21 flexi time

Optimum Time & Attendance – User Guide

2017 NorthgateArinso UK Limited. May 2017 Version 1.0

of 18

21 FLEXI TIME In this chapter, the following topics are covered:

1 Flexi Time Process Flow

2 Setting up Flexi Time

3 The Flexi Timesheet

4 Monitoring Flexi Time Infringements

5 Flexi Reports

FLEXI TIME

Flexitime allows employees to work a flexible working day based around one or more core

periods in the day. During these core periods, employees are expected to be at work (e.g.

between 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm). Outside of these core periods employees can

choose when they work, subject to working the total hours required for the flexi period. A

flexi period is usually setup as a four week period but can be setup for any period of time if

needed.

Notes: A conversion utility was released in version 10.1.3e to convert data based on the old

‘Flexitime Parameters’ and ‘Allocate Employees to Flexitime Parameters’ programs to Groups

and Group Items. See extract below:

Name: flx_ParamConv.r

Function: To convert flx_flexitime_parameters & flx_flexitime_employee to cor_groups and cor_group_items.

Description: Create group ‘Flexitime Parameters’ and Group Items for this group for all the

existing Flexitime Parameters records. Create a system setting ‘Flexitime_Parameter’ which

refers to the group ID created above. Add this new group to the existing system setting

‘System_Groups’ list (or create it if not already present). Create employee group allocation

records for each of the employees referenced in the flexitime employee table applying the

same start dates etc. If the employee start date has not been entered, then locate it by

finding the first ever clocking for the employee and if not present then find the first daily

analysis record for the employee and use this date as the start date for the flexitime parameter group allocation.

http://www.ngahr.com/



of 18

Process Flow

Setting Up:

Maintenance:

Flexi Timesheet

Monitor Flexi-Time Infringements

Reports

Infringement Report

Period End Report

Variance Report

Setup Employee Type group and

group items

Assign the Employee Type to

employees

Build Flexi Rosters Setup Work

Patterns

Grace / Penalties

Breaks

Flexi Rules

Setup Flexi Parameters

Setup Flexi Parameter Group

Allocate flexi parameter to employee

Setup Infringements

Setup/Update System Settings

Update System_Groups

Setup Flexitime_Parameter

Employee_type




of 18

SETTING UP FLEXI TIME

Step 1: Setup Flexi Parameter Group

A group must be setup to hold the different flexi parameters and to allow these parameters to

be allocated to employees as a group item.

Usually this group is named ‘Flexitime Parameters’. Once the group has been setup and the

relevant system settings setup/updated (step 3), any flexitime parameters that are built (step

7) will be automatically populated as a group item within this group, thereby allowing the

parameters to be allocated easily to an employee.

1. Select Maintain Groups from the main menu

2. Press New

3. Enter a Heading for the group (Flexitime Parameters)

4. Press Save

Step 2: Setup Employee Type Group & Group Items

Setup a group to determine which set of rules each employee will be using (Flexi Time or

Time & Attendance), e.g. name it ‘Employee Type’. Within this group, setup group items for

Flexi and Time & Attendance. The code for these group items must be:

Flexi-Time -> FLEXI

Time & Attendance -> TAR

For information on setting up groups and group items, see Optimum User Guide Chapter 13.

Step 3: Setup System Settings

The following system settings must be setup / updated:

Flexitime_Parameter: The Group ID of the group which has been setup to hold the flexitime

parameter group items. Once setup this system setting should not be made available for

updating or deleting.

System_Groups: The Group ID for the Flexitime Parameter group needs to be added to the

list in this system setting. This system setting lists all the Group IDs that are considered to be

'system' groups - i.e. should be prevented from being updated/deleted in Group & Group Item

maintenance.

Employee_type: Enter the Group ID of the Employee Type group. This allows the system to

determine the type of employee, which timesheet layout to use and whether rules are

calculated automatically for the current day at the timesheet and when clocking.

Step 4: Assign the Employee Type to employee

Use the Employee Maintenance program > Groups (or the Global Group Allocation program)

to allocate the relevant group item to each employee.




of 18

1. Select Employee Maintenance from the main menu

2. Select the Groups tab

3. At the Group for ‘Employee Type’ (or equivalent), select either ‘Flexi Time’ or ‘Time &

Attendance’ from the drop-down

4. Enter a Date

5. Press Save

For more information on assigning groups to employees, see Optimum User Guide Chapter 2:

Employee Maintenance and Chapter 13: Groups & Group Items.

