Volume 7 Issue 11 - November 2024
- Michelle Drewes
- Andrea Boehm
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Role Functionality in ESS
ESS user accounts can be assigned multiple roles. Below is a guide to the more popular ESS roles and their corresponding menu options. Additionally, the Video Spotlight area of the newsletter includes short recordings that demonstrate each role in action, helping users better understand the features and functionalities available in the application within their ESS role(s).
Depending on what your district has configured in their ESS application, some of the menu options noted below (with an asterisk *) may not be available.
User
Every user in ESS is granted the ‘User’ role by default. Listed below are the menu options available:
User Profile: ESS user specific information including roles assigned, default start/end leave time, ability to opt out of emails, etc.
Forgot Password: user may reset a forgotten password.
*View Announcements: ability to view announcements posted to the ESS Announcement panel.
View Custom Links: ability to view custom links posted to the ESS Custom Links panel.
Employee Profile: Displays the employee’s biographical data from USPS.
Position Details: Displays the employee’s position data from USPS.
*View/Print Payslip: Displays the employee’s payslip information from USPS.
*View/Print W2: Displays the employee’s W2s from USPS.
Leave Information: Displays the employee’s leave balances from USPS.
*Leave Requests: menu available to create new leave requests and view existing leave requests.
*My Leave Calendar; displays the employee’s leave requests via calendar format.
*My Timesheets: If the employee is a timesheet employee, allows employee to create new timesheets or view existing timesheets.
Help: includes current information on application version and links to the ESS documentation.
Approver
Along with the User role options above, the following role(s) may be assigned to an approver in the district.
Leave Request Approver Role
Access via Home screen’s Pending Workflow Tasks grid - the Leave Request Approval area - in order to view/approve/reject their staff’s leave requests.
Access to the Leave Request Approval menu option to view/approve/reject their staff’s leave requests.
Leave Supervisor for Staff Role
NOTE: This role (alone) does not provide the ability to approve leave… user must have the Leave Request Approver role listed above.
Access to the following Leave Request menu options:
View Supervised Leave: Allows supervisors ability to view their staff’s detailed leave request information regardless of the approval status.
*Supervised Leave Analysis: Displays their staff’s leave balance information as well as the ability to view leave request details for selected staff members.
Access to the following Leave Calendars menu options:
Supervisor Leave Calendar: Allows supervisors the ability to view all initiated, approved and exported leave requests for their staff in a calendar format.
Additional calendar views, filters, and printing are available.
Leave Manager
Along with the User role options above, listed below are the additional menu options available for a user with the Leave Manager role:
Access to the Home screen’s Pending Workflows Tasks grid - Resend Leave Request Data area. This area will only ever include leave requests that failed to complete somewhere in the workflow process (usually due to technical issues… i.e., if a leave request is processing for final approval and the ESS system goes down). The workflow for this leave request will be halted and will require manual intervention from the Leave Manager to re-send the data to the next step of the workflow process.
Access to the following Leave Request menu options:
Elevated Create Leave Requests: Allows leave manager to create a leave request for another ESS user in their district.
View District Leave: Allows leave manager the ability to view detailed leave requests for anyone in the district.
Access to the entire Leave Management menu including the ability to escalate approval, export leave requests, create sub categories, etc. Please review the chapter in the User manual for further information on all Leave Management menu options available for the Leave Manager role.
*If integrated with Absence Management, the following options are available under the Absence Management (AESOP) Integration menu options:
Data Import View: Contains the absence data pulled from Frontline Absence Management (AESOP) and stored in various grids (tabs).
Synced Absence Management Data: Contains a grid of the details from the Absence Management Data Sync options.
Access to Batch Job: Grid of ESS scheduled or manually run batch jobs.
Substitute Coordinator
Along with the User role options above, listed below are the additional menu options available for a user with the Substitute Coordinator role.
*Sub Coordinator: ability to enter substitute information on any submitted leave request where substitute needed is selected.
Leave Requests>View District Leave: ability to view detailed leave requests for anyone in the district.
Leave Calendar Roles
Along with the User role options above, all leave calendar roles listed below will include the District Leave Calendar option under the Leave Calendars menu. Please click on the links below for examples on how to use the filtering on the calendar.
Leave Calendar by Building: Must use ‘Filters’ to view staff leave requests within the same building(s) as your position(s). Example User: Building Principals/Secretaries.
Leave Calendar by Department Code: Must use ‘Filters’ to view staff leave requests on one or more district department codes and/or leave request types. Example User: Food Service Director.
Leave Calendar by District Building: Must use ‘Filters’ to view staff leave requests on one or more district building codes and/or leave request types. Example User: Superintendent/Superintendent’s Secretary.
Leave Calendar by Pay Group: Must use ‘Filters’ to view staff leave requests on one or more district pay groups and/or leave request types. Example User: Transportation Director.
Leave Calendar for District Staff: By default, the calendar displays all staff leave requests. Select ‘Filters' if you want to filter one or more leave request types and/or employees in order to display only those leave requests that match your filtered data. Example User: Treasurer/Payroll Clerk.
Useful links:
Please click on a link below to view a mini-demo of the ESS menu based on your role. Please note both the ‘User’ and ‘Leave Calendar’ role recordings have been broken up into smaller segments, allowing you to navigate to a specific part of the recording. 👍
User Role (entire demo)
Leave Calendar Roles (entire demo)
W2 SSN Verification
A new canned report option has been added to verify SSNs (replaces W2MAINT from Classic):
Reports>W2 SSN Verification
Create Submission File
First, create the W2SSNVerification file. This will verify the employee names and SSNs using the SSA BSA - Social Security Number Verification Service to upload generated submission file. Then use this file to upload to SSA.
Results Report
The report option will take the results file provided by the SSA and convert it into a report. Users will upload the result file and then run the report.
Click here for more detail information on creating a W2 SSN Verification report.
Just a reminder: ESS is mobile friendly too!
If you are able to view your payslips and/or W2s in Employee Self Service and you don’t have access to a computer, no problem! ESS is mobile friendly and allows you to view your payslip or W2 without having to download or print them. Nice!
Select the menu option (i.e. View/Print Payslips)
Use the ‘View’ icon to view your payslip
You now have the ability to zoom in or out of it as well as select a view size (percentage).