tacs - apwu 480-481 area local · tacs user of any changes to an employee's master record....

Time andAttendance

Collection System

(Web-based)

Users’ Guide(DRAFT)

TACS

Draft #3 January, 20021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Overview ……………………………………………………………….. 2

2. Accessing TACS ……………………………………………………… 3

3. Maneuvering in TACS …………..…………………………………… 6

4. Employee Maintenance Module ……...……………………………. 9

5. Employee Maintenance Module TABS …………………………… 10

a) Employee TAB …………………………………………………. 101. Automatic Higher Level Indicator ….…………………... 122. Borrowed Employee Indicator……….. 143. Time Collection …………….……………………………. 14

b) Job Assignment/Weekly TAB ………………………………… 15c) Temporary Job Assignment ...……………………………….. 16d) Daily Schedules ………………………………………………. 18e) Prior Assignments ……………………………………………. 19f) Leave Information …………………………………………….. 20

6. Definition of Terms in Employee Maintenance Module ….…… 22

7. Clock Ring Editor Module ………………………………………….. 28a) Clock Rings TAB ……………………….……………………… 29b) Commonly Used Hours Codes..……..………………………. 33c) Pre-processor …………………………………………………. 35d) Job Assn (Job Assignment) …………………………………. 36

8. Badge Maintenance Module ……………………………………….. 37

9. Badge Maintenance Module TABS ………………………………. 37a) Create TAB ……………………………………………………. 38b) Assign TAB ……………………………………………………. 40c) History TAB …………………………………………………… 41

10. Time Card Entry Module…………………………………………….. 42a) Base Card……………………………………………………… 44b) Higher Level …………………………………………………… 46c) Setting a Finance Number to Ready ……………………….. 47

11. Reports ………………………………………………….……………. 48


OVERVIEW

The Time and Attendance Collections System (TACS) is used by the PostalService to collect necessary data to correctly pay employees. TACS does thisby:

• storing information about employees, their job assignments and schedules,• collecting information regarding the number and type of hours the employees

work (or amount of leave they take), and• processing this information so that the Payroll system – which is located on a

mainframe computer in Minneapolis – can issue the employees the correctamount of pay that they are due.

In addition, TACS performs other related functions. Since TACS collects workhour data, the information collected by TACS is very useful in managingproductivity. To facilitate this function, TACS produces a number of productivity-related reports for use by management. TACS also produces files that may bedirectly loaded into other programs, such as PC-MODS, DSIS, FLASH, LATS,AVUS, etc.

TACS is a web-based system. This means that the program that runs TACS islocated in a central location (Minneapolis) and is accessed by individual usersthrough the Postal Service Intranet, using a web browser (Internet Explorer).Because all of the program files and data files are centrally located, no uploadsor downloads are necessary at the local site.


ACCESSING TACS

To access TACS on your PC, follow these steps:

• Click on “Start” (lower left corner of your screen)• Highlight “Office”• Highlight “Web Browsers”• Highlight “Internet Explorer” and click

• Once Internet Explorer has loaded, enter “tacs” in the address box and hit

The following screen will appear. NOTE: If this screen appears when youload Internet Explorer, then you do not need to enter the address.

• Click on the “Start TACS Application” box for your site.

The following screen will appear.

• Click on the “Start TACS Application” box


• In the User Id box, enter your user ID and hit Tab or click in the Password box• Enter your password in the Password box and hit Tab or click in the Database

box• Enter the name of your TACS instance in the Database box• Hit Enter, or click the Logon box


The user must agree with the conditions stated above or the system will not allowthe user access to TACS.


MANEUVERING IN TACS

Most TACS screens utilize a similar format. On these screens, there are anumber of different methods used to perform various required functions. Themost common methods are listed below. Refer to the screen shown on page 8for further clarification.

ToolbarThe toolbar is located across the top of the screen. The options listed are:System Employee Site Time External Reports Help WindowTo access an option from the toolbar, use the mouse to position the cursor at thedesired option and click once. A drop-down menu will appear listing furtheroptions. Use the mouse to highlight the desired option and click.

TabsTabs are segments within each module and are located under the module title.Tabs are used to access different screens within the same module. The Tabs inthe example on page 8 (Clock Ring Reports Module) are: Clk Rng (Clock RingError Report), Miss Ti (Missing Time Report), OT Alrt (Overtime Alert Report),OT/Leave (Overtime and Leave Usage), Raw R (Raw Ring Error Report), RngDi (Ring Disallowance), Self Adj (Self Adjustment Report), Tour Dev (TourDeviation) , Unauth (Unauthorized Overtime)….

Radio ButtonsRadio Buttons are round fields next to text which allow you to choose from anumber of options. To choose a particular option, place the cursor on the radiobutton and click. A black dot within the circle will indicate which option has beenselected. In the example on page 8, under Finance Numbers, the user has theoption of selecting All Finance Numbers, or Finance List Selection. (A singlefinance number or a list of finance numbers has been selected, as indicated bythe black dot.). If a Radio Button has a block next to it (such as List FinanceNumber), then there must be a valid entry in that block if the correspondingRadio Button has been selected.

BlocksBlocks are blank (white), rectangular fields which are designed for text entry. Totype in a block, move the cursor into the block (using the mouse or the Tab key)and begin typing using the keyboard.

ButtonsButtons are rectangular figures on the right side of the screen. Inside eachbutton is listed the function of that button. Buttons in the example on page 8 are:Clear, Find, Add, Delete, Output as, Run, Close, Help. To perform thefunction of a button, place the cursor over that button using the mouse and click.