Step 5: Build Flexi Rosters

5a: Setup Work Patterns

Setup a work pattern, ensuring the core periods are marked as mandatory timebands.

To create a new work pattern, select Work Pattern Maintenance from the menu

General Tab:

1. Press New

2. Enter a Code

3. Enter a Description

4. Enter Pre-Lunch Hours and Post-Lunch Hours values. This should be a split of the

hours worked by an employee on an average day, e.g. If a standard day is 8 hours,

the pre and post split should be 4 hours and 4 hours

5. For each timeband throughout the day enter a Start and End time, select a Code

from the drop-down, tick the Mand checkbox for the timebands which correspond to

the core times to indicate that they are mandatory. If required, enter Min, In Grace

and Out Grace values.

6. Press Save

If you wish to setup limits to when employees can work their flexible hours, ensure that

separate timebands have been setup to cater for these limits.

In a normal flexi situation there are strict rules around core hours and when flexi hours can

be accumulated. For example, if an employee has core times of 10.00-12.30 and 14.30-16.00

and you want them to only work their flexible hours between 08.00 and 18.00 (i.e. any hours

worked after 18.00 do not contribute to the flexi balance), individual timebands for all

scenarios are required, e.g. 08.00-10.00, 10.00-12.30 (marked as mandatory), 12.30-14.30,

14.30-16.00 (marked as mandatory) and 16.00-18.00. Any hours worked within this time

frame are captured with the analysis code ‘hrswrk’.

A separate timeband with a separate code will also be required for any hours worked before

08.00 or after 18.00. The analysis code used for these timebands should be a non-adjusting

code (see Page 10 for more information on non-adjusting codes).




of 18

Breaks tab:

Allocate any pre-defined breaks in the Breaks tab by moving the break description from

Available Breaks list to the Allocated Breaks list.

If the break you require is not setup, create a new break for a flexi-time work pattern in the

Breaks Maintenance program:

1. Select Breaks Maintenance from the menu

2. Enter a Code


4. Select Flexi as the Break Type

5. Enter the Duration

6. Tick Paid Break if the break is to be paid

7. In most flexitime cases, employees must clock for their breaks. Tick the Must Clock

checkbox for this

8. Enter an In Grace and Out Grace on the break if relevant

9. Enter an Auto-Out type (None, Fixed or Minutes) and an Auto-Out Time if relevant.

It allows for employees to be automatically clocked out for their breaks; they will then

only need to clock back in. Usually this setting would be used in a Production line

environment and not in a flexi time scenario.

10. Enter a Start and End time for the break. This is the period of time during which the

break can be taken

11. A penalty type can be applied to the break. If an employee should be penalised for not

taking a break, select the No Break option. If an employee should be penalised for

not taking their full break, select the Undertaken option. Enter the Penalty value,

i.e. the amount of hours an employee’s worked hours will be reduced by if they don’t

take a break

12. Enter a Max Break value if relevant. An infringement will be generated if an employee

takes more than the maximum break.

Auto Outs:

Usually in a flexi time situation, if an employee has forgotten to clock out an Auto Out time is

applied. Normally the Auto Out time is the same time as the end of the Core PM time.

To setup an Auto Out, select the Auto-Outs tab:




of 18

1. Enter the Auto-out Time

2. Enter an Apply Time. This is the time at which to apply the auto-out, i.e. if set to

23.59 then if an employee hasn’t clocked out at that time, the system goes back and

clocks the employee out at the Auto-Out Time

3. Tick Force as last in checkbox if you want to make the auto-out time the same as the

last In clocking

Rules tab:

The set of rules used for Flexi-Time rosters differ from those used for Time & Attendance

rosters. The default rules for flexi-time are usually indicated in the work pattern called ‘_flexi’.

Once the correct flexi rules have been setup in this default work pattern, any work patterns

you setup will use these default rules automatically.

