updated also without them. However, we will use them in order to better visualize in the time card window what happens with the balance.
    Enter an absence code that can be used by the employees to withdraw from the comp balance. Wage Code 9943, Wage Code Name Comp Leave, Wage Type Absence, Transfer Option Transfer as absence.
    Also enter a wage code for the remainders if you would like to try out this functionality, e.g., Wage Code 892, Wage Code Name Comp remainder, Wage Type Information.
  9. Return to the Daily Rule tab, and enter Positive Wage Code +Comp, and Negative Wage Code -Comp.
  10. In the Wage Code Generating Balance table, enter all comp wage codes you entered in the Overtime for Compensatory Time window. Enter the correct factor +1, +1.5, +2 etc., depending on how much each overtime hour should contribute to the comp balance. Select one of these rows and select the Conversion Default checkbox.  
    Also enter Wage Code 9943, Factor -1, Conversion Default selected.
  11. Both checkboxes Level Balance Change and... should be selected.
  12. Now you have a compensatory time balance that will work. Add this balance to the rule type you will use for your employees. You do this in the Work Hour Rules window.
  13. You can test your balance by entering intervals in the Time Card Day window. Use right mouse button to open the Current Balances window in order to view the balance. Use the In/Out Time Type Overtime Comp to accrue to the compensatory time balance.

 

Creating a Switch Time Balance

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to create a normal switch time balance.

Windows:
Balance Definition
Wage Codes
Work Hour Rules

  1. Open the Balance Definition window in order to create a switch time balance.
  2. Press New and enter an appropriate Balance ID and Description. Set Unit to Hours and Type to Switch.
  3. In the General tab, enter -40 in the Minimum Balance field, and 40 in the Maximum Balance field.
  4. The Rounding, Daily Accrual/Withdrawal, and Threshold fields are all optional. Leave them blank for the moment. Later on you can go back and find out how they affect the time card result.
  5. Select the No Allocation of Remainder option.
    Optionally you can let the remainders go to another balance or to a specific wage code. The wage code option will add this wage code to the time card result together with the remainder value.
  6. Open the Daily Rule tab, and zoom to the Wage Codes window. 
  7. Enter the Wage Code +Switch, Positive Switch, and -Switch, Negative Switch, both with Wage Type Balance, and Transfer Option No transfer.
    Note that these wage codes are optional. The balance will be updated also without them. However, we will use them in order to better visualize in the time card window what happens with the balance.
    Enter Wage Code 803, Wage Code Name Switch accrual, Wage Type Balance Accrual.
    Enter an absence code that can be used by the employees to withdraw from the switch time balance. Wage Code 9944, Wage Code Name Switch Withdrawal, Wage Type Absence, Transfer Option Transfer as absence.
    Also enter a wage code for the remainders if you would like to try out this functionality, e.g., Wage Code 893, Wage Code Name Switch remainder, Wage Type Information.
  8. Return to the Daily Rule tab, and enter Positive Wage Code +Switch, and Negative Wage Code -Switch.
  9. In the Wage Code Generating Balance table, enter Wage Code 803, Factor +1. Conversion Default should be selected. Also enter Wage Code 9944, Factor -1, Conversion Default selected.
  10. Both checkboxes Level Balance Change and... should be selected.
  11. Now you have a switch time balance that will work. Add this balance to the rule type you will use for your employees. You do this in the Work Hour Rules window.
  12. You can test your balance by entering intervals in the Time Card Day window. Use right mouse button to open the Current Balances window in order to view the balance. To accrue switch time you should add intervals outside the normal working hours, and using the In/Out Time Type Switch.

 

Creating a Vacation Balance

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to create a balance of type Other, and where the unit is days instead of hours. The balance will be built from the normal hours registered per day. Each fulfilled normal working day will add a portion of 0.1 days to the vacation balance.