NOTE: Buttons are only active if the lettering within the button is black. If thewriting in the button is gray – as in the Add button in the example on page 10 –then that button is not active and that function cannot be performed.

There are alternate methods of performing the functions of buttons without usingthe mouse. These methods are known as shortcuts. Shortcuts may vary fromscreen to screen, but some are the same for every screen. For example, Alt-Swill perform the Save function on all screens where a Save button appears. Tosee a full list of shortcuts, click on Help on the Toolbar at the top of the screen,highlight Button Shortcuts… and click. This will show a list of availableshortcuts for buttons.

List of ValuesFor some fields in TACS, you may access a screen that gives you a list of allvalid entries for that field. This list is called a list of values. When the cursor isplaced in a particular block, the phrase “List of Values” will appear at the bottomof the screen if a List of Values is available for that block. If this phrase shows onthe screen, then the user may access the list in one of three ways:

1. Click on the Find button2. Press F93. Press Alt-F

When one of these three functions is performed, a list of all possible entries forthat field is displayed on the screen. When the list is displayed, highlight thecorrect item and press Enter or click OK. If the correct item is not among thoseinitially listed on the screen, scroll through the list or type all or some of thedesired name until the correct entry is located. When an item from a list ofvalues is selected, the selected entry will be automatically loaded to that field.

IMPORTANT:1. To access a particular List of Values, the cursor must be in the

corresponding block. For example, to access a list of valid hours codes,the cursor must be in the “Code” block.

2. If you wish to locate an item within a List of Values by typing some or all ofthe name, begin typing when the list comes up on the screen. Do not clickin the text block (where the “%” is)

In the example on page 8, the cursor is in the block for LIST Finance Numbers.The user may enter the finance numbers or select from a “List of Values” asshown at the bottom of the screen. If the user clicks on Find, or presses F9 orAlt-F, then a list of valid finance numbers for this office will pop up on the screen.

Hint TextHint text is located near the bottom of the TACS screen. The messagesdisplayed here provide help to the user according to the current location of the


cursor, or the current function being performed. When the cursor is placed in ablock, hint text describes what type of entry is required in that block. If the userattempts to do something that is not allowed by the system, the hint text willdisplay an error message describing what the problem is. In the example below,the hint text says, “FRM-40202: Field must be entered…..”. Since the cursor isin the LIST Finance Number block, the hint text is informing the user that, inorder to proceed, a valid finance number must be entered in this block.


EMPLOYEE MAINTENANCE MODULE

The Employee Maintenance Module is used to keep track of importantinformation regarding each employee. This information includes the employee'sjob assignment, schedule, Rate Schedule Code (RSC), base operation, andother necessary information needed to process the employee's clock rings, paythe employee, and monitor operations in the employee's facility.

Human Resources at the local level is responsible for notifying the designatedTACS user of any changes to an employee's master record. These changesmust then be input into TACS.

Accessing the Employee Maintenance Module

Not all TACS users are authorized access to the Employee Maintenance Module.The TACS Administrator will give access only to those users who require theability to make changes to employee master records. If you think you needaccess to the Employee Maintenance Module and you do not have it, contactyour TACS Administrator.

To access the Employee Maintenance Module, click on "Employee" on the menuat the top of the TACS screen. Move the cursor to highlight "EmployeeMaintenance…" and click. OR, if your main TACS screen has an "EmployeeMaintenance Module" icon, double-click on that icon.


Employee Maintenance Module - TABS

EMPLOYEE TAB

The Employee Tab allows you to Add and Terminate (delete) an employee. Tomodify or look at an employee’s record you must retrieve the employee to accessthe job assignment tab. Each employee MUST have at least one base jobassignment active for any given year, pay period and week, unless theemployee's status is "terminated".

• To locate employee, you can use any one of the four methods:

a. Type in SSN in Employee ID block.b. Use Find button

Employees are listed in alphabetical orderIf the office is large, type in first letter or a couple of letters of thelast name (begin typing - do not place cursor in % field). System willlocate employee using the last name. Use cursor to select employeeand hit enter.

c. Hit Function key F9, employees will be listed in alphabetical order.See b above.


d. Use shortcut key “ALT F”, employees will be listed in alphabeticalorder. See b above.

• Adding a new employee record To add a new employee to the system, click the Add button and enter thefollowing information for the new employee.

Employee ID: - Social Security Number Name - Last name, First Name and Middle Initial Start Pay period - The effective pay period (YYYY-PP-Week)

Employee Status will default to A for active employee. Then click on the JobAssign/Weekly Tab and enter the information required for the employee’s basejob assignment and weekly schedule. If assistance is needed to complete blocks, use the “find” key and/or the “Hint

• Deleting an employee record

Call up the employee by using the Find button or entering the SSN and click theDelete button. If the employee has clock rings for the week, the employee will beautomatically placed in a Pending status in the Employee Status box. You mustchange the employee to a terminated status the next week to remove theemployee from the master file. • Changing an employee record

Call up the employee record, enter the required changes in the Job Assignmentor the Daily schedule tabs, and click Save.

Employee Status Block

A – Active EmployeeP – Pending EmployeeT – Terminated EmployeeD – Deleted Employee


Automatic Higher Level Indicator Block

This box must be checked if an employee is entitled to receive higher level whenworking on an automatic higher level operation number. TACS will generatehigher level for the following operation numbers based on the level and LDC.