The rules held in the default flexi work pattern are:

Description File Name

Rules Temp Tables ruletbls

Auto Outs auto_out

Clear Lates CLRLATES

Apply Bandwidths aplyband

Flexi Absence / Absence absflex

Lates lates

Early Leaving erlyleav

Bankhol bankhol

Flexi Rules fxvarclc

Fx Lost Time fxexcpr

If you have a combination of Flexi-Time and Time & Attendance rosters there will be two

different sets of default rules. The default rules which are used are determined by whichever

Employee Type the employee has been allocated. If an employee’s Employee Type is ‘Time &




of 18

Attendance’ (code: TAR) the normal default rules will apply to their work patterns. If an

employee’s Employee Type is ‘Flexi-Time’ (code: FLEXI), the flexi default rules will be applied.

Repeat these steps for any other work patterns including Rest Days.

5b: Setup Roster

1. Select Roster Maintenance from the main menu

2. Press New

3. Enter a unique Code


5. Enter a Start Date for the roster. The roster cannot be allocated to an employee

earlier than this date.

6. Enter the number of Days in Cycle

7. Press Save

8. Select the relevant work patterns from the drop-downs in the Allocated Work

Patterns table

9. Press Save




of 18

Step 6: Setup Infringements

There are certain rules which apply to flexi time in relation to attendance. An infringement is

usually when someone breaks one of those rules, e.g. a core infringement occurs when the

employee isn’t present during the morning (AM Infringement) or afternoon (PM Infringement)

core (mandatory) time.

An Infringement code is setup using the Analysis Codes Maintenance program. The code is

then linked to a group of infringements using the Exception Code functionality.

6a. Setup Exception Code

If the Exception code you want to use to describe the infringement is not available, you will

need to set it up:

1. Select Exceptions Maintenance from the main setup menu

2. Press New

3. Enter a code for the Exception in the Exception Code field

4. Enter a Description for the Exception

5. Press Save

6b. Setup Analysis Code (example: a new code for when an employee clocks in late for

their core time – the code would normally be called ‘Core In AM’)

1. Select Analysis Code Maintenance from the main setup menu

2. Press New

3. Select a Category for the code, e.g. if the code is going to be used to refer to a

scenario where an employee has clocked in late, select the ‘Late’ category

4. Enter a Code for the Analysis Code, e.g. CInAM

5. Enter a Description, e.g. Core In Am

6. Select a Code Function. This is similar to the Category field in that if the code is

being used for a late situation, select ‘Late’ as the code function

7. Select the Code Type – Hours or Monetary

8. Enter a Minimum Value

9. Enter a Maximum Value

10. Select the relevant Exception Code which you have setup, e.g. Late

11. Press Save

Step 7: Setup Flexi Parameters

A variety of flexi parameters can be setup, depending on what is needed for the organisation.

To setup a set of flexi parameters:

Select Flexi Parameters from the main menu




of 18

General tab:

1. Press New

2. Enter a Code


4. Enter an Initial Start Date

Note: It is essential to get the initial start date correct from the outset as the system

automatically works out the flexi periods from this date. This date should not be changed

once it has been setup.

5. Select the flexi Period type. Choose Calendar if the flexi period is a calendar month

or choose Fixed if the flexi period is in days.

6. If the flexi period is in days, enter the number of Days in Period, e.g. 28 days

7. Tick whether to Auto Adjust the carry forward figures

8. Enter the Daily Max value. This is the maximum daily hours that can be worked.

9. Enter a Min Carry Over. This is the max amount of a minimum figure (negative

balance) that can be carried over. Enter as a minus figure.

10. Enter the Max Carry Over, i.e. the maximum hours that can be carried forward. If

someone has worked up more than the max carry over, the system automatically

adjusts it back to this figure.

Note: The max and min carry over are applied at the end of the flexi period

11. Press Save

Note: The ‘Copy’ button will create a new copy of the current flexi parameter

along with its Adjusting and Non Adjusting codes.

Codes tab:




of 18

This is a list of all analysis codes on the system. They must be split into adjusting codes for

the flexitime parameter, i.e. codes which contribute to worked time, and into non-adjusting

codes, i.e. codes which don’t contribute to worked time.

Note: the Flexi Day code will be a non-adjusting code

Adjust Codes: You need to choose which Analysis Codes will cause adjustments to be

automatically made on the flexi timesheet. E.g. if Holiday is booked, it will not show as a

negative amount of hours worked but will cancel out and so show 0.00 hours worked for the

day. In other words the current variance will not change.

