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Common HR Scenarios for Sage Alerts

Published on

Oct 24

Jim Scheithauer

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Introduction

Sage HRMS Alerts & Workflow by VineyardSoft is like a silent HR Assistant that will monitor your HR data for critical, time-sensitive conditions and alert the correct people at the correct time to those items that require attention. But it’s more than just reminders. Alerts & Workflow can also automate your HR inbox or generate and send those recurring reports on a pre-defined schedule. It can automate your new hire and termination workflows, make you aware of date-sensitive conditions like new hires or certifications that are about to expire. It can monitor for data changes to things like pay rates or benefits or for thresholds such as employees with excessive overtime or training classes with too few attendees. It can make you aware of exceptions to normal processing such as excessive pay rate increases or employees who have failed drug tests or of things that have not happened – but should have like potential hires who have not been interviewed or visas that have not been renewed. It can ensure data integrity by checking to see if phone numbers have the correct number of digits, or that reviews have been fully completed for example. This powerful tool is also capable of trend Analysis such as an employee whose absenteeism has increased or decreased by a certain percent over a certain time period and checking for data Inconsistencies like an employee on vacation next week who’s also scheduled for an appointment during that same time. And all of this is done without manual intervention and it will maintain an online history of events, alerts and executed workflows that can be very helpful during audits.

In this document you will find some common scenarios that most organizations face and that can be automated by using Sage HRMS Alerts & Workflow.

New Hire

With any new hire process, there are often more steps involved than you may realize. If any of those steps are overlooked or delayed it could result in lost time, productivity, morale and money. Simple things like welcoming them, reminding them of what to bring, having their building access, desk and phone set up is all part of giving them the building blocks they will need to be successful right out of the gate. It will help increase employee satisfaction and make them feel like a valued member of the organization which will ultimately decrease turnover and increase ROEI. Some common tasks necessary for properly onboarding a new employee include, but are not limited to:

- Setting up network and phone access

- Setting up security access to building or office area

- Notifying or reminding them of what documents to bring with them on their first day

- Having the proper new hire paperwork ready for them to review and complete

- Emailing them an electronic copy of the employee handbook to review

- Enrolling them in benefits

- Having them complete new hire training (i.e. harassment or workplace safety)

- Potentially updating multiple departments or multiple software solutions such as payroll, timekeeping or ERP with the employee’s information

- Sending an email to marketing so they can be adding to company newsletter

- Notifying the current staff of the new hire so they can stop by, introduce themselves and make the new employee feel welcome

Employee Terminations

As with new the hire processes, termination processes also require a high degree of attention to detail. Ensuring the employee is accurately and completely terminated in all of your applicable software solutions and that their building access or network access is disabled is critical to not only protecting your employees, but also your potentially sensitive business information. Some common tasks necessary for properly terminating an employee include, but are not limited to:

- Disabling network and phone access

- Disabling security access to building or office area

- Ensuring the employee’s badge or other company property has been returned

- Notifying other department heads of termination so projects can be reassigned as needed

- Having the proper termination paperwork signed (i.e. Non-compete agreements, Retention Bonus Repayments, Severance package)

- Routing severance package for approval if one is awarded

- Generating a check (if required) to be given to employee upon termination

- Emailing or coordinating the mailing of COBRA benefits information

- Notifying the benefit carriers of the employee’s benefit plan end date

- Potentially updating multiple departments or multiple software solutions such as payroll, timekeeping or ERP with the employee’s termination information ↑

Leave of Absence

When an employee is offered a leave of absence for a qualifying circumstance, whether FMLA or otherwise, there are still some steps that need to be put into action to ensure compliance with company policy and to also minimize risk to employees and sensitive company information.

Some common tasks for assigning an employee to a leave of absence (LOA) may include, but are not limited to:

- Disabling network and phone access if required by company policy

- Disabling security access to building or office area if required by company policy

- Ensuring the employee’s badge or other company property has been returned if required by company policy

- Notifying other department heads of the LOA so projects can be reassigned as needed

- Having the proper LOA paperwork signed (i.e. Long Term or Short Term disability plan agreements, vacation payout agreements, commission draw suspension, etc.)

- Emailing or coordinating the mailing of Long Term or Short Term benefits information

- Notifying the benefit carriers of the employee’s LOA

- Potentially updating multiple departments or multiple software solutions such as payroll, timekeeping or ERP with the employee’s LOA information ↑

Performance Reviews

Part of keeping employees engaged and feeling like a valued member of an organization is ensuring that reviews are done in a timely manner. If they are skipped or delayed it can leave the employee feeling that their contribution is not being recognized and potentially lead to decreased productivity and morale. The following examples of Alerts can assist in that process:

- Notify the employee and manager when a review is due

- Direct the employee to the online performance review solution

- If using a paper form for reviews, send a copy of the form with the email and provide instructions for completing it

- If there are PIP’s or follow up items after the review has been completed, schedule a notification to be sent when re-assessment is required

- If there is a salary increase or job title change, notify the correct people and update the appropriate solutions with the new information

- If there is additional education needed to improve skills, send information about educational opportunities to the employee or automatically enroll them in a training program ↑

Anniversaries/Birthdays

Providing opportunities for employees to be recognized by their managers and peers for a job well done, for important milestones or even just for Happy Birthday wishes can help increase an employee’s satisfaction and morale.