1. OCR Operator (Mail Processor) to Manual

Employee’s Base Criteria

Level = P – 04LDC = 11D/A = 11-0, 31-0, 41-0

Automatic higher level as P-05 for hours in Operation Numbers 030-034, 036-045, 048-079, 100-104, 111-130, 150-179

2. Mailhandler to “Mark”, Tow (Mule) or Forklift Operator


Level = M – 04LDC = 17D/A = 12-0, 32-0, 42-0

Automatic higher level as M-05 for hours in Operation Numbers: 011-016, 229-230

3. CFS Clerks to Mail Processing


Level = P – 04LDC = 49D/A = 11-0, 31-0, 41-0

Automatic higher level as P-05 for hours in Operation Numbers: 030-038, 040-044


Automatic Higher Level – Bulk Mail Centers

1. Clerk to Trainer – On the Job, Clerk Keying


Level = P – 04 or P-05LDC = 12, 13, 14, 15D/A = 11-0, 31-0, 41-0, 81-0

Automatic higher level as P-06 for hours in Operation Number 197 or 198

2. Mail Flow Controller – Intermittent


Level = P – 04 or P-06, M-04, or M-05LDC = 12, 13, 14D/A = 11-0, 31-0, 41-0, 81-0, 12-0, 32-0, 42-0

Automatic higher level as E-14 for hours in Operation Number 119.

3. Dock Clerk


Level = P – 05LDC = 12, 13, 17, 18D/A = 11-0, 31-0, 41-0

Automatic higher level as P-06 for hours in Operation Number 563.

4. Bulk Mail Technician


Level = P – 04 or P – 05LDC = 12, 13, 14D/A = 11-0, 31-0, 41-0, 81-0

Automatic higher level as P-06 for hours in Operation Numbers 540-549, 569.


5. Mailhandler to Sack Sorter


Level = M – 04LDC = 12, 13D/A = 12-0, 32-0, 42-0

Automatic higher level as M-05 for hours in Operation Numbers 140-143.

6. Mailhandler to Tow (Mule) or Fork Lift Operator


Level = M – 04LDC = 12, 14, 17D/A = 12-0, 32-0, 42-0

7. Mailhandler to Training – On the Job Keying


Level = M – 04LDC = 12, 13, 14, 15D/A = 12-0, 32-0, 42-0

Automatic higher level as M-05 for hours in Operation Number 197 and 198.

Borrowed Employee Indicator

If an employee is borrowed from an office that is not within the TACS database,check this box. When this box is checked, the borrowed employee can be issueda badge and use the EBR. The hours are tracked in TACS but will not be sent tothe mainframe for payment. The borrowed employee is paid at his/her homeoffice.

Time Collection

• Clock – Employee is a time clock employee.• Timecard – Employee is a timecard employee


JOB ASSIGN/WEEKLY TAB

This Tab allows you to enter or change information regarding the employee'spermanent or temporary job assignment and the corresponding weekly schedule.To enter or change this information for an employee:

1. Access the employee's record from the "Employee" Tab,2. Click on the "Job Assign/Weekly" tab,3. Enter/change the pertinent information,4. Click Save.

The fields on the Job Assignment/Weekly TAB are:

Type of JA - B = Base, T = Temporary D = Dual AssignmentStart YrPPwk: - YYYY-PP-WK, when employee started assignmentEnd YrPPwk: - YYYY-PP-WK, when employee’s assignment end(ed).

This is blank for an employee’s base job assignment.DA / RSC - Designation/Activity code and Rate Schedule CodeRSC Suffix: - All set to 0 at this timePo Level - Level of employee’s positionStep Code - Step of EmployeeFLSA - Y = Exempt, N = Nonexempt, S = Special exempt


Emp Type - C = Craft, S = SupervisorFin Number - Finance numberFinance Unit - Not used at this time, four zeroesPay Location - Pay location of employeeLDC - Labor Distribution codeOper / LU - Operation number and Local UnitRoute - Route of carrierLimited Hours - Hours for Limited Tour EmployeeWW Type - Work week Type, 5 = 5 days a week, 8 hours a dayLoan to Fin # - Employee is loaned to a particular finance number, used in

conjunction with the temporary job assignment1261 - - Automatically generates clock ringsAuto Lunch - The amount of time designated in Weekly Schedule under

Duration will be automatically be deducted for lunch.Var EAS Ind - Hold an EAS employee record until the final upload

Temporary Job Assignment

Create a temporary job assignment when the employee is loaned to anotherfinance number or when the employee goes on higher level for a period of 1week or more.

Higher Level Assignment

• Click on the Add button (or ALT A;) in the Job Assign/Weekly tab.• Enter "T" in the "Type of JA" block and tab to the next field or hit enter.• Type in the Year PP and Wk or press the find button (or ALT F, or hit F9), to

select the Year PP and Wk when the higher level assignment begins. Hitenter or the Tab key. Information will be populated from the base jobassignment.

• Enter End YrPPWk data. Tab to next field.• Enter the Rate Schedule Code (RSC) and Level of the higher level

assignment.• Tab through the record and make all changes that are necessary.• Tab through to schedule ID and determine the schedule for this assignment.• Press the Save button (or ALT S).

Loan Employee (Loan finance number active in TACS)

To add a temporary assignment for an employee on loan to a finance numberthat is ACTIVE (has employees assigned to a finance number) within your TACSsystem.

Click on the Add button (or ALT A;) in the Job Assign/Weekly tab.• Enter "T" in the "Type of JA" block and tab to the next field or hit enter.