Available Codes: The central column initially shows all Analysis Codes on the system. NB:

Once operational the list of available codes should be empty. Any new Analysis codes

subsequently added will appear in this column and may have to be moved to the Adjust or

Non-Adjust columns in order to have the desired effect.

Non-adjust Codes: Codes which will automatically cause a negative number of hours to be

placed on the timesheet if generated or added.

1. Select the code(s) from the Available Codes table and move them to either the

Adjust Codes or Non-adjust Codes, using the and buttons.

2. Press Save

Lists tab:

The information in this section is fed into the Flexi Summary section on the weekly timesheet.

Total Hours, AM Infringement, PM Infringement and Non-adjusted Abs are flexi summary

figures for the flexi period to date.

Selecting relevant codes in each table, allows you to determine what codes should be used to

make up Total Hours, AM Infringements, PM Infringements and Non-adjusted Absences.

The Non-adjusted Absence codes are generated from system absence codes which have not

yet been edited by a supervisor to a relevant absence code, e.g. ABS, ABSAM, ABSPM. This




of 18

figure can be used as a notification to supervisors to make adjustments to an employee’s

timesheet.

1. Select the codes from each table which accumulate towards Total Hours, AM

Infringements, PM Infringements and Non-adjusted Absences

2. Press Save

Repeat the process for any other flexi parameters which need to be setup including flexi

parameters for part-time employees.

Step 8: Allocate Flexi Parameter to Employee

The flexi parameter is allocated as a group item to employees and is allocated using either the

Employee Maintenance program or the Global Group Update program:

1. Select Employee Maintenance from the main menu

2. Select the Groups tab for the relevant employee

3. Beside the Flexitime Parameters group, select the relevant group item

4. Enter a date from which the employee should be allocated to these flexitime

parameters

5. Press Save

This allows a history of different flexitime parameters for each employee to be saved.

THE FLEXI TIMESHEET

The weekly timesheet allows employees to view their daily clockings and an accumulation of

hours worked along with leave taken, public holidays, absences and infringements.

For each day in the week viewed, you will see the daily and cumulative variance up to that

point in the flexi period.

The flexi summary on the bottom part of the timesheet relates to the flexi period which that

week falls in. It records the following details based on the flexi rules in operation at your

company at that time:




of 18

Opening: Opening balance of hours from the start of that flexi period.

C/F Adj.: Hours lost from previous flexi period which have been automatically deducted

from the flexi balance as they cannot be carried over.

Yesterday: Balance registered when last clocking was recorded for the previous day (or

the last day in).

Current: Current flexi variance.

Total Hrs: Total hours worked during that flexi period to date.

AM: Identifies any morning core infringements.

PM: Identifies any afternoon core infringements.

Unadjusted: Identifies any absences within the flexi period that may need adjustment.




of 18

The remaining hours from the previous period are brought

across as the ‘Opening’ balance for the next period

The first figure here is the ‘Daily Variance’. This figure is the balance of the current day’s rostered hours. It will be a

minus figure until the employee clocks in to start work. The daily variance is then increased (moving from negative to

zero, then to positive) as the employee works.

The second figure is the ‘Running Balance’. This figure takes the ‘Opening’ balance from the start of the period plus the

cumulative daily variance at the point at which you are viewing the timesheet.

The ‘Current’ figure also displays the Running Balance.

This field changes to the ‘Closing’ figure once the flexi period has closed




of 18

Notes:

When a change is made to the timesheet, the flexi period is automatically updated,

thereby updating the flexi summary on the timesheet and allowing an up to date picture

of the employee’s current flexi situation.

Enquiries regarding balances can also be made at certain clocks.

The Sync button on the timesheet wipes out all variances for the period selected and re-

synchronises the data for that period.

Any changes made to a previous flexi period will continue through to the current flexi

period based on the flexi parameter settings for each period.

Where the flexi period changes the flexi summary will display the new period only when

the selected weekly date is after the flexi period. For example, if the timesheet displays

30/01/2017 – 05/02/2017 and the new flexi period begins on 01/02/2017, the new

period will only display on the weekly timesheet from 06/02/2017.




of 18

MONITOR FLEXI TIME INFRINGEMENTS

Infringement Report This report is used to monitor employee’s infringements along with the employee’s flexi

time activity. The Infringement Report uses a Report Layout. This allows the user to

view the value of the infringement. The report can also show clockings for each day

worked or for each day with an exception.

