Skip to content

Payroll News and Updates

 

Announcements

09/09/2024 UPDATE from Controller Office: For SCT/Direct Retro for Prior Fiscal Years

Requests for Payroll Expense Transfers (Direct Retro/Salary Cost Transfer/Benefit Cost Transfer) for Prior Fiscal Years (closed fiscal years) now require approval from the Controller Unit. This can be obtained through the ServiceNow Ticket for  General Accounting: Accounting Guidance, select Information and Guidance from the drop down menu. Once you have obtained this approval, you can attach to the payroll form as an attachment


08/27/2024 Update-*Ucpath Cognos report currently hard coded to provide last 3 fiscal years. We are working with UCPC for access to historical DOPE information for older than 3 fiscal years. 


UCPATH DEFECT: CMPFEE fees are currently unable to be transferred in UCPATH due to a defect. This is has been brought to UCPATH Center attention and will be part of a UCPATH Roadmap update. We will post more information as it becomes available.


UCPath Gender and Lived Name Enhancements

UCPath is advancing its efforts to align with the UC Gender Recognition and Lived Name (GRLN) policy by modernizing their online interface with updated terms that better capture gender identity and sexual orientation. Employees will also be able to designate their pronouns in UCPath.

When employees sign into UCPath on or after July 15, 2024, employees will be prompted to update their Self-Identification Details. All employees will be required to make selections for:

Gender Identity: Updated terms include options like Transgender Woman or Transgender Man. 

Sexual Orientation: New options include Asexual, and Gay and Lesbian selections are now distinct.  

Pronouns: This new feature allows an employee to designate their pronouns, which will be displayed in some UCPath pages alongside the employee’s name.

Employees must select an option for these fields (including decline to state, if desired) before they are able to access UCPath’s self-service functions.   

While the UCPath system is being updated with these features, UC Merced may require additional time to integrate the new data fields into local systems and processes, as necessary.

Please visit the UC Merced UCPath website on or after July 15, 2024 for more information and details on how to access the new self-identification details 

 


Human Resources Systemwide Notice :Timesheets Policy Reminder

Please read the letter and ensure you are meeting the requirements of time and attendance reporting on your required schedule.


Student Employment Services - Important Year End Reminders

As we move closer to the end of another academic year at UC Merced, we would like to provide some important reminders regarding student employees.

  • Separations – A student worker who is no longer performing services (voluntarily or involuntarily) must have their UCPath record updated as soon as the employment relationship change is known. Please submit the Student Separation form and the employee’s final timesheet as soon as the separation is known. Exception: If a student will return in fall, you may leave them active, but submission of zero-hour timesheets is required to avoid reminder notices to submit.

 

  • Final Pay – Student worker timesheets should be submitted and approved 5 business days prior to their expected end date. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that all final hours are timely reported. TRS allows the approver to create, edit and submit timesheets on behalf of the employee. If the employee does not submit their final time, please do so on their behalf. Final pay will be issued if the terminating job record ends all employment association with UC Merced.
    • Academic Students (Reader/Remedial Tutor) – These jobs do NOT auto terminate and supervisors MUST submit an Academic Separation form in addition to submitting the student’s final timesheet.

 

  • Auto termination – Student worker records are set to automatically end on the date listed in UCPath. Auto terminations are considered involuntary and require all pay owed to be issued on the on the individual’s final day of work. Please regularly review the UCPath Cognos Report R-103 to manage student records with upcoming end dates. If an extension is needed, please use the Student Rate Change and/or Job Extension form and submit it no less than 10 business days before the indicated end date. Once a job has auto terminated, all work must cease.

 

  • Reinstatement – If a job record has auto terminated and needs to be reinstated, please submit the Student Rate Change and/or Job Extension form, and indicate a reinstatement is needed. Reinstatements are not applicable if there has been any break in service (even one day). A break in service will require the completion of rehire documents. Auto terminations will not be reinstated if the student has been inactive for more than 10 business days. Records inactive for 10 business days or more will require a new Student Intake request and completing of hiring documents, even if the student has continued to work.

