Managing Element Eligibility and Resolution

This chapter discusses which elements are eligible for resolution and whether to resolve an element that is eligible during an absence run. It discusses:

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicElement Eligibility

This section discusses how the system determines which elements are eligible for resolution.

The system determines which absence take, and frequency-based entitlement elements that it encounters on a process list are eligible for resolution, using the Eligibility program, which applies eligibility tests.

The following diagram illustrates what the system checks to determine element eligibility:

Element eligibility diagram

To determine element eligibility the system checks:

  1. Process list.

    The process list provides the first test of eligibility. With the exception of absence-based entitlement, the element must be in a section of the process to be eligible for resolution.

    Process lists can specify conditions under which sections are resolved. If a section isn’t resolved because the required conditions are not met, no further processing occurs for that section’s elements.

  2. Calendar exclude.

    The Eligibility program checks to see if you’ve entered instructions to exclude the element from the calendar that’s currently being processed. If the element is excluded, the eligibility switch is set to No. The element is not resolved. (If you exclude an element, you can still assign it a value in a formula.)

  3. Payee override.

    There are two functions of an element override at the payee level:

    1. To assign an element to a payee. When adding an element to an eligibility group, you can specify that the element will only pass eligibility if there is input at the payee level for that element. If so, a payee override causes the element to fail eligibility.

    2. To override the definition of an element for a payee. You can override most fields on the element definition on a field by field basis. You can also override the element's eligibility definition. If the Apply check box is cleared for a payee override, the element will fail eligibility even if the element is in the payee's eligibility group.

  4. Eligibility group.

    The system checks if the element is in the payee’s eligibility group. (Absence-based entitlement elements do not need to be included in an eligibility group.)

    If the element’s not in the Eligibility group, processing of the element stops. If it is in the eligibility group, the system checks if you’ve entered instructions to assign the element at the payee level (through the Entitlement/Take Assignment page.) If you have, and the Apply check box is selected, it sets the process and eligibility switches to Yes.

  5. Pay entity override.

    If you’ve enabled positive input overrides for the pay entity (on the Pay Entity - Processing Details page), the element is eligible for resolution.

See Also

Excluding Elements From a Calendar

Defining Processing Elements

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicElement Resolution

This section provides an overview of element resolution and discusses:

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicUnderstanding Element Resolution

There are many factors that affect the resolution of an element that meets the eligibility criteria. In general, there’s a resolution program for each element type.

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicDefinition as of Date

All effective-dated elements contain a Definition As Of Date field, which tells the system which effective-dated row to use when retrieving an element definition. You provide the Definition As Of Date information on the Element Name page. If, for example, you select Calendar Period Begin Date, the system retrieves the element definition that was in effect as of the calendar period’s first day.

See Also

Understanding the Process of Selecting Definition As Of Dates

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicBegin and End Dates

Begin and end dates are used with override instructions, specifying the period during which an override applies. Processing rules for begin and end dates vary, depending on the type of override that’s being processed.

See Also

Begin and End Date Logic for Overrides

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicGeneration Control

Generation control enables you to further control whether an absence entitlement, or entitlement adjustment is processed for a payee. You define the criteria under which elements should be resolved. Criteria can be based on HR status, run type, segment status, and other parameters.

For each parameter, you select whether the entries exclude or include the element during background processing. Each payee must pass all generation control conditions for the element to be processed.

See Also

Defining Generation Control Elements

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicOverrides

You can override a value or an element definition at various levels. For example, you can override primary elements (entitlements and takes), at the payee level and exclude an element from the process list for all payees, by using the calendar exclude feature.

If there are several levels of overrides for an element, the system follows a hierarchy during processing.

See Also

Setting Up Overrides

Click to jump to top of pageClick to jump to parent topicRecalculate Options

The Always Recalculate option on the Element Name page, and the Recalculate option on the section component determine the recalculation options.

If you select Always Recalculate on the Element Name page, the system recalculates the element whenever it encounters it in the calculation process. So when you’re updating a formula and recalculating or resolving it, the system uses the previously resolved value of the element if this check box is cleared. Always Recalculate applies only to the period that’s being resolved.

Note. The Recalculate setting on a section applies only to the element on that section, not to the entire element chain. In other words, it does not apply to the elements used by the parent element. For example, assume an entitlement element is defined with a bracket. Further assume that the entitlement element is defined as Always Recalculate and the bracket is not, and the entitlement is up for recalculation. The entitlement will go through a new resolution but the Always Recalculate attribute would not be inherited by the bracket. Instead, it would return its old value. On the other hand, if the entitlement had the Always Recalculate check box cleared (not selected), the resolution chain would end with the entitlement. No attempt would be made to resolve the bracket, because it was not needed.

PIN Manager Logic

When the PIN Manager is called to resolve an element, it:

  1. Checks to see whether the element has already been resolved for the current time frame (segment or slice).

  2. If the element isn’t resolved, it calls the appropriate resolution program to resolve it.

  3. If the element is resolved, the system checks the recalc (recalculation) logic.

Recalc Logic

The recalc logic is as follows:

  1. The system reads the Always Recalculate check box on the Element Name page.

    If the check box is selected, the appropriate resolution program is called; if it isn’t, the system takes the next step.

  2. If the PIN Manager was called from the process list, the PIN Manager reads the Recalculate check box from the section of the current element.

    If the check box is selected, the appropriate resolution program is called. If the check box isn’t selected, the PIN Manager returns the previously resolved value for the element. The element isn’t recalculated.

Example 1

You assign a value of 10 to variable V1 in formula F1 and use V1 in a different formula, F2. If V1 has Always Recalculate selected, the following occurs:

When the formula program calls the PIN Manager to get the V1 value, it determines that V1 is resolved. Because Always Recalculate is selected, the PIN Manager calls the variable resolution program to resolve the element. V1 is resolved to whatever the definition contains. The value assigned to V1 from F1 is lost.

If you clear the Always Recalculate check box for V1, the value assigned to V1 isn’t lost. The PIN Manager, called from F2 to resolve V1, determines that V1 is resolved. Additionally, it determines that Always Recalculate isn’t selected and returns the resolved value to the formula program.

Dates, arrays, and brackets can assign values to variables. For proper calculation, you must consider recalculation logic.

Example 2

In this example, the Always Recalculate check box must be selected. During resolution of a count element, daily processing occurs. The PIN Manager is called to resolve the formula, which isn’t used elsewhere, once each day. The formula is resolved for the first day. On the second day, the first-day value is used, unless Always Recalculate is selected for the formula.

See Also

Defining Retroactive Processing