- Send a Happy Anniversary or Birthday email to the employee

- If rewards are given, send along information about how to access them

- Notify the manager ahead of time so they can personally recognize the employee or coordinate a departmental activity such as bringing in or ordering lunch or a cake ↑

I-9 Compliance

Being aware of required renewals before they happen can help keep your company in compliance with I-9 regulations and also mitigate risk of fine (up to $1100 per incident!)

- Notify the employee that they need to bring in updated documents

- Notify the person responsible for re-verification

- If re-verification is not completed, notify the employee’s manager so the employee can be taken off the schedule until the proper paperwork is filed ↑

Organizational Changes

Enhance company communication by keeping employees aware of organizational changes.

- Send an updated organizational chart

- Notify administrators or automatically update all applicable software solutions such as Accounting, Payroll, Time & Attendance with the new information ↑

Deduction Goal Met

Deduction goal limits can be set in Sage HRMS so it automatically stops withholding, but why not notify the employee to let them know that it has been met? Or, if you are using a different payroll solution than Sage HRMS, it may not automatically stop withholding, so having an alert sent to notify the administrator to turn off the deduction will stop unnecessary deductions from being withheld, reduce corrections needed and also minimize errors to the employee’s paycheck.

- Notify payroll or benefits administrator when deduction goal has been met

- Notify the employee when they have paid back a deduction such as a 401k loan or other misc. deductions like uniforms, benefits, etc. ↑

Overtime Labor Monitoring

If using Sage Time & Attendance, this report can be scheduled and emailed automatically so an Alert would not be required. However, if Sage Time & Attendance is not being used, the following alerts can help keep an organization on track and on budget:

- Know when an employee is approaching overtime to ensure a project is not going over budget

- Notify the supervisor when an employee is approaching overtime so they know who to call in for a shift. They can contact the person that will receive regular wages instead of someone already on overtime or close to it.

- If there are employees that work excessive overtime, they may need to be spoken to or have their access the building suspended. By law, if the employee works they have to be paid for that time. In larger companies like department stores or warehouses, it may go unnoticed that they are working when they shouldn’t be and trying to “work” the system and get extra overtime pay. ↑

On Demand Checks

Reduce fraud risk by instituting a ‘checks and balances’ process for on demand checks. If a check is generated outside the normal check run, notify the appropriate people so that if it requires investigation, it can be done so immediately. ↑

Direct Deposit Verification

Send text or email to employees to let them know that their check has been processed and when it will be available. ↑

Benefit Eligibility/End of Waiting Period

HR or benefits administrators need to know immediately when an employee is eligible for benefits so they can offer the employee benefits during the proper enrollment time or if the employee has already completed the enrollment docs, they need to update the appropriate systems with that information. If they do not do it in time, it can result in an employee not being covered for benefits until the next enrollment period comes around. ↑

Part-Time Employee Becomes Full-Time

Part time and full time employees are often eligible for different benefit plans and coverage. Being aware of a change in employment status to ensure the employee is being offered the proper benefits. ↑

Annual Benefits Statements

Sage HRMS or Crystal reports can generate an annual benefit statement, but save time by having them automatically generated and emailed to HR or the employee. ↑

Employee Benefits Enrollment Packet

Rather than printing and either mailing or handing out benefit packages, save time and money by having Alerts generate the documents and email them. Only print what you need!

Continuation of COBRA Benefits

Sage HRMS comes with the ability to manage COBRA communications and billing information, but save time by having communications automatically generated and emailed to HR or directly to the employee. ↑

NOTE: The following alert scenarios only apply to the Sage HRMS Train or Sage HRMS modules. If using Sage Train by Visibility Software, communications and alerts are automated

Expiring Certifications

In some industries such as healthcare, construction or warehouse having an expired certification can be a compliance and safety risk. It could lead to fines, loss of license or potential mal-practice claims.

Required Certification/Course

Ensure compliance by knowing who is required to take a certain class or hold certain certifications. Send notifications to employees and managers to inform them of requirements and enrollment options. ↑

Certification/Course Completion

It is beneficial for the manager to know when an employee has completed required or additional training. Completing training may allow the employee to begin working on a certain task now that they hold the proper certifications or it may qualify them for a promotion or pay increase. It can also help managers with succession planning and performance appraisals. ↑

Courses Being Offered

If there are new courses being offered to employees, having the following alerts can assist with the enrollment process:

- Notify employees that there is an upcoming course available

- Notify the correct employees that they are required to take course

- Notify managers that employees will require ‘X’ amount of time to attend courses so they

can schedule projects or shifts accordingly




   

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