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10/14/2003

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10/14/2003

About this Guide


This Guide highlights the key changes that are going to occur as a result of Imagine PAs Human Resources (HR) and Payroll implementations. It explains how these changes will affect you, as a supervisor, and where you can get more information on what is changing. This brief document is written for you, the Commonwealth supervisor.

What is Changing?
The use of SAP software and the associated changes in the way work is done will affect most Commonwealth supervisors and employees in some way. In particular, the SAP software will provide the tools that supervisors and employees will need to do certain things for themselves. This new capability is frequently referred to as Employee Self-Service (ESS). The date you will begin using the Human Resources and Payroll SAP software will depend on the pay group of your employees. If your employees are in payroll area (pay group) 1 or (pay group) 2, you and your employees will begin using the new system on December 10, 2003. If your employees are in payroll area (pay group) 3, you and your employees will begin using the new system on December 13, 2003. On January 1, 2004, Commonwealth employees will begin using the Travel Management SAP software. SAP allows you, the supervisor, to actively and responsibly perform supervisory duties online that you currently perform manually. By using SAP software, data will be in real timethat is, when you enter data, the information will be immediately updated. There is no waiting for paperwork to be processed or other staff to return to work for changes to be made. Your local HR Office will continue to be available to assist you through these changes in conducting business, and you should contact them with any questions. In addition, an ESS Service Center has been created to further assist you on technical questions regarding Employee Self-Service. If you have access to a computer at work, there are two changes that will have a direct impact on you, as a supervisor. You will: Approve leave requests, pre-trip travel plans (if they are required), travel reimbursements, and time sheets (if they are required) online every day Enter injury reports online.

Employee changes are explained in detail in a booklet called the Employee Guide: Information for Employees on Human Resources and Payroll Services that will be made available electronically in November 2003. Please make yourself familiar with this document so you can answer questions your employees may have regarding the Commonwealths new HR and Payroll processes.

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Time Management
Time Management is the SAP module that Commonwealth employees will use to report their time beginning in December 2003. This will replace many other time management systems that agencies have been using. Where computers are available for employee use, employees are responsible for directly: Entering absence (leave) requests into SAP Entering overtime or working-out-of-class time into SAP Entering regular hours (positive time reporters* only) into SAP Recording labor distribution** in SAP, when applicable (does not apply to all agencies).

*Positive Time ReporterAn employee who is paid on an hourly basis and whose hours must be reported each pay period, generally a wage employee. **Labor DistributionSome employees may be required by their agency to report time worked to different federal grants or projects. This is also known as labor distribution, which allows for the reimbursement or charge-out of services to cost centers, funds, etc., other than your normal funding. In the Commonwealths new SAP system, supervisors are responsible and accountable for: Being aware of employee absences and ensuring each absence is entered timely Entering absences on behalf of an employee if the employee is not present to enter it Approving or disapproving leave requests electronically Verifying and approving overtime or working-out-of-class (WOC) time entered by employees Verifying and approving regular work hours reported by positive time reporter (wage employee) Verifying and approving labor distribution reported by employees.

In SAP, Timekeeper responsibilities are reduced. As a result, some supervisors may no longer have a timekeeper in their office. Time entry is now the responsibility of the employee and supervisor. Timekeepers are only responsible for determining overtime rates, monitoring errors, and entering time for employees who do not have computers available to them. To assist supervisors and employees with their new responsibilities, Timekeepers and Time Advisors will be available to answer questions. IMPORTANT: Negative Time Reporters (salaried employees) who only report exceptions, such as requests for leave or overtime, will not have to record their regular hours worked each day, except if required for labor distribution.

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In summary, SAP changes your responsibility for ensuring time is entered and approved electronically. Electronic Leave and Time Sheets The paper leave request (STD-330) and the time sheet (STD929) will be replaced by new online forms. Employees who have access to a computer at work will complete a time sheet and/or leave request online. The new online time sheet is called the Cross Application Time Sheet (CATS).

Approving Employees Time Entries and Leave Requests

If you have employees who must record their time worked every day (positive time recorders), you will be expected to approve your employees time entries and leave requests every day. SAP is real time, which means any hours worked are credited to the employee as soon as they are reported and approved. You, as your employees supervisor, will approve your employees entries online. If you or your employees do not have access to a computer at work, you will continue to review paper copies of the time sheets and leave requests. As a supervisor, you should be aware that employees will not be able to request an absence if they do not have sufficient anticipated quota (leave balance).

Up-to-Date Leave Quotas

Greater Accountability

If you do not approve (or reject) a leave request within 24 hours or a time sheet within 48 hours, the request will automatically be routed to your supervisor, who will, in turn, approve or disapprove it. You are responsible for actively monitoring your workflow inbox. (Workflow inbox details are described in training.)

