Note: For organizations with the School Accounting System installed locally, make a current backup before completing the Update Payroll with Packages option as a precaution.
From the Negotiations screen, select the Options menu and then Update Payroll with Packages.
At the Update Payroll with Packages screen, enter the ID of the package to update in the Package ID field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one.
Select the Update Step/Lane field to update the numbers in the Step and Lane fields in the Employee File for the applicable pay codes with the steps and lanes used in the calculations of the salary schedules. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
If updating a package defined with Unit as the Package Type, the Update Overtime Pay Codes field is enabled. Select the Update Overtime Pay Codes field to have the system automatically calculate the overtime rates (rounded to two decimal places) and update the appropriate pay codes for overtime for the new year. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Note: In order to update the overtime rates, the unit pay codes tied to the specified package must have the Overtime Pay Code ID field completed in the Pay Code File, and the overtime pay codes must have already been created for the new year.
If the Deduction Rates option had been completed for the specified package, the Update Deductions field is enabled. Select the Update Deductions field to update the rate tables in the Deduction File for the deductions with the new rates entered for the upcoming year in the Deduction Rates option. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
If the school district had to start paying employees using the previous year’s amounts because a settlement had not been reached prior to the first payroll of the new year, select the Calculate Retroactive Pay field to calculate the retroactive pay based on the new wages and the wages paid so far this fiscal year. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Note: If this field is selected, the system will create entries in a pay period entries batch taking the difference of the pay rate for the new wages less the pay rate of the previously paid wages multiplied by the number of payments (for contract pay codes) or the number of units (for unit pay codes). Only one entry will be created for each contract pay code (and absence on contract, if applicable) per employee with the amount (difference) in the Dollars field and the Units, Hours, and Pay Rate fields blank. For the unit pay codes, one entry for each pay code per employee will be created with the Units, Pay Rate, and Dollars fields completed and the Hours field blank. Only pay codes tied to the specified package (along with overtime pay codes or those defined to use the same rate as the primary pay code) and were in the Employee File at the time of the original payroll calculation will have the retroactive pay calculated. The retroactive pay entries cannot be created if there is a payroll calculation batch that is unposted.
If updating a package defined with Unit as the Package Type, the Create Contracts from Unit Package field is enabled. Select the Create Contracts from Unit Package field to have the system automatically create contracts based on the new unit rate and totals hours of the unit pay codes tied to the specified package. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Select the Update Check Description to use Lane Description field to change the description in the Check Description field (on the Wages screen in the Employee File) to use the corresponding lane description defined for the package for the applicable pay codes and employees. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Note: If this field is selected and a lane description is not defined on a package (the lane description is blank), the Check Description field will remain as is for the corresponding pay codes. Additionally, if the Update Overtime Pay Codes field is selected along with this field, the unit pay codes for overtime will not have the Check Description field updated (only the regular rate pay codes will be updated).
Enter the date the new wages (applicable for contract pay codes only) will start being paid in the Wages Start Date field. Use the mm/dd/yyyy format or click the down-arrow button to select the desired date. To use the Start Date currently set up for the wages, leave this field blank.
If the Update Deductions field is selected, the Deduction Start Date field is enabled. Enter the date the new deduction rates will take effect in the Deduction Start Date field. Use the mm/dd/yyyy format or click the down-arrow button to select the desired date. To update the rate tables in the Deduction File immediately, leave this field blank.
If the Create Contracts from Unit Package field is selected, the Pay Codes List is enabled. All the unit pay codes tied to the specified package appear in the Pay Codes List. For each unit pay code, complete the following:
Enter the ID of the contract pay code to use when creating the contracts in the Contract Pay Code ID field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one.
Enter the number of times the employees will get paid with the contracts in the Total Payments field.
To round the total amount of the created contract up to the next whole dollar (for example, $24,710.40 would round up to $24,711.00), select the Round to Whole Dollars field. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
If the contract pay code already exists for the specified year for employees, select the Overwrite Existing Wages field to replace the existing wages with the newly created wages. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
If applicable, repeat these steps until all the pay codes have been completed.
Note: If needed, to remove a pay code from the list so that contracts are not created for it, click the Delete button located to the left of the desired line in the Pay Codes List; when prompted to delete the record, click Yes.
Click the Execute button.
The system will prompt to verify if you want to continue updating; click Yes.
Note: If there are not any employees or deductions (the Update Deductions field is not selected) to update for the specified package, a different prompt will appear stating there is nothing to update; click OK.
If the Calculate Retroactive Pay field was not selected and there are employees with contracts for the specified year with the Contract Balance not equal to the Total Contract amounts (and the Total Payments is greater than zero (0)), a message will appear stating the process cannot continue; click Yes to view the employees with those contracts. If needed, contact Customer Support for assistance with updating the wages.
If the wages to be updated already exist for the specified year, a message will appear prompting to skip or overwrite the existing wages. Click the Skip button to continue updating the package but not update the wages that already exist, click the Overwrite button to continue updating the package and replace the existing wages with the new wages, or click the Cancel button to cancel updating the package and return to the Update Payroll with Packages screen.
If the Calculate Retroactive Pay field was selected, the system will prompt for the pay period entries batch for which to post the retroactive pay entries. When prompted, complete the batch options to create a new pay period entries batch for which to post the entries, or double-click an existing batch if the search screen appears (or click the New Record button on the search screen to create a new batch).
After the update is complete, the system will display a message in the status bar.