OLD PUBLICATION

 

Human Resource Management System (HRMS)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 Updated: May 22, 2006

 

 

FAQ TOPICS:

The System

Your Personnel Number

Timesheet Changes

Leave Slips

Pay

Your Earning statement

 

 

THE SYSTEM

 

1.      What is HRMS? 

HRMS is an acronym for Human Resource Management System. HRMS is Washington State’s new personnel/payroll system. It is an internet-based integrated software package, replacing the state’s old mainframe computer system known as Pay 1.

 

YOUR PERSONNEL NUMBER

 

2.      What is my employee Personnel Number?

In the HRMS each employee has a unique number that will replace our Social Security number for all personnel transactions involving our employment or retirement with the State of Washington.  This personnel number does not have the same security concerns as a Social Security number.

 

Everybody working in the United States has a Social Security Number, but as we’re all aware, use of these numbers on things like paychecks, leave slips, and so forth presents a risk of identity theft or other misuse.   Currently, we use your social security number to find your information in the pay 1 system.  Once we transfer to the new HRMS system, we will use this personnel number instead.

 

This new number does not provide unauthorized access to your personnel and payroll information and it is not a system logon or password.  It is not linked to you in any other systems.

 

The payroll and HR office will be preparing personnel number cards for each employee and will be distributing them with an upcoming payroll.  We will notify staff by e-mail of the exact date the personnel number cards will be distributed.

 

 


TIMESHEET CHANGES

 

3.      Does HRMS affect Timesheet processing?

Payroll staff will have less time to process Timesheets in HRMS, so receiving them late could result in wages being paid retroactively, in a later pay period.

 

4.      When must I submit my timesheet so it’s not “late”?

Your Timesheet is due on the last day of each pay period.  Timesheets for the 1st – 15th of each month are due on the 15th.  Timesheets for the 16th – 31st are due on the 31st. Check with payroll staff or your department’s timekeeper regarding when they want your Timesheet submitted to them.

 

5.      Do timesheets and leave slips still require my Social Security number?

No. You should not be putting your Social Security number on any documents. Your timesheet and leave slips now require your employee personnel ID number.

 

The payroll and HR office will be preparing personnel number cards for each employee and will be distributing them with an upcoming payroll.  We will notify staff by e-mail of the exact date the personnel number cards will be distributed

 

 

LEAVE SLIPS

 

6.      When must I submit my Leave Slip?

Your leave slips are due prior to taking planned (future) time off.   Leave slips for emergency (unplanned) leave are due immediately upon return to work.

 

7.      Will I see differences in my leave?

Yes. Slight accrual differences exist each pay period, but your yearly accrual results in the correct total annual entitlement.  In HRMS, leave accrues in 12 equal increments calculated to the fifth decimal (example: 10.66667 hours per month).  The accrual is rounded to the second decimal for the earning statement.  In the old PAY1 system, leave accrues in 11 equal increments calculated to the first decimal, and then is balanced for the year in the 12th month (example: 10.7 hours for 11 months, then 10.3 in the 12th month). 

 

8.      When will my leave accrual show on my earnings statement?

Full-time employees with at least 80 hours of regular time and paid annual or sick leave per month are eligible to accrue leave for that month.  Employees who have 80 hours between the 1st and 15th of the month will accrue on the 16th of that month.  The accrual will appear on the earning statement received on the tenth of the next month. 

 

If an employee reaches the 80-hour threshold between the 16th and 31st of the month, leave accrues on the 1st of the following month and the accrual will appear on the earning statement received on the 25th of that month.