• Type in the Year PP and Wk or press the find button (or ALT F, or hit F9), toselect the Year PP and Wk when the temporary job assignment begins. Hitenter or the Tab key. Information will be populated from the base jobassignment.

• Enter End YrPPWk data. Tab to next field.• Enter in RSC and Level even if it is the same• Enter the base finance number for the employee in the middle of the screen.• The operation number and LDCs that are valid in the Loaned to finance

number may be used.• Click on the Save button (or ALT S).

Loan Employee (Finance office NOT active in TACS)

To add a temporary assignment for an employee on loan to a financenumber that is NOT ACTIVE in your TACS system.

• Click on the Add button (or ALT A;) in the Job Assign/Weekly tab.• Enter "T" in the "Type of JA" block and tab to the next field or hit enter.• Type in the Year PP and Wk or press the find button (or ALT F, or hit F9), to

select the Year PP and Wk when the temporary job assignment begins. Hitenter or the Tab key. Information will be populated from the base jobassignment.

• Enter End YrPPWk data. Tab to next field.• Change the D/A, if necessary, to reflect the D/A of the gaining office.• Enter in RSC and Level even if it is the same• Enter the loan finance number for the employee in the middle of the screen.• Use operation number of 9880 through 9970 but enter the correct LDC.• Click on the Save button (or ALT S).

Weekly Schedule

Primary Schedule : This is the work schedule associated with the employee'sassignment. There are 22 predefined schedules, which are listed in scheduledmaintenance. Enter the schedule number that corresponds to the days theemployee is scheduled to work, and enter the employee's beginning, ending andlunch times. There may also be up to 999 locally defined schedules.

Holiday (10/4): This field will show an employee’s Holiday based on theirschedule.


DAILY SCHEDULES TAB

The purpose of the Daily Schedules Tab is to allow modifications to be made, ona day to day basis, to the employee's schedule. It is populated with the scheduleinformation from the most current base assignment and weekly schedule.

All future and past schedules are available through the Find button. The User isnot allowed to add a new schedule for this table, but she/he may makemodifications on any schedule already created.

Days Off Block - Hours are listed for non-scheduled days. A check is displayedin the days off column to indicate employee’s non-scheduled day.

Out of Schedule – If this block is checked, employee will automatically receiveout of schedule (hours code 73) when working out of schedule.

Holiday – Designated holiday based on schedule


Sunday Premium – Has two columns – Actual (Act.) and Original (Orig.)

Actual – This is the actual schedule for the week. If this is checked, theemployee will receive Sunday Premium pay.

Original – If this block is check, then the employee’s original schedule wasentitled to Sunday Premium. The user cannot alter any information in thiscolumn.

PRIOR ASSIGNMENTS TAB

Any prior assignments the employee has held are listed here. Unless anemployee had a temporary job assignment (i.e., detail, H/L) the jobs remain thesame each week.


LEAVE INFORMATION TAB

Employee Leave information is for display purposes only and is not changedduring the week. The Leave balances are downloaded from the Payroll Systemon the Minneapolis mainframe each Thursday. Although this information isdownloaded from the mainframe each week, it is only updated on themainframe biweekly. Therefore, balances in TACS will normally only change atthe end of the last pay period that has been paid.

The number of hours used is based on the Leave Year. The leave year begins inthe first full pay period of the calendar year.


Balances

This item reflects the amount of annual or sick leave available to this employeebased on paid hours from the last pay period. This total reflects annual leavehours advanced for regular employees. The total does not reflect leave takenduring the current pay period.

Hours Used

This total reflects the amount of annual leave, sick leave or leave without pay(LWOP) used from the beginning of the leave year to the last hours paid in theprevious pay period. The total does not reflect leave taken during the currentpay period.

FMLA Information

This reflects information regarding the employee's use of leave under theprovisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as well as use of SickLeave Dependent Care (SLDC).


Definition of Terms in the Employee Maintenance Module

Day OffA non-scheduled day.

Dual AssignmentA dual assignment means that an employee is assigned to two different jobs, D/A's,and is in two separate finance numbers. This action requires a Form 50.

Employee IdThe individual identification of the employee, consisting of nine digits. The EmployeeId number does not necessarily have to be the Social Security Number (SSN). If thisis a borrowed employee you would use the borrowed badge number as the EmployeeId.

Employee Status This can be Active, Pending or Terminated.

Employee TypeThe Employee Type is based on the Designation/Activity (D/A) and Rate ScheduleCode (RSC) of the employee. If the employee has a Designation Activity (D/A) thatindicates she/he is a bargaining unit employee, then C is entered, and an S is enteredfor EAS employees.

End Tour This is when the employee day is done, or the end of tour.

End YrPPwkIf this is a Base Assignment for an employee, then this field is left blank. If theassignment is a Temporary assignment, then this field reflects the ending time of thejob assignment.

EODThis is the employee’s Entered On Duty (EOD) date.

ExemptThis employee is exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act(FLSA). Overtime is not calculated for an employee who has Exempt status.

Finance NumberThe Finance Number is the six-digit code that identifies a work center.

Finance UnitThe Finance Unit is a four digit numeric field added on to a Finance number. It canrepresent a pay location, station or unit within a finance number. The default financeunit number is four zeroes.


FLSA ExemptThe purpose of the FLSA field is to indicate to the system whether or not the employeeis exempted from certain provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The values forthis field are 'Y', 'N', or 'S'.