Create a Report Layout

1. Select Report Layouts from the Report menu

2. Press New

3. Enter a Layout Name and a Layout Description, e.g. Infringement

4. Press Save

5. Move the relevant Report Columns from Available Report Columns to

Allocated Report Columns. The Report Columns hold the analysis codes you

want to report on.

If you need to create a new Report Column:

1. Select Report Columns from the Report menu

2. Press New

3. Enter a Column Name, e.g. Absence

4. Bring across all the analysis codes you wish to have grouped together under this

heading from the Available Analysis Codes list to the Allocated Analysis

Codes list

5. Press Save

Report Columns Report Layout




of 18

Run Infringement Report

1. Select Infringement Report from the main menu

If a report has not already been created you can create a new one, as per instructions in

Optimum User Guide Chapter 16: Reporting. If a report already exists it can be selected

from the left-hand side and edited for your requirements. Note that once an existing

report is edited, the edits over-ride the original report on your account.

2. On the Select tab, choose the group(s) or employee(s) to report on

3. Determine the period to be reported on using the From Date and To Date

4. Enter a Title, if required

5. Select a Layout

6. Select the Report Type as either Exception or Time

7. Decide what format the report should be displayed in, using the Output To field

8. On the Options tab, select the exceptions you wish to report on under the

Exception Codes list or select All to select all exceptions

9. Choose Decimal or Minutes for the Time Format

10. Tick the When exception show full period and the Totals check boxes, if

required

11. On the Sort tab, choose the fields to sort by

12. On the Fields tab, choose all the fields you wish to report on by selecting them

from the Available Fields list to the Allocated Fields list. If you have selected

to run the report by Exceptions, ensure that the Exceptions field and the

Analysis Date field are saved in the Allocated Fields list. If you wish to see

clockings and/or have selected the report to be run by Time, ensure you bring

across the Clockings field into the Allocated Fields list.

The Daily Variance and Accumulated Variance (Acc Var) figures refer to the variances at the

point at which the exception occurred




of 18

FLEXI TIME REPORTS

Period End Report This report displays the balance of hours which employees have at the end of a flexi

period, along with the amount of those hours which will be carried over into the next

flexi period and the difference between these two figures.

1. Select Period End Report from the main menu

2. Select the Group to run the report by

3. Select the employees for which you want to run the report. Ticking All will select

all employees

4. Select the Period End date for which you want to report on

5. Enter a Title, if required

6. Choose what format to Output To

7. Select the Options tab

8. Select whether to view: Reduced Carry Over (where an employee’s carry over

figure has been reduced to the max carry over that has been determined by the

flexi parameters), Negative Carry Over (where employee is down hours), Positive

Carry Over (where employee has worked up hours) or All

9. Select the Sort tab

10. Select how to have the report sorted

11. Select the Fields tab

12. Bring across required fields from the Available Fields list to the Allocated

Fields list

13. Press Finish

Finishing: this figure refers to employees’ Running

Balance (opening balance plus hours worked

over/under their rostered hours for the flexi period)

Closing: this figure refers to the hours that employees will be closing the period with and opening the next period with. If an employee has more hours worked up

than is allowed as per the flexi time parameters, their finishing balance will be

reduced

Difference: the difference between what an employee’s Running Balance at the end of the period (Finishing) and what they are allowed to close

the period with and open the next period with (as per flexi time

parameters)




of 18

Variance Report A User can use this report to view a list of employees’ flexi variances at a particular

date. They can also use it to set a variance amount and view employees at that level,

below that level and above that level. For example, coming towards the end of a flexi

period, managers can easily view whether an employee needs to use up some flexi

hours so they won’t lose them etc.

1. Select Variance Report from the Reports menu

2. Select the Group to report on

3. Enter a Date for which you want to look at the variances

4. Enter a Title

5. Determine what format to Output To

6. Select the Options tab

7. If you wish to see all variances, select All from the List Current Variance field.

Alternatively you can enter a value into the Amount field and choose whether to

see employees with variances which are Less Than, Less Than or Equal To,

Greater Than, Greater Than or Equal To or Equal To the amount

8. Select the Sort tab

9. Select how to sort the fields

10. Select the Fields tab

11. Bring across any additional fields you want to see from the Available Fields list

to the Allocated Fields list

12. Press Finish


21 flexi time

Documents