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Tired of spending too much time manually entering attendance and absence information? 

The Attendance/Absence Import option makes the process so much easier.  With a load file and a couple clicks, absence, attendance, and even payment information can be posted.  This file can be created manually or set up and extracted within a third party application.      

The Load File:

Column headings are not used when using the Attendance/Absence Import option.  Instead, the placement of the information in the load file is key.  For example, Column A must be the record indicator (AA), Column B must the employee ID, and so on.  To view the import file specifications, click here.  The information included in the load file, besides the required columns, varies based on what you wish your load file to do - load absence information, load attendance information, or load attendance information and post the payment to either Payroll Payments - Future or Payroll Payments - Current.

 The Import Process:

Once the load file has been created, the file must be saved in CSV format.  Then go to Utilities>Attendance/Absence Import to see the following:

• To load Absence information:
  • Attendance Import File - Click Choose File and browse to locate the load file.
  • Location Code - Used to determine the job number to post the transaction to if a job number is not supplied. If utilizing a location code this may contain either a building IRN or building/department code (located on the Position record). 
  • Post to Payroll Processing – Not applicable. 
  • Combine Attendance Entries - Not applicable.
  • Allow Negative Leave Balances - Check the checkbox if your district allows sick, vacation, and/or personal leave balances to go negative.  If the checkbox is checked and an employee's leave goes negative, a warning error will appear on the report.  If the checkbox is unchecked and an employee's leave goes negative, a fatal error will appear on the report.
  • Payroll Account to charge - Not applicable.
  • Click Import.
  • Any errors will be displayed on the screen and also in the ATTERR.CSV file.  The errors can be corrected in the ATTERR.CSV file, the ATTERR file can be saved in CSV format, and the ATTERR.CSV file can be loaded using the Attendance/Absence Import option. 
  • Run the SSDT Attendance Journal Entry Report to check the imported absence information.
• To load Attendance information
  • Attendance Import File - Click Choose File and browse to locate the load file.
  • Location Code - Used to determine the job number to post the transaction to if a job number is not supplied. If utilizing a location code this may contain either a building IRN or building/department code (located on the Position record).
  • Post to Payroll Processing – In addition to posting attendance information, if wanting to include payment information in Payroll Payments - Future or Payroll Payments - Current, select the appropriate posting option from the drop down.  Or select None to only post attendance information.  
  • Combine Attendance Entries - Check the checkbox if wanting attendance entries being posted to Payroll Payments - Future or Payroll Payments - Current to be combined for an employee.  In order for entries to be combined, the employee ID, job number, pay type, unit, unit amount, tax option, retirement flag, expenditure account, leave projection flag, and the employer distribution flag must match.
  • Allow Negative Leave Balances - Not applicable for Attendance importing.
  • Payroll Account to Charge - Choose from drop down:
    • Defined Payroll Account for Position - Use the Payroll Account(s) created for the Position.
    • Sub for SSN - Allows specific object codes to be entered when charging substitutes payments.  Enter the appropriate Certified Object and Classified Object.
  • Click Import
  • Any errors will be displayed on the screen and also in the ATTERR.CSV file.  The errors can be corrected in the ATTERR.CSV file, the ATTERR file can be saved in CSV format, and the ATTERR.CSV file can be loaded using the Attendance/Absence Import option. 
• Run at Home or under Report Manager the SSDT Attendance Journal Entry Report to check the imported attendance information.
• Balance imported payment information:
  • If Post to Payroll Payment Future was selected, either at Home or under Report Manager, run the Future Pay Amount Report.
  • If Post to Payroll Payment Current was selected, go to the details of the payroll and select Pay Amount Summary Report or Pay Report.

SOC1 Audit Job reminder 

Just a reminder, the SOC1 Audit Job was made available last year in both USAS & USPS and is preconfigured to include the following reports required by the Auditor of State: 

• SSDT User Listing AOS Extract
• SSDT Authentication and Password Requirement Configuration Report
• SSDT Default Breaking Detection and Evasion Rule Report

When it runs, the job will generate reports for the prior fiscal year determined by the current period. So, in the case of the current fiscal year (FY2023), the generated reports will contain FY2022 data. The reports will be automatically stored in the File Archive 'Audit Reports' tab in the applications and sent to the Auditor of State via Secure File Transfer (SFTP) as a zipped file with a naming convention that is specifically dictated for us to use.  

Example of a SOC1 Audit Job stored under the Payroll File Archive

Depending on the permissions you have under the Utilities>Job Scheduler option, the SOC1 Audit Job may have been scheduled by you (or someone at your district) or possibly by your ITC.  The process of scheduling the audit job is intended to be a "one and done" meaning the cron expression used should be set up to run on a custom interval, allowing it to continue generating each year (i.e. May 19th of every year).  To check on the status of your FY22 SOC1 Audit job, if you have access to the Job Scheduler grid, ensure the SOC1 job is listed on the grid with either its pending scheduled run time or completed time.

Example of a pending SOC1 Audit Job for FY2022

Example of a completed SOC1 Audit Job for FY2022 with its scheduled time already in place for FY2023 reports.