Labor Distributions
Please note: Due to occasional updates, the screenshots in this guide may have a different look than what you see in real time.
What is a Labor Distribution
"Labor Distribution'' refers to the default accounting allocation where an Employee's payroll expenses will be posted. Having a correct and current Labor Distribution on the job ensures that an Employee's payroll costs are charged to the appropriate accounts and/or projects.
An Employee's default Labor Distribution can be changed on the job by filling out an "LDF" and submitting to the HR OnBase Upload Portal or submitting a Labor Distribution Change EPAF.
A Labor Distribution change for prior months can be made by an LDF for monthly Employees or a signed request on a copy of the Employee's timesheet for Hourly Employees- both submitted to the HR OnBase Upload Portal.
When to Use a Labor Distribution
Every job needs to have a default Labor Distribution even if it is just 100% to your main index code, etc. which is set up when the job is created.
A labor distribution change is made when the employee's payroll expenses should be allocated differently than how it is currently set up on the job.
Your unit or department may have a separate index code for some activities the employee performed that are different than their usual work activities or in other cases a department has a new general index and needs to update to the newest version of the index.
How to Update a Labor Distribution for an Existing Job Record
Changing Labor Distribution Information to a job is now available through Banweb.
Login to Banweb (self-service) enter your employee information using your ODIN username and password.
Under the Employee Services tab select 'New EPAF' to initiate a Personnel Action.
Employee Selection
Enter the employee’s PSU ID into the ID field. If you do not know their ID number, you can search for it by clicking on the magnifying glass icon.
Effective Date
The effective date is the date this transaction is effective (for example: the first day of work must be used for a student hire date). This date field will default to today’s date and YOU MUST update it to reflect the actual action’s effective date.
Approval Category
Select the Approval Category that is appropriate for the transaction you are initiating. Select the job that needs to have a Labor Distribution Change. Only jobs that are active can have a labor distribution change. Click “Go”.
New EPAF Job Selection
On this page you can select the job that needs to have a labor distribution change. You will see a history of the employee's jobs.
Labor Distribution Change
After you've selected the job that needs to have a labor distribution change you will see the current position's labor distribution information. The "Labor Distribution in effect as of entered effective date" is the most current effective date for this position number. You can see how the position's expense is currently distributed.
Under New Effective Date you should see that the date populated in this field matches the date you selected to initiate the labor distribution change.
Updating the Distribution
When updating the labor distribution index the system will blank out the FOAPAL string with the exception of the Account Code. To properly populate the rest of the FOAPAL string you must click on "click to default from index".
After clicking on "Default From Index" you should now see the FOAPAL string populated.
Routing Queue
The EPAFs have pre-defined routing levels. You have to designate someone to approve this transaction for each level. You can also add Approvals on the fly for additional approvals or FYIs. Additionally you can also Default Your Routing Queue if you know a particular Personnel Action will always go through the same levels.
How to Approve Labor Distribution Updates
Approving an Electronic Personnel Action
Once an EPAF has been successfully submitted, the levels assigned to that EPAF have to approve first in order for the transaction to be successfully applied.
As an approver you can select "Approver Summary" menu to view the EPAFs that are awaiting approval.
If you are acting as a proxy " click on "Act as a proxy". You only see this menu if an approver has added you as a proxy.
On this page you can see who you can proxy for by clicking on the drop down menu under "Proxy For". Select the proxy that you want to approve for and click 'Go'.
EPAF Approver Summary Menu
This screen will show you all the pending EPAFs waiting to be approved by an approver or a proxy. Click on a specific Employee's name to approve the Labor Distribution Change.
Reviewing Labor Distribution Changes
When you open the EPAF you should see the current changes along with the new changes that need your approval. Review the changes that require your approval.
Approving Labor Distribution Changes
Once you have verified the changes you can approve them on that same screen by clicking on 'Approve'
Routing Queue
Once you approve the Labor Distribution EPAF it moves to the next approval level. You can see who has approved the EPAF and where it is in the process.
To verify that a Labor Distribution EPAF change has been completed, go into the 'Approver Summary' and select the "History Tab". The Approved Queue Status shows you all the completed EPAFs.
Common Errors & Warnings for Labor Distribuion Updates
Once you submit the EPAF, if there are any issues within the EPAF, the screen will show error messages depending on the action that needs to be corrected
Errors and Warnings
Warning – Warnings simply deliver information to the user, but will still allow the EPAF to process successfully.
Error – Error messages will not allow the EPAF to progress to the approval levels. Errors must be corrected.
Error: New Job Labor Distribution Date should be >/= query effective date
Solution: This error means that your query date (change effective date) is in the past. Change the query date (change effective date) to a future date, usually the 16th for an hourly appointment change or the 1st for a monthly appointment change.
Error: Index XXXXXX does not allow override of Fund, Organization, Program, etc.
Solution: This error means that you may have entered an override to an element in the labor distribution that is not compatible with the Index. Re-enter the Index and click on “Default from Index” to correct the element.
Warning: Account code has been assigned a default value. Please verify the default account code before submitting.
Solution: After you make a labor distribution change the system generates this notice for you to double check the account code before submitting
Error: User Id(s) must be entered for Routing Queue.
Solution: You must populate the mandatory routing queue levels.
Error: Job Labor Distribution Total Percentages must be exactly 100%.
Solution: The total distribution has to match 100%.