How do I make correction time entries in Pacific Timesheet?

Question

How do I make correction time entries in Pacific Timesheet?

Answer

Background definitions

We should considering "fixing" time entries, either in crew timesheets or individual timesheets, as editing those time entries, not as corrections. However, once these time entries are marked and exported to a third party system, as a best practice, it is important to maintain these original time entries "as is" as part of our audit trail. Why? To reduce liability from employee challenges to past paychecks, and possible future labor lawsuits. 

Correction approaches

New positive and negative correction entries are created to modify past time entries that are incorrect. These correction entries will require a reason code for the modification. 
Correction time entries usually involve creating a pair correction entries. For example:

Changing time entry hours

• A negative time entry that reduces or "zeros out" the original time entry (e.g., -3 hours). This correction time entry will otherwise be coded with properties identical to the original time entry.
• A positive time entry that increases the original time entry (e.g., +2 hours). This correction time entry will otherwise be coded with properties identical to the original time entry.

Correcting time entry properties

• Modifying one or more properties of a time entry requires a pair of negative and positive time entries.
• The negative time entry is a clone of the original time entry which flips hours from a positive to negative value. In effect, this "backs out" or eliminates the original time entry.  Where the original time entry was +3 hours for Job 1 Cost Code A, the negative correction entry is entered as -3 hours for Job 1 Cost Code A. 
• The positive time entry replaces for the original time entry with a corrected time entry. For example, where the original time entry was +3 hours for Job 1 Cost Code A, the correction entry might be  +3 hours for Job 1 Cost Code B.

The Add Correction Interface

After an employee timesheet has been submitted, administrative users can Add Correction time entries as follows:

1. Using the Timesheets tab, search for and drill into the employee timesheet you need to correct.
2. Then, using the Day View navigate to the the date on the employee timesheet where you need to add a correction entry.
   

   Figure 1: Day View of Submitted Timesheet with Add Correction

   

3. Move your cursor to the left of the time entry and click to create a checkbox.
4. Click on the Add Correction button to add the first of two correction time entries.
5. The system will default to a negative correction time entry.
6. Enter a description of the reason for the correction (e.g. employee was called back to the office after he clocked out)

   Figure 2: Time Entry Correction Page

   
   
   
7.  Clock OK to save the correction time entry which will display with an orange background.

   Figure 3: Saved Correction Time Entry

   
8. Then check the original time entry row again so it is checked.
9. Click the positive Add Correction and edit the time entry correction page as follows: a) change the Finish to 6:00PM b) change Hours to 10.00 c) enter a Correction Reason. 
   
   
10. Click OK to save.
11. Now the system will have a pair of negative and positive time entry correction entries. These will be unmarked in the system and are ready to send to your third-party systems as new unmarked time entries. 
12. There are other ways to handle this use case: the correction entry could have left the original 9:00AM - 5:00PM time entry as correct, and added one positive correction of 5:00PM - 6:00PM for an additional 1.0 hours of time to the employee's timesheet.

The correction time entries above are for an attendance-oriented time entry. However, there are other types of correction time entries allowed driven by the setup of your system. 

Pay Code Bucket Corrections

If your system is setup with pay code buckets on your timesheet templates, the correction interface dialog will allow you to enter correction hours values into an RT, OT or DT edit box, thereby allowing you to correct the exact work hours pay code value. Here, one use case could be that the 2 hours of RT should have been paid as OT. In this case, you would create a clone time entry with -2 RT hours, and another clone time entry with +2 OT hours. 
  

Hours Corrections

If your system is setup without pay code buckets users will be entered values into an hours field. In this case:

• Create a clone time entry
• Next to the Hours field, click on Edit details.
• You can enter -2 hours in the pay code bucket you want to decrease based on the work scenario for that employee. 

Sending Correction Entries

By definition, correction time entries are new time entries. If you are "marking" time entries as having been exported (a best practice), new correction time entries created after a payroll cycle will reside in the system as unmarked and ready to include in a export to your third party system. Or, you can create a correction entries exports. There are two methods to include correction entries in exports:

Run a special corrections time entries export to send new correction time entries.

1. Navigate to the Timesheets tab
2. Click Advanced Search
3. In Timesheet Notes enter the word 'corrections'
4. Set a date range to capture new correction time entries.
5. If you are using batches, use the batch filter to create individual batches. Or you can not use to include all system correction entries in one export.
6. Click Search and the system will display all timesheets that contain new correction entries.
7. Note that the returned timesheets will have the Exported flag unchecked. This indicates that the timesheet contains new unexported unmarked time entries.
8. To run a test timesheet export go to Tools > Export Timesheets you will see the new correction time entries in the timesheets.csv file.
9. After reviewing and verifying the time entries, you can run the timesheet export and this time mark the time entries as exported.
10. When you are done, note that timesheet Export checkbox will now have a blue check.     

You can also run your standard timesheet exports to include new correction time entries.
In this case, just prepare a timesheet export that includes the Last 90 Days, Year to Date or whatever date range you want for timesheets up to and including the current pay period you want to process. This will include all time entries, non-corrections and corrections.