Submitting an Injury Report


Beginning in December 2003, supervisors who have access to a computer at work will be responsible and accountable for entering all injury reports in SAP. SAP will automatically route the claim to CompServices each night. If you do not have access to a computer, you will complete a form and send it to your Workers Compensation Service Representative, who will enter it into SAP for you. Remember, catastrophic injuries and death claims should be reported by telephone immediately to the Workers Compensation vendor, at 1-888-871-3606.
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Travel Management
Beginning January 1, 2004, supervisors will use SAP to review and approve your employees requests to travel and their travel expense reimbursement submission. Employees who have access to a computer at work will enter pre-trip requests online for your approval prior to traveling. Employees who do not have access to a computer at work should ask a Travel Arranger to help them submit a pre-trip request. The Travel Arranger will then submit the request online for the traveler. The need for employees to complete a pre-trip request is optional based on agency/supervisor requirements. As a supervisor, you have access to the Individual Transition Plans (ITPs) for each of your employees located by selecting here. Using your organizational password provided by your Human Resources Department, you will be able to tell who has any SAP roles assigned in your area, including Travel Arranger. If you are unsure as to how to access or to use the information provided on the website, please contact your local Human Resources Office. After travel is completed, employees will verify and enter, if necessary, travel expenses associated with their trip into SAP for your approval. Employees who use a Travel Arranger are required to inform their Travel Arranger of the completion of travel and any expenses not previously reported on the Travel Request to receive reimbursement. In summary, SAP will be used to review and approve all travel and pay all travel expenses. Electronic Pre-Trip Request Approval There will be just one level of approval for travel requests and expenses. This means that once you review and approve your employees travel requests, they are officially approved and there is no need to send them anywhere else. All approvals will have a timed deadline. You will have 48 hours to approve travel requests and expenses before the request is automatically forwarded to your supervisor. You will learn how to approve travel requests and expense reimbursement requests in the Travel Approver web-based course.

Trip Plan

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Electronic Travel Expenses Approval

When you review your employees travel expenses, you will review the online data that the employee has entered to make sure the expenses requested are reasonable. As a supervisor, you will not receive your employees paper receipts. Employees will send all required receipts directly to the travel processing office. After expenses are approved, the travel processing office will match receipts to the recorded expenses. Just like the Pre-Trip Request Approval, there is only one level of expense approval in your Agency. Once approved, expenses will be routed to the travel processing office for final review and approval for payment. (For all employees except those in the Office of the Attorney General, the Bureau of Commonwealth Operations will review and process all travel expense reimbursement requests and any associated receipts.)

Air $250 Hotel $50

When requesting approval to reimburse travel expenses to a Non-Commonwealth employee, a form and procedures will be available on the Bureau of Commonwealth Payroll Operations (BCPO) website for you to follow.

SAP Training for Supervisors


To prepare you to use SAP as a supervisor, the following courses will be available to you via the Imagine PA website on November 3, 2003. Supervisors Course ESS for Employees ESS for Supervisors Course Code RH0800 RH0810

Your Computer User ID and Password


You are responsible for protecting your computer user ID and Password. When you log on to the network, using your Network User ID and Password, you will be able to enter ESS. ESS is accessible within the Commonwealth Network (www.myworkplace.state.pa.us). When you enter myworkplace a personalized screen will greet you. Navigation is simple. Just check the appropriate Tab, Role or Workplace Favorite and you are on your way.
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Because ESS allows access to your personal information, DO NOT share your Network User ID and Password with anyone. MAKE SURE that your computer desktop is locked if you are away from your computer for any length of time. To protect your computer desktop, either log off or use a passwordprotected screen saver. Leaving your computer desktop unattended and unprotected could allow someone to access your personal information in ESS. As a supervisor, you should not ask your employees for their User ID and Password and encourage employees to refrain from sharing User IDs and Passwords with others because of the security considerations of ESS. To protect your Password, do not write it down and do not use a combination of letters and numbers that someone else could guess (e.g., your date of birth).

Where To Go for Help


For non-travel questions about ESS: Call the ESS Service Center for help at: (local Harrisburg area) 717-346-5483 OR (outside the Harrisburg area or 717 area code) 1-866-ESS-COPA (1-866-377-2672). This ESS Service Center is available 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For travel-related questions, ESS related or not: Call the BCPO Travel Help Desk at 1-800-824-0626. The travel desk is available 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week. For general information about Imagine PA: Visit the Imagine PA website at www.imaginepa.state.pa.us. For more information about ESS: Visit the Imagine PA ESS Website at www.imaginepa.state.pa.us, select ESS Home. Access this site regularly to keep up-to-date with the new and planned features for ESS. For a more extensive listing of SAP terms and definitions: Go to the Imagine PA website: www.imaginepa.state.pa.us, select Glossary under REFERENCE and then select Human Resources and Payroll Glossary.

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