 

9.      When will leave I take show on my earnings statement?

When leave is taken, it will appear on the earnings statement for the pay period in which the leave activity is entered.  Leave entered after the earnings statement for the pay period has been processed is applied retroactively to the period in which it was taken.  (This will also affect an employee’s medical aid deduction, which is based on hours worked)

 

 

PAY

 

10.  Could my pay be affected by the new system?

Yes. Because the new system is a “real time” system that shows leave taken and deductions for each pay period, there may be slight differences in calculations. (See next question)

 

11.  What differences in my pay will I see?   

a.       Federal withholding is calculated using the annualized withholding tax schedule, instead of the semi-monthly percentage method used in PAY1. 

b.      Social Security and Medicare are calculated using an annualized formula, instead of the percent of wages for the pay period method used in PAY1.

c.       Medical Aid (L & I Insurance) will vary from paycheck to paycheck, based on the actual number of hours worked in a pay period. Overtime hours will increase the medical aid deduction.  Leave taken will decrease the deduction.  In PAY1, the deduction was based on an average of 80 hours per pay period and did not calculate on overtime.

 

12.  If I transfer to a new agency in the middle of the pay period, will I be paid with two separate checks?

No. In HRMS, employees who move to a different agency in the middle of the pay period will receive a single payment (warrant or EFT), rather than two separate payments as are currently done in Pay1.  HRMS calculates pay based on salaries and hours worked at each agency, and costs are distributed to the correct agency’s programs.

 

 

13.  Will overtime be calculated the same in HRMS?

No. HRMS calculates the extra ½ hour overtime premium with a different method, which may result in a few cents rounding difference.   The regular rate is calculated for all hours worked, including overtime.  To get the additional amount paid for overtime:

a.       HRMS multiplies the regular rate by one-half, and then multiplies that amount by the total number of overtime hours.  For example: 

Regular rate: $16.67, 2 hours overtime worked 

$16.67 / 2  = $8.34 (rounded) x 2 hours  = $16.68

b.      PAY1 multiplies one-half of the overtime hours by the regular rate.  For example:

Regular rate: $16.67, 2 hours overtime worked

2 hr / 2 = 1 x $16.67 =  $16.67

 

 

YOUR EARNINGS STATEMENT

 

14.  Will my earnings statement look different?
Yes.
It will be printed back-to-back on 8½” x 11” letter-sized paper and will contain more information than the old small-format green/white statement. 

 

15.  Will my earnings statement still be attached to my paycheck or pay stub (EFT)?

No. If you currently receive a printed paycheck, you will receive a printed paycheck and an earnings statement, separately. If you currently have EFT (direct deposit), you will not receive a pay stub. You will only receive an earnings statement, which will include the deposit information.

 

16.  Will there be additional information included on the new earnings statement?

Yes. The new earnings statement will have more room for separating out different types of earnings, such as regular salary, holiday pay, leave pay, overtime, callback and other adjustments.  All leave types accrued by the employee are displayed and all deductions the employee has taken will include accumulated year-to-date totals.

 

17.  Why doesn’t my leave accrual appear on my April 10 earnings statement?

Most employees’ accruals do appear on the April 10 earnings statement. However, if you are a salaried part-time employee and you did not work at least 80 hours during the 1st half of March, or if you are an hourly employee, the system was not able to calculate your accrual in time for the April 10 earnings statement. Your accrual will appear on the April 25 statement.


NEW PUBLICATION

 

 

Human Resource Management System (HRMS)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 Updated: May 22, 2006

 

 

THE SYSTEM

 

1.      What is HRMS? 

HRMS is Washington State’s new personnel/payroll system that replaces the old payroll system (PAY 1).

 

YOUR PERSONNEL NUMBER

 

2.      What is my employee Personnel Number?

In the HRMS employees have a unique number that will replace your Social Security number for all personnel transactions involving your employment or retirement with the State of Washington. 

 

Currently, we use your social security number to access your information in the PAY 1 system (i.e. paychecks, leave slips, etc.).  Once we transfer to the new HRMS system, we will use this personnel number instead.  This personnel number does not have the same security concerns as a Social Security number.  This new number does not provide unauthorized access to your personnel and payroll information and it is not a system logon or password.  It is not linked to you in any other systems.