 

  • Data Accuracy – Please ensure that the information being submitted on webform requests accurately reflect the employee’s information. We are seeing many forms that appear to contain auto filled information that may be the requestor’s information and not the employees. To avoid unnecessary delays, please double check the form data before submitting. If information is inaccurate, the submitter will be asked to complete the form again. Please be particularly mindful of the employee’s previously established Employee ID number (NOT student ID number), position number (unless a new hire) and email address.

 

  • Active, No Pay 120 Days – Please monitor the UCPath Cognos Report R-120 for employees who have an active payroll record but have not been paid within the past 120 days. If the employee is no longer working for you, please submit the Student Separation form.

 

  • Deadlines – Please be sure to regularly check our Deadlines & Calendars page and submit requests timely. Failure to submit actions by the deadlines indicated may result in a delay of pay to your employee.

 

 


 

Getting Ready for Fiscal Close

When reviewing your Distribution of Payroll Expense reports look at the Sub-Actvity field to identify payroll lines that have gone to suspense.

There are three main reasons outlined below:

Sub Activity Code

Significance

Description

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A00023

FUNDNG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funding Entry Issue

UCPath charges the Suspense COA in the following instances:

  • When there is no designated Default COA in place on the position's Funding Entry page at the time payroll is processed

 

Note: All positions with salary expenses are required to have funding         in place prior to payroll processing as indicated on the UCPATH Payroll Processing Schedule

 

  • During the Fiscal Year End Funding Rollover process if the COA previously entered into the position's funding entry is no longer valid

 

 

 

 

A00022

ENDDTE

 

 

 

 

 

Funding End Date Issue

UCPath charges the Suspense COA if the position's funding entry has an End Date which has passed and the funding entry has not been updated.

  • For example, if a position's funding entry has an end date of 05/31/2021, a new funding entry with an effective date of 06/01/2021 would need to be in place prior to payroll processing, otherwise the Suspense COA is charged.
  • If possible, avoid using Funding End Dates when setting up a position's funding.

 

 

 

A00024

COMBO

 

 

 

 

Invalid FAU Issue

UCPath charges the Suspense COA if the COA that was designated to be charged on the position's funding entry is no longer valid in the UC Merced General Ledger.

 

Possible reasons a COA becomes invalid include the following:

  • Fund closed in Oracle
  • Project value is no longer valid

Navigating UCPATH : GL 

job_aid_ucpath_gl_administration_funding_entry_inquiry.pdf

 

Where to Find the Deadlines:  https://bfs.ucmerced.edu/our-services/payroll-services/deadlines-calendars 

Where to find Forms for Requesting Direct Retro: https://bfs.ucmerced.edu/our-services/payroll-services/payroll-forms 

  • Staff Direct Retro - Webform utilized to report a request for realignment of wages that have already posted. 
  • Direct Retro - Utilize to request a re-alignment of wages that have already been posted to the labor ledger for an academic position.

Dates To Note:

•Deadline to send Transaction Request to Payroll Services – Must Be received by date to allow for processing

•GL Post Confirm- Date UCPATH will send information to campus GL Systems (Oracle)

 

 

UCPath Initiatives:

Please visit UC Merced UCPath website for updates on UC Merced and UCPath initiatives.


UCPath Notice:  New Security Measure - Direct Deposit Change Verification Emails

Due to recent phishing attempts, UCPath is introducing a new security measure to enhance the protection of employee information.

UCPath will send email notifications to employees whose direct deposit information has been updated as a protective measure to safeguard employee data.


Time Reporting System (TRS) Support of GRLN Policy

The Time Reporting System (TRS) is enhancing the end user experience while establishing compliance with the UC Gender Recognition and Lived Name (GRLN) policy. 

Starting December 21st, 2023, TRS will now display employee's name exactly as it appears in their UCPath and Banner (for student employees) record. In addition, a new TRS "Personal Information" section, accessible only to the employee, will provide flexibility on the name to be displyed on the timesheet (only visible to the employee).

If you would like to update your name, please go to UCPath "Employee Actions/Personal Information" to update your employee record. Student Employees, aside from updating your employee record you will also need to update your Banner/Student record through MyMerced "Personal Information". 

 


PAYROLL SERVICES INQUIRY

Effective August 1, 2022 all inquiries submitted to Payroll must be done via the Payroll Services Inquiry webform. Requests submitted outside of the inquiry form will not receive a response.