The 'Y' indicates ExemptThe 'N' indicates FLSA Non-ExemptThe 'S' indicates FLSA Exempt 'Special'

FLSA Exempt ‘Y’This code represents those employees that are FLSA exempt and is not entitled to bepaid overtime.

FLSA Exempt 'S'This code represents those employees who are exempt but may be entitled to extrastraight time pay if they are authorized to work in excess of eight and a half hours in aday or on a non-scheduled day.

FLSA Non-Exempt ‘N’This code 'N' indicates that the employee is covered under the Fair Labor StandardsAct (FLSA). The employee is eligible to receive overtime pay.

FMLA Hours UsedThis field reflects the number of hours of FMLA used in the current Leave year. Aneligible employee may use up to 480 hours of FMLA per leave year. This number doesnot reflect the number of hours used for Sick Leave Dependent Care.

FMLA Work HoursThis is the number of paid hours for the current year. In order for an employee to beeligible to use FMLA leave, she/he must have at least 1250 paid hours during theprevious 26 pay periods.

Labor Distribution CodeThe Labor Distribution Code (LDC) is used to identify the type of work the employeeperforms. The LDC must coincide with a valid operation number.

Limited HoursThe purpose of the Limited Hours field is to identify the limited tour for a part-timeregular employee. This field is only used for D/As that begin with a three. The valuesfor this field are 01 through 39.

Local UnitThe Local Unit is a two-digit field that is added onto the operation number. The defaultLU is two zeroes. This refers to this employee's current base LU. This code canfurther identify either the type of work performed or where the work is performed.


Operation NumberThe Operation Number is a three digit field with an additional zero added to the firstdigit that identifies the type of work the employee performs.

Pay LocationThe pay location field is a three digit numeric field. It corresponds to the pay location inwhich the employee works. If a particular finance number does not make use of paylocations enter three zeroes.

Position LevelThe Level field is the level of the Rate Schedule Code (RSCs) to which the employeebelongs.

Rate Schedule CodeThe RSC field is the Rate Schedule Code (RSC) to which the employee belongs. A listof all RSCs and valid level ranges follows:

RSC Level Range Description Of RSCA 01 - 10 MTEC bargaining employees (CAG A)C 01 - 10 MESC bargaining employees (CAG M)E 01 - 28 EAS non-bargaining employeesF 51 - 55 Fourth class postmasters (CAG L)G 01 - 01 NursesJ 01 - 01 Management traineesK 01 - 09 Headquarters & Rockville support servicesL 09 - 55 Fourth class leave replacementsM 03 - 07 MailhandlersN 06 - 22 ISC craft employeesP 01 - 10 ClerksQ 01 - 02 City CarrierS 01 - 02 PCEST 04 - 09 Tool and die makersU 01 - 01 AttorneysY 05 - 06 Security Force

RSC SuffixThe Rate Schedule Code Suffix (RSC) is a code used to identify a specific salaryschedule within the USPS. It is one of the elements used by the payroll system tocompute an employee’s salary. The RSC suffix is currently not in use.

RouteIf the employee is a carrier, and has a route number assigned to him/her, the routenumber appears here.

Route NumberIf the employee is a regular carrier, a route must be assigned. The route number canbe up to five digits in length.


Rotating WeekAn employee may have different days off from week to week, as in the case of Carrierswho may have a six-week rotating schedule.

Schedule TypeThe Schedule Type is assigned in the Employee file. The letter 'P' stands for Primary.

Schedule IdThe schedule number. Schedules 1-22 are predefined and are the same for all sites.Schedules 23-999 can be defined by individual sites for those employees with uniqueschedules.

StartThe active current Year PP and week.

Start Pay Period This is the date the employee began this job assignment.

Start YrPPwk This date reflects the time the employee started his or her job assignment. If enteringa new employee in a Base Assignment this would be the Entered on Duty (EOD) date.


Step Code

The 'Step' field is the pay step to which the employee is assigned. This field is eitheralpha or numeric characters. The RSCs and corresponding minimum and maximumsteps are listed below:

RSC Step Range CommentsA A - OC A - OE blankF 01 - 08G 01 - 12J blankK A - OL blankM A - ON B - K LEVELS 06 - 11

D - L LEVEL 12D - M LEVEL 13D - N LEVEL 14 - 16D - P LEVELS 17 -23

P A - OQ A - OS blank LEVELS 01 - 02T B - OU blankY B - O

Sunday PremiumThe Sunday Premium indicator provides information as to the employee’s eligibility forSunday Premium based on D/A and schedule. An employee receives Sundaypremium if he or she is scheduled on Sunday.

Temp Assignment - Higher LevelA temporary assignment can be a detail to higher level for a week or longer, a loanedemployee or a borrowed employee. An employee must have a base assignmentbefore you can create a temporary assignment.

After bringing up the employee on the Employee Tab by either keying in the EmployeeId or using the Find button, click on the Job Assignment Tab. The cursor will be on theType of Job Assignment item with the letter 'B' for base highlighted. The base jobinformation will be shown.

Time Collection This indicates whether the employee will use a Time Card or an EBR Clock.


Type Auto LunchWhen this item is checked with an 'X', clock rings for lunch will be automaticallygenerated based on the employee's begin lunch/duration in the Daily SchedulesTab.

Type of Job AssignmentThis identifies the type of job assignment (Base, or Temporary). A base assignmentmust exist before a temporary can be entered. The job assignment is based on theemployee's Designation Activity (D/A) and Labor Distribution Code (LDC). Eachemployee must have a base job assignment. Click on the Diff Wk/JA to see thetemporary job assignment.