Windows:
Balance Definition
Wage Codes
Work Hour Rules

  1. Open the Balance Definition window in order to create a vacation balance.
  2. Press New and enter an appropriate Balance ID and Description. Set Unit to Days and Type to Other.
  3. In the General tab, enter 0 in the Minimum Balance field, and 10 in the Maximum Balance field. This balance will not allow more than 10 days to be accrued.
  4. Select the No Allocation of Remainder option.
  5. In the Day Unit Rules compartment, select Scheduled Hours into the Conversion Rule field.
  6. Open the Daily Rule tab, and zoom to the Wage Codes window. 
    Enter an absence code that can be used by the employees to withdraw from the vacation balance.
  7. Return to the Daily Rule tab, in the Wage Code Generating Balance table, enter a row with Wage Code blank, Wage Type Normal, Factor 0.1, Conversion Default Cleared. This means that for every 10 working days the employee gets one day of vacation.
    Also enter one row with the absence wage code for vacation, Wage Type Absence, Factor -1, Conversion Default cleared.
  8. Both checkboxes Level Balance Change and... should be cleared.
  9. Now you have a vacation balance that will work. Add this balance to the rule type you will use for your employees. You do this in the Work Hour Rules window.

 

Connecting a Balance to the Employee

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to connect a balance to the employee.

Windows:
Work Hour Rules
Employee Schedules and Rules

  1. Open the Work Hour Rules window in order to add a balance to the rule type.
  2. Select your rule type, or add a new one if you don't have any.
  3. In the Time Balances table, enter your Balance ID, and enter appropriate Valid From and Valid To dates. Calculation Order is set automatically. Ignore Balance Result should be cleared.

 

Reconcile a Balance

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to reconcile a balance.

Windows:
Reconciliation Time Period
Balance Reconciliation

  1. Open the Reconciliation Time Period window in order to create the necessary time periods.
  2. Enter a Period Name, e.g., Daily, enter the Period Unit, e.g., Days, enter Period Quantity, e.g., 1, set a relevant Period Start date.
  3. Open the Balance Reconciliation window in order to define the reconciliation rule. Set up reconciliation for a normal flextime balance.
  4. Enter the name for the Reconciliation Rule, select the Balance ID to reconcile, select the Period Name Daily, Seq No is set automatically, chose Reconciliation Method Automatic, enter the Fixed Value the opening balance for the following period should take on, (as an alternative you can enter an allowed opening balance interval via the Minimum Value and Maximum Value fields), let any positive or negative remainders go to a wage code by entering Wage Code for Negative/Positive Remainder (or you can let the remainders go to another balance).
    We will use the daily reconciliation in order to keep the data entry in the time card to a minimum.
  5. Open the Time Card Day window and enter one interval per day back in time (enter intervals for a week) so that the balance will be updated.
  6. Open the Balance Reconciliation Status window and enter the relevant time interval. Query for your employee and balance.
  7. Now you should see status Preliminary for all dates.
  8. Return to the Time Card Day window and authorize the first day you entered.
  9. The status in the Balance Reconciliation Status window has now changed to Waiting for automatic reconciliation.
  10. If you wait until tomorrow, the status will have changed to Reconciled.
  11. Try to manually reconcile the day. Select the row and use the right-mouse-button function Reconcile.
  12.  

Conversion between Balances

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to convert an excess or deficit from one balance to the other. In order to go ahead with this exercise you must first have created the two balances involved, and connected them to an employee. Please, refer to the previous exercises.

Windows:
Balance Conversion
Time Card Day
Current Balances Summary

  1. Open the Balance Conversion window in order to create a conversion.
  2. In Balance ID enter balance #1, in the Deficit Balance ID and Excess Balance ID fields you enter the balance #2.
  3. Open the Current Balances window and set the balance #1 value to a value close  to the minimum limit (2-3 hours left). Note the current values for balances #1 and #2.
  4. Open the Time Card Day window and enter a whole day absence interval (or result). Use the absence code that will withdraw from balance #1. The date should be the same as the date you operated on in the Current Balances window.
  5. Result tab you can see that the balance #1 was reduced down to its minimum limit. This is shown by the wage code you entered in the Negative Wage Code field in the balance definition for balance #1. The withdrawing wage code for balance #2 has been added to the result. The wage code added is the one that has the Conversion Default checkbox selected in the balance definition.
  6. Return to the Current  Balances window and check the balance values.