 

The payroll and HR office will be preparing personnel number cards for each employee and will be distributing them with an upcoming payroll.  We will notify staff by e-mail of the exact date the personnel number cards will be distributed.

 

TIMESHEET CHANGES

 

3.      Does HRMS affect Timesheet processing?

Payroll staff will have less time to process Timesheets in HRMS, so receiving them late could result in wages being paid in a later pay period.

 

4.      When must I submit my timesheet so it’s not “late”?

Your Timesheet is due on the last day of each pay period.  Timesheets for the 1st–15th of each month are due on the 15th.  Timesheets for the 16th–31st are due on the 31st. Check with payroll staff or your department’s timekeeper regarding when they want your Timesheet submitted to them.

 

5.      Do timesheets and leave slips still require my Social Security number?

No. You should not be putting your Social Security number on any documents. Your timesheet and leave slips now require your employee personnel ID number.

 

The payroll and HR office will be preparing personnel number cards for each employee and will notify staff by e-mail of the exact date the personnel number cards will be distributed

 

LEAVE SLIPS

 

6.      When must I submit my Leave Slip?

Your leave slips are due prior to taking planned (future) time off.   Leave slips for emergency (unplanned) leave are due immediately upon return to work.

 

7.      Will I see differences in my leave balance?

Yes.  In HRMS, leave accrues in 12 equal increments calculated to the fifth decimal (example: 10.66667 hours per month).  The accrual is rounded to the second decimal for the earning statement.  In the old PAY1 system, leave accrues in 11 equal increments calculated to the first decimal, and then is balanced for the year in the 12th month (example: 10.7 hours for 11 months, then 10.3 in the 12th month). 

 

8.      When will my leave accrual show on my earnings statement?

Full-time employees with at least 80 hours of regular time and paid annual or sick leave per month are eligible to accrue leave for that month.  Employees who have 80 hours between the 1st and 15th of the month will accrue on the 16th of that month.  The accrual will appear on the earning statement received on the tenth of the following month. 

 

If an employee reaches the 80-hour threshold between the 16th and 31st of the month, leave accrues on the 1st of the following month and the accrual will appear on the earning statement received on the 25th of that month.

 

9.      When will the leave I take show on my earnings statement?

When leave is taken, it will appear on the earnings statement for the pay period in which the leave activity is entered.  Leave received/entered after the earnings statement for the pay period has been processed is applied retroactively to the period in which it was taken. 

 

PAY

 

10.  Could my pay be affected by the new system?

Yes. Because the new system is a “real time” system that shows leave taken and deductions for each pay period, there may be slight differences in calculations. (See next question)

 

11.  What differences in my pay will I see?   

a.       Federal withholding will be calculated using the annualized withholding tax schedule, instead of the semi-monthly percentage method used in PAY1. 

b.      Social Security and Medicare will be calculated using an annualized formula, instead of the percent of wages for the pay period method used in PAY1.

c.       Medical Aid (L & I Insurance) will vary from paycheck to paycheck, based on the actual number of hours worked in a pay period. Overtime hours will increase the medical aid deduction.  Leave taken will decrease the deduction.  In PAY1, the deduction was based on an average of 80 hours per pay period and did not calculate on overtime.

 

YOUR EARNINGS STATEMENT

 

12.  Will my earnings statement look different?
Yes.
It will be printed on letter-sized paper (2-sided) and will contain more information than the old paystub. 

 

13.  Will my earnings statement still be attached to my paycheck or pay stub (EFT)?

No. If you currently receive a printed paycheck, you will receive a printed paycheck and an earnings statement, separately. If you currently have EFT (direct deposit), you will not receive a pay stub. You will only receive an earnings statement, which will include the deposit information.

 

14.  Will there be additional information included on the new earnings statement?

Yes. The new earnings statement will have more room for separating out different types of earnings, such as regular salary, holiday pay, leave pay, overtime, callback and other adjustments.  All leave types accrued by the employee are displayed and all deductions the employee has taken will include accumulated year-to-date totals.