UnitThis is the finance unit number assigned to a particular finance number. The defaultunit number is four zeroes. This field is not in use at this time.

Variable EAS (VAR EAS IND)This field represents the fact that an EAS exempt employee may get premiums basedon a schedule change. If an EAS exempt employee has a schedule that includesevenings, then she/he may be eligible for night differential. If she/he is eligible, thenthis item must be checked.

If this item is checked, then the employee’s record will not be sent to the Mainframe inEagan until the final upload.

Work Week TypeThis indicated the type of weekly work schedule an employee has. A five indicates thatthe employee is on an eight hour per day, five days per week schedule. If theemployee is a Part-Time Regular (PTR) with a six-day schedule, use work week typefive.

A four indicates that the employee is on a ten-hour day, four days per week workschedule. These schedules are only authorized at certain sites.


CLOCK RING EDITOR MODULE

The Clock Ring Editor Module displays all the clock rings for an employee. Thismodule allows updates and entries to an employee’s record. If there are anyerrors for the day, a warning or fatal message is displayed. Clock rings may beentered through the Employee Badge Reader (EBR) or through the Clock RingEditor using a PC.

Accessing the Clock Ring Editor Module

Not all TACS users are authorized to access the Clock Ring Editor Module. TheTACS Administrator will give access only to those users who require the ability toadd, change, and delete employee clock rings.

To access the Clock Ring Editor Module, click on “Time” on the menu at the topof the TACS screen. Move the cursor to highlight “ Clock Ring Editor” and clickOR, if your main TACS screen has a “Clock Ring Editor Module” icon, double-click on that icon.


CLOCK RINGS TAB

There is only one tab for the clock ring editor module. An employee’s clock ringsare displayed along with employee information.

1. Screen comes up blank

2. To locate employee, you can use any one of the four methods:

a. Type in SSN in Employee ID block.b. Use Find button

Employees listed in alphabetical orderIf office is large, type in first letter or a couple of letters of the lastname. System will locate employee using the last name. Use cursorto select employee and hit enter.

c. Hit Function key F9, employees will be listed in alphabetical order.See b above.d. Use shortcut key “ALT F”, employees will be listed in alphabeticalorder. See b above.


3. Buttons to the right of the ScreenClear - Refreshes the screen and clears all entriesFind - Locate employee by using name searchAdd - Add employee clock ringsDelete - Delete employee clock ringsChange - Change an employee’s clock ring. Will delete the old ring

and duplicate all the information so you can change aspecific field.

Job Assign - Information pertaining to the employee’s job assignmentDuplicate - Copies all the information from one clock ring to a new

clock ringPre-Proc - This will indicate if the total hours for the day equals 8

hoursCalculator - Internal calculatorSave - Will save information enteredClose - Close the screen and exit the CREHelp - On line help

Employee ID- SSN of employee, Name will appear when employee’s data isretrieved

Edit Week - Two weeks may be open at the same time.Future - Can enter up to three weeks of leave at one time.

Show AssignmentsBase/Temp - Shows the rings for the employee’s base assignment, or the

current temporary assignment

Show RingsAll - All rings are displayedActive - Only active rings are displayed. Deleted rings are not displayed.

Ring ColoringOn - Days are differentiated by color, alternating yellow and greenOff - Colors are removed

Employee Information displayed – Cannot be altered

Pay Loc - 3 digit pay locationWkly Sched - Weekly scheduled with days off displayedDaily Sched - Hours employee is scheduled to workDA/LDC - The designation/activity code and the labor distribution code (2

zeroes are added to the end of the 2 digit code)


TransactionHours code - Hour codes are 2 digits preceded by a zero. You do not have to

enter the leading zero when inputting data. The hour codes arelisted in the help function. All codes are listed in the back of thehandbook.

Reason Code - This is a 2-digit field. The reason codes are listed in the helpfunction. All codes are listed in the back of the handbook.Reason codes are only used for leave entries.

MM/DD/YYYY - Month, day and four digit year of clock ring

HH hh - Hours and hundredths, time captured by the Employee BadgeReader or input by authorizer

FinanceNumber - Finance number where employee worked

Finance Unit - Four-digit unit number. Not used at this time

R - Rate Schedule Code

Lvl - Indicated higher level if entered

LU - Local Unit

Route - Route number of carrier

Time AmtHH hh - Hours and hundredths, total hours of leave, higher level, etc

S - Is the leave scheduled? (Y = yes, N = no)

Ring Messages - Warning (W) or Fatal (F) Messages are displayed. Fatalrings must be corrected

T&A Day - O would indicate the ring has not been processed.- 1-7 would indicate the ring has been accepted and is assigned to

a T&A day

Frcd Day - The T&A day begins at 20:00 hours and ends at 19:99 hours. Ifan employee is scheduled to work on or about 20:00 and is askedto come in early 2 days in a row, the system may calculate 16hours for the employee and assign the hours to one T&A day. Toassign the correct T&A day to the rings of a regular employee,you need to authorize overtime for the exact number of overtimehours. If the employee is not a regular, change the T&A day toreflect the correct day for the clock rings. If it’s at the end of the


week and you must force the hours to the next Saturday, enter a“0” for the next Saturday rather than a 1.

Employee with Clock Rings

On the bottom of the screen, to the right of the pay period dates, is an option todisplay additional fields.

