Steps to Complete the Report Options Tab
(Screen) of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking OptionStep 1: Define and Create Measurement, Administrative, and Stability Periods
Complete the Report Options tab (screen) of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking option to define the length of the measurement, administrative, and stability periods for ongoing and newly hired employees; specify the starting date of the first stability period; and create the current year's measurement, administrative, and stability periods.
Tip: For second and subsequent years using the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking option, only Steps 1, 2, 6, and 7 of Completing the Report Options Tab (Screen) of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking Option need to be completed.
Step 2: Set Up System to Track Hours Worked for Employees
Set up the School Accounting System to track the hours worked for contract and unit employees for use with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking option.
Note: Complete the Adjustments tab (screen) of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking option to quickly update the fields utilized with tracking hours worked for unit and contract employees, to change the dates or calculate the hours worked for posted pay period entries and employee absences, and to change the dates or calculate the hours worked for contract employees in posted payroll calculation batches, if needed.
Tip: For second and subsequent years using the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking option, complete this step for new employees and new pay codes, and if needed, for any ongoing employees who may need to be updated.
Step 3: Complete ACA Fields in Employee File for Employees
For the applicable employees, complete the ACA fields in the Employee File each year as follows:
1) For employees hired within the current measurement period, review the Track as ACA New Hire field in the Employee Dates List on the Employment screen for the appropriate Hire/Rehire Date, and if applicable, select the field to have the employee reflected as a new hire for the corresponding measurement period. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Note: An employee will automatically be included as an ongoing employee in measurement periods that begin after the first Hire/Rehire Date and before the last Termination Date.
Tip: As defined within the Affordable Care Act guidelines, if an employee has had no hours of service credited for at least 26 consecutive weeks for educational organizations (or 13 weeks for non-educational organizations), the employee may be considered a new hire (rehire) for purposes of the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, under a rule of parity within the Affordable Care Act guidelines, an employee may be considered a new hire (rehire) if the employee has had no hours of service during a period that is at least 4 consecutive weeks, but less than 26 weeks for educational organizations (or 13 weeks for non-educational organizations), and is longer than the employee's preceding period of employment (for example, if an employee works for 3 weeks, terminates, and then 10 weeks later is rehired, the employee can be treated as a new hire (rehire) because the 10-week break is more than 4 weeks, less than 26 weeks (for educational organizations; 13 weeks, for non-educational organizations), and is longer than the employee's preceding period of employment of 3 weeks). Therefore, if an employee leaves and then is rehired after 26 weeks (for educational organizations; 13 weeks for non-educational organizations), select the Track as ACA New Hire field for the rehire date, if desired, and if an employee leaves and then is rehired within 26 weeks (for educational organizations; 13 weeks for non-educational organizations), do not select the Track as ACA New Hire field for the rehire date unless the rule of parity applies.
Steps
to Complete the Employment Tab (Screen) in the Employee File
2) Complete the appropriate fields on the ACA Hours screen for the current measurement period for the ongoing and newly hired employees. The measurement period fields on the ACA Hours screen include:
Exempt From Tracking Hours field
Report As Full Time field
Initial Benefit Status field (applicable for new employees only)
Initial Benefit Eligibility Date (applicable for new employees only)
Service Break field
Service Break Weeks field (if applicable and if different from the default)
Special Unpaid Leave Weeks field (if applicable)
Benefit Status field (typically, completed as part of Step 5 below)
Note: If desired, utilize the Adjust Affordable Care Act Hours Data option to quickly complete all the fields on the ACA Hours screen noted above, except the Special Unpaid Leave Weeks field, for a group of selected employees, or copy the data entered for a prior measurement period.
Steps
to Complete the ACA Hours Tab (Screen) in the Employee File
Steps
to Adjust Affordable Care Act Hours Data
Tip: To verify the information entered on the ACA Hours screen for employees, print the Employee ACA Report - Measurement Periods for the applicable Measurement Start Date.
Step 4: View Hours Worked for Employees to Determine Full Time Status Throughout and at End of Measurement Period
The hours worked by employees can be viewed throughout and at the end of the measurement period from within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking option or on the ACA Hours screen in the Employee File. To view the hours worked for all ongoing employees tracked during the measurement period and determine if the employees are considered full time (or trending towards full time), utilize the Hours Tracking screen within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking option. To view the hours worked for new employees hired during the measurement period and determine if the employees are considered full time (or trending towards full time), utilize the New Hires screen within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking option. To view the hours worked for an employee for a measurement period (or for all measurement periods in which the employee had payroll earnings), utilize the ACA Hours screen in the Employee File.
Steps
to Complete the New Hires Tab (Screen) of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
Hours Tracking Option
Steps
to Complete the ACA Hours Tab (Screen) in the Employee File
Note: To determine if employees have a difference in the number of service break weeks defined on the ACA Hours screen in the Employee File and the number of weeks the system calculates for service breaks in a measurement period (based on the payroll earnings records with hours worked greater than 0 in posted and unposted payroll calculation batches), and if applicable, update the weeks for selected employees, utilize the Service Break Calculations screen within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking option.
Tip: To view a list of full-time employees (those with the Report as Full Time field selected or those with a total hours per week average of 30 or greater), print the Employee ACA Report - Full Time Employees for the applicable Measurement Start Date.
Step 5: During Administrative Period, Complete Stability Period Field on ACA Hours Tab (Screen) in Employee File for Employees
During the administrative period, complete the Benefit Status field on the ACA Hours screen in the Employee File for the upcoming stability period for the ongoing and newly hired employees.
Note: If desired, utilize the Adjust Affordable Care Act Hours Data option to quickly complete the field for a group of selected employees.
Steps
to Complete the ACA Hours Tab (Screen) in the Employee File
Steps
to Adjust Affordable Care Act Hours Data
Tip: If desired, view a tutorial demonstrating the steps on the checklist or completing the Adjustments tab. In order to view a tutorial, you must have an active Internet connection, along with a sound card and speakers installed on your computer.
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Hours Tracking
Tutorials (click
to expand or collapse)
