Creating PTO Absence Codes

Absence codes are specialized reason codes that describe the reason for employee absences. Use the PTO Absence Codes form to create codes for all absences, paid and unpaid. Paid absence codes are associated with a PTO Register. Unpaid absence codes are not.

Note:  Define PTO Register Types before creating any Absence Codes. (See Creating PTO Registers.)

Use the Absence Code panel to create codes for all absences.

To create an absence code:

1. Select Client.
2. From Client|Change, select PTO Absence Codes. The PTO Absences Codes form opens.
3. Complete the following:
Field Description
Absence Code

Enter a brief, descriptive code that represents the absence type, such as SICK for an employee illness.
Reason

Enter a descriptive reason for the absence, such as Sickness. This reason appears on absence report.

Updates PTO Register

Select whether to post the hours under taken this absence code to employee PTO registers (PTO registers are associated with this absence code in the Register Types table; see below).

 

If the absence type accrues time, it will update the PTO registers in order to keep track of the hours an employee has taken, such as vacation and sick time. Some absence codes, such as jury duty or bereavement, may not update a PTO register.

FMLA Leave

Select for an absence that is a Family Medical Leave Act event.

Global PTO

Displays the Global Register Types table instead of the Register Types table (see below).

Pay Code/Pay Description

Enter a value that, when paid to employees, deducts the hours paid from the PTO Register for this absence code. The Pay Description displays.

Note: You can only enter or select restricted pay codes (that is, pay codes assigned to the client in the Control tab on the Client Details form) when you select the Pay Code link.

Register Types/Description

If this absence updates a PTO Register, enter each of the relevant Register Types. The Description displays.

All register types specified for an absence code must have the same PTO Class.

Global Register Types/Description

If you selected Global PTO above, this table replaces the Register Types table. Assign system-level paid sick leave register types here.

4. Click Save.

Defining Leave Requests

These settings define whether or not employees can make leave requests in advance, how many hours of leave they may request, and how far in advance they may make the request.

Note:  In the Leave Pay Code and Leave Offset Pay Code fields, make sure that you enter valid pay codes that are used by the client. You can define pay codes on the Pay Codes form and you can assign them to a client on the Client Details > Control form.

To create a leave request:

1. Select Client.
2. From Client|Change, select PTO Absence Codes to view the Leave Request Processing panel.
3. Fill in these fields as required.
Field Description
Enable in Employee Portal

Select to allow employees to request paid time off for this absence code in Employee Portal (EP). Selecting this option enables the other fields, which control the behavior of the EP time off request feature. This also makes the absence code available to employees in EP.

 

If you select this option, you must enter the Leave Pay Code as well as a Leave Offset Pay Code for the relevant Pay Methods.
Minimum Hours per request Enter the minimum number of hours that employees can request in advance for this absence type.
Maximum Hours per request Enter the maximum number of hours that employees can request in advance for this absence type.
Can request this many days in advance

Enter the maximum number of days into the future for which employees can request this type of absence.
May request with a negative balance

Select if employees are allowed to submit leave requests when they have a negative hours balance.

Maximum Negative Hours

Enter the maximum amount of hours that an employee's balance is allowed to be in the negative when a leave request is submitted.
After leave is taken, requests can be made

Specify how soon a leave request can be made after an employee has completed a previous leave with one of these options:

 

• Up to this many days in the past
• Do not allow requests that occurred prior to the payroll in progress
• At Any Time (no restrictions)

Suppress Notifications for Leave Requests

Select to suppress email notifications for leave request approvals.

Auto-accept Leave Requests on time sheet

Select to have the system automatically accept leave request hours in the timesheet after the manager approves them, so the payroll processor is not required to accept these hours in the timesheet. (Note: The approved leave requests display with a green dot in the Leave Request column.)

Important! When using this feature, PrismHR recommends that you activate it for all absence codes within the client and to prevent workflow issues.

Combine State and Local PTO Balances
• Be default this box is unchecked.
• Check this box if you want to Combine State and Local PTO Balances
• This checkbox will only display when the checkbox named Global PTO above is checked.
• This feature is not available to all. Custom Feature Code GLOBALPTO needs to be enabled.

Leave Pay Code

Enter or select the pay code that will reduce the relevant PTO register. The system also uses this code on the time sheet to pay leave hours.

Pay Method/Leave Offset Pay Code

In this table, select the following:

• Any Pay Methods used by the client, each on a separate row. These pay methods are not just limited to hourly or salary pay; you can also associate them with any pay codes used for mileage, commissions, units, and other such special cases.
• A Leave Offset Pay Code to associate with each pay method. When the employee requests leave, the system will deduct hours from this pay code to account for this. For example, if you enter REG in this field and a standard 40-hour employee requests 8 hours under the associated PTO absence code, the system will reduce the number of REG time sheet hours to 32.

Note the following:

• The Variable Salary option in the Pay Method field only displays if the VARSALMETHOD custom feature code is enabled on the System Parameters form.
• Only the first Detail Time Entry set to Leave Offset Pay Code will be reduced.
• If you enable Auto-accept Leave Requests on time sheet, the Leave Offset Pay Code must be the same for all Pay Methods.
4. Click Save.