TZ TimezoneSource Identifies where the clock ring was generated, either by the

EBR or PCDelete Authorizer SSN of person who deleted the clockringInput Authorizer SSN of person who entered the clockring


Commonly Used Hours Codes

010 Begin Tour011 Move012 Out to Lunch013 In from Lunch014 End Tour055 Annual Leave056 Sick Leave059 Part Day LWOP060 Full Day LWOP090 Higher Level Authorization091 Overtime Authorization092 Delete Guarantee Time093 No Lunch Punch

For a more complete list of hours codes, place the cursor in the Code block ofthe Clock Ring Editor, and hit F9 or click on the Find button.

Valid Reason Codes:

Annual Leave

00 Regular01 In lieu of SL09 Late10 Emergency99 FMLA

Sick Leave

00 Regular09 Late11 Restricted97 Dependent care98 FMLA Dependent care99 FMLA


Entries to the Clock Ring Editor

Add a ring:

1. Position cursor anywhere2. Hit Add3. New Blank line appears (working line appears in blue).4. Enter whatever information is necessary5. For leave, enter hours and hundredths in the TIME AMT. Was the leave

scheduled (Y = Yes) or Unscheduled (N = No), enter under column S.

Delete a ring:

1. Position cursor in the line to be deleted2. Hit delete3. Line will be deleted and under column “Ring Messages” a message will

appear to state it is deleted

NOTE: If a ring is deleted is added and deleted before it has been saved, it willbe completely removed from the Clock Ring Editor. If it is deleted after it hasbeen saved, or if the ring was entered by actually swiping a badge at an EBR,then the ring will still appear on the screen, but will be marked as a Deleted Ring.

Duplicate a ring

1. Position cursor in the line to be copied2. Hit duplicate3. Line is duplicated underneath original clock ring4. Make whatever changes necessary

Change a ring

1. Position cursor on line to be changed2. Line is copied beneath the original clock ring and the original clock ring is

deleted3. Make changes to the new clock ring line4. The change function is a combination of the delete and duplicate functions in

one step

When changes to the clock ring editor are made, you must save either save theinformation when you finish entering your data or clear the screen to startagain.


PRE-PROCESSOR

The screen is split in half. The top half will list all the days for the week that haveno errors and crossfoots to 8 hours in a day. Any day with a fatal error will not belisted here.

The lower half of the screen is a duplicate of the clock ring editor to assist inidentifying problems you may encounter. No clock rings may be changed fromthis screen.


Job Assn (Job Assignment)

This screen will display additional information about the employee’s jobassignment. You cannot alter any information on this screen. Changes can onlybe made in the Employee Maintenance module.

Click on Close to exit this screen.


BADGE MAINTENANCE MODULE

The software in your badge making equipment is able to assign a badge typeand sequence number to a particular badge. The badge ID and the Employee IDor SSN are the same. Exceptions may occur when you assign a Temporary orVehicle badge to an employee.

A sequence number is assigned to the Badge ID in order to prevent an employeefrom using more than one badge. If an employee is issued a duplicate badge(sequence number 2), and uses the badge with sequence number 1, the clockrings will error out and a supervisor must correct the problem.

Accessing the Badge Maintenance Module

Not all TACS users are authorized to access the Badge Maintenance Module.The TACS Administrator will give access only to those users who require theability to create or change the badge records.

To access the Badge Maintenance Module, click on “Employee” on the menu atthe top of the TACS screen. Move the cursor to highlight “Badge Maintenance”and click.


BADGE MAINTENANCE MODULE – TABS

The badge maintenance module has three tabs. The first tab must be active inorder to access the other two tabs.

CREATE TAB

The Create Tab allows you to access an employee’s badge record or to create abadge record.

Badges created under the Postal Source Data System (PSDS) or ElectronicTime Clock (ETC) System with a sequence number of zero may be used inTACS.

Creating or Retrieving an employee’s record

Badge ID: - The employee’s SSN


Badge Type/Description

0 Original permanent badge (an ETC or PSDS badge)1 Permanent badge2 Permanent Authorizing badge3 Permanent Dual badge4 Temporary Employee badge5 Temporary Authorizing badge6 Not used7 Rural Employee8 Not used9 Vehicle badge

Seq - Sequence number indicates how many badges have been assigned.This is a two digit field.

Finance Number – where employee is assigned the badge

Comments - If necessary

Assign - Check if assigned

The system will check the employee file or a table will be searched for amatching SSN and if found, the SSN will be inserted into the Employee ID fieldand the employee’s Last name, First Name and Middle Initial will be displayed onthe Assign Tab. The Badge Description Field will be filled in with a VehicleDescription if this a Vehicle Badge.

When new employees are entered in TACS, the system will create a badgerecord automatically in Badge Maintenance.

• To Create a Badge

1. Enter the employee ID into the “Employee ID field”2. Click on “Add”. The cursor will move to the “Badge Type” field’3. Enter a badge type, (you can use <F9> or Find), press enter or Tab. The

“Badge Description” and “Sequence Number “ will fill in automatically. Youwill need to enter a finance number.

4. Comments are optional5. Click on Save, and then go to the Assign Tab


ASSIGN TAB

This screen is used to assign badges to employees. Generally an employeeonly has one badge. An exception would be temporary authorizing badges thatare needed for 204-B employees (acting supervisors).

Complete the Employee ID number, last name and first name. The system willgenerate the badge start date.


HISTORY TAB

The history tab provides information on the types and number of badges used byan employee over the years.

No changes can be made to this screen. This is strictly an informational screen.


TIMECARD ENTRY MODULE

The TACS Timecard Entry Module allows users to enter weekly payrollinformation for manual timecard offices. At the end of each week, the informationfrom employee timecards is entered into TACS.

New employees must be entered in the Employee Maintenance Module beforethey can be accessed in the Time Card module

Entering Timecard Information

Once an employee’s timecard has been totaled, the Time and Attendanceinformation may be entered in TACS. Only the information from the front of thetimecard is entered.

When the Timecard Entry Module is accessed, the screen below will bedisplayed. The system defaults to the current pay period and week for whichtime may be entered.


Time Card Buttons

Clear Deletes all the information on the screen

Find Employees listed in alphabetical order. Type in first letter or acouple of letters of the last name. System will locate employeeusing the last name.

Add Is not available on this screen

Delete Will delete data that is entered and automatically save at the sametime

Conv Table Table converts minutes into hundredths

Set Ready Click on this button to indicate that timecards for all employees inthis Finance Number are ready to be processed.

Force Save Employee does not crossfoot but save information

Next Emp. Saves current information and calls up next employee on paylocation

Save Saves the time card record

Close Exits the screen

Help On line assistance for the Time Card Module


BASE CARD

To begin entering information:

Enter the finance number for the office or click on the Find key (or hit F9) andselect the office from the list that is displayed. (See Maneuvering in TACS onpage 7 under “List of Values” for more information on the F9 and Find buttons).

Enter the employee’s social security number in the Employee ID field, or click onFind (or hit F9) and select the employee from the list that is displayed. When anemployee has been selected, that employee’s Pay Location, RSC and Level, andother indicative data is displayed. The information displayed is currently in theEmployee Maintenance Module. Information displayed that is grayed out cannotbe altered and may only be updated through the Employee Maintenance Module.

The cursor automatically advances to the Shortcut Code field. This feature willeliminate the necessity of keying in the hours if the full pay period consists of oneof the following hours code with the exception of H which will enter the properholiday leave and work hours for the week.


The following Shortcut Codes may be used:

W – Work Hours (code 52)A – Annual Leave (code 55)H – Holiday leave (code 58)L – Leave Without Pay (code 60)S – Sick Leave (code 56)T – Other Paid Leave (code 86)X – Nonscheduled crossfoot hours (code 76)

If one of these codes is entered, the system will enter 40.00 hours for thatcode. During holiday weeks, if these codes are used, the system willenter 32.00 hours and 8 hours Holiday Leave for full time regularemployees. (The exception is Shortcut H, which will enter 8.00 hours ofCode 58, Holiday Leave if there is a holiday in the current week).

For each exempt employee, the system automatically enters 40 hourswork (or 32 hours work and 8 hours holiday leave). Shortcut keys shouldnot be used for exempt employees because it will add time entries inaddition to the default hours that are already there.

• Enter an appropriate shortcut code or, if none of the shortcuts apply, tab tothe Hours Code field.

• Enter the hours code from the front of the timecard and tab to the Total Hoursfield.

• Enter the number of work hours – including the decimal point - for that hourscode.

As data is entered into the Hours Code and Total Hours fields, the systemautomatically calculates and displays the Crossfoot Total for the timecard.(Each timecard must crossfoot to 40.00 hours).

When the complete information from the timecard has been entered, either:

• Click Save to save the record (or ALT S), OR

• Click on Next Employee to save the record and call up the next employee.The system will display the first 5 digits of the social security number of thenext employee in that pay location. Enter the last 4 digits and press enter.The next employee will be displayed.


HIGHER LEVEL CARD

To enter higher level hours for an employee:

§ Bring up the employee's Timecard screen.§ Place cursor under RSC for the higher level card after all base card

information is completely filled out§ Enter the RSC and Level of the higher level assignment (the suffix field is not

used at this time).§ In the LD field, enter Y for yes if the employee was on higher level on the last

day of the week; if not, enter N for no.§ Enter the hours codes and the number of hours on higher level.

The Crossfoot Total will indicate all hours from the base card and the higher levelcard.


SETTING A FINANCE NUMBER TO 'READY'

When the weekly time entries for all of the employees in a finance number arecomplete, you must indicate that your office is ready for the system to processthe information for the employees in that finance number. To do this, the statusof the finance number must be set to "Ready".

From the main screen of the Timecard Entry Module:

§ Hit Clear to clear any employee information that is displayed on the screen.§ Enter the finance number that is ready to be processed or click on the Find

key (or hit F9) and select the office from the list that is displayed.§ Click on the Set Ready button on the right side of the screen.§ TACS will collect these records and send them to the mainframe.


REPORTS

You may run reports from the Reports Module or from within another module(e.g., Employee, Time, etc.). Once a report has been run, you must go to theReports Queue Module to view the report prior to printing a copy of the report.The Report Queue is the first selection in the Reports Module.

REPORT QUEUE

The Report Queue displays the following information for each report that isgenerated:

The Report Name – Indicates the name of the report

Start Date/Time - Job started to process

End Date/Time - Job was completed


Status - Job is Complete, Running or Enqueued. If the job is Enqueued orRunning, Hit Refresh to update the screen information. When the status isComplete, hit View to look at report.

The buttons on the right of the Report Queue Module are:

Refresh – To update the latest information on this screen. If the status of thereport is Starting or Running, you must hit refresh to see if the report is finished.

Stats – Statistical Data concerning report

View – Look at report and print

Delete – Remove the report from the queue

Re-run – The report can be rerun using the same parameters but with currentinformation.

Close – Close out of the Reports Queue Module

Help – On line help

tacs - apwu 480-481 area local · tacs user of any changes to an employee's master record....

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