Preparing Personnel
for Next Fiscal Year

This FYI describes the procedures for rolling Position Accounts and Position Tracking Records forward from one fiscal year to the next, in Escape Personnel/Position Control. These procedures are performed by the district each year.

The roll forward includes the following procedures:

Roll Forward Position Accounts

This section describes setup and procedures for rolling forward position accounts in Escape PSL. It is necessary to tell Escape each year what accounts are paying for each position. Once all your positions have been assigned accounts, rather than manually having to copy the current accounts to the coming fiscal year, there is a mass update procedure in Escape we call "rolling forward" the position accounts.

This roll forward function can be accessed from the PSL main menu (PSL), the position list (POSLST) or a position record (POSUPD). This choice presents a dialog box indicating the status of completion of the previous run, and provides for the selection of both From and To Fiscal Years.

Once the procedure has begun, account records are read for each Position within the scope (for the From Fiscal Year), and added for the To Fiscal Year, with the begin and end dates updated with the To year. If accounts are already tied to positions in the To Fiscal Year, no new accounts will be added. Processing continues for all Positions. A completion report is printed once all positions have been processed and it shows any errors and execution information.

Preparing for Rolling Forward

Before attempting to run this procedure, all accounts for the target fiscal year should have been created and linked in the Escape-Finance system. If you are not familiar with that procedure, please contact Escape Customer Care or your Escape-Finance System Manager before you proceed!

The roll forward procedure can be used to roll forward accounts for:

Most of the time you will want to roll position accounts forward as a large group, since it is a big time saver. However, depending on your district's procedures, it may be necessary to roll position accounts forward using the position list (POSLST). You may use the procedure to roll accounts for a single position from one year to the next to avoid typos.

This procedure can be repeated for positions that may have been missed or added since the process was completed. Any position account that has been successfully rolled forward will not roll again.

Performing Accounts Roll Forward

No matter which screen you choose to run this procedure, you will be prompted for the following information in the dialog box:

THROUGH FISCAL YEAR: Enter the target fiscal year. For example, if you wish to roll position accounts from 1997/98 to 1998/99, enter 1999 in the through fiscal field and 1998 in the from fiscal field.

SHOW FULL DETAIL ON REPORT?: Enter a Y to have Escape print all errors it encounters to a report file that you may print to the printer or view on screen. The file name defaults to \ESCAPE\PSL\PAF_YYYY.RPT

This report can be printed automatically after the procedure is complete. See the Menu Setup section on the following page.

Pressing F3 begins the Position Accounts Roll Forward process. Progress of the procedure is reported on screen in the bottom left side of the dialog box. Totals read and updated for both positions and accounts are provided. When the procedure is complete, we suggest that you:

  1. Check the report for errors that may occur. The most typical error is that a particular account does not exist in the THROUGH FISCAL YEAR and simply needs to be created. Once the account exists, the procedure can be run again for the positions that are tied to that account.
  2. Print a position account report to verify that all positions are being paid for by the appropriate account #. This is a good time to catch data entry errors!

Menu Setup

Menu Parameters for Position Accounts Roll-Forward; syntax:

Print File;Show Detail;Delay;Clear Dates

Print File

is the file name (or printer name) for the report. Default is \ESCAPE\PSL\PAF_YYYY.RPT, where YYYY is the new (destination) fiscal year.

Show Detail

is a Y or blank flag to indicate reporting activities in detail. Y shows every update; blank only shows exceptions in the log file named in Print File.

Delay

is a count of seconds to delay before processing each position. This might be necessary if the function is run while other users, or other activities are working and the network is very busy. Before adding a delay to the menu parameter, consult with Escape Customer Care.

Clear Dates

is a Y or blank flag to have Begin and End dates cleared in the newly created records. Blank dates means the line is effective for the full year.

Example menu parameter: 

;;0.50;Y

Uses the default report file, reports only exceptions, delay for 0.5 seconds before processing each position, and clears dates in new records.

Tracking Rolling Forward

Overview

Each year you must roll forward position tracking records from one fiscal year to the next. This procedure actually creates a new position tracking record for the coming fiscal year, copying the information from the current tracking record. In addition, if there is to be step or column movement, this procedure will take care of that as well. This section is written in a step-by-step approach, so you may use it to guide you through the process. This process should be performed before the end of the current fiscal year.

Review Procedures Start to Finish

Before you begin the process, please read this document carefully. If you have any questions or concerns, please call Escape Customer Care. We want to answer your questions and clarify procedures before you begin the process!

Answers to Commonly Asked Questions

What happens when tracking records have end dates prior to fiscal year end?

If the tracking record has an end date:

What happens when the Person has a Termination Date?

If the person record has a Termination date:

What happens when the Position has an End Date?

If the position has an end date:

In general, the Position Tracking roll-forward procedure sets the future tracking record's end date to the minimum of the:

Will Supplemental or Difference Days in the Tracking Records be Rolled Forward?

No, the SUPPLEMENTAL DAYS field is considered to be used for one-time adjustments and will not roll forward from year to year.

The DIFFERENCE DAYS field is associated with calendars that allow users to edit tracking days. When creating or rolling forward a Tracking record, the days will be set to the contract days from the calendar (this means that you cannot roll forward the "edited" days).

How does the step/column movement work?

The step/column movement is controlled by fields in the Salary Schedule set up, in the Bargaining Unit record and in the Position Type set up. Different combinations of these fields yield different results as shown in our example here and in the next section entitled How is anniversary movement handled? Pictures of these screens follow this section.

This is the set up for incrementing the step/col on the begin line of the future tracking record from a tracking record that contains no mid-year changes.

  1. You mark a Y in the INCREMENT SALARY SCHEDULE PLACEMENT field in the roll forward dialog box AND
  2. You need to setup the Salary Schedule to show the number of rows and/or columns that need to be incremented under the Anniversary Movement section. Also indicate the max value that can be incremented.

If you do not mark Y in the INCREMENT SALARY SCHEDULE PLACEMENT field in the roll forward dialog box, the step/col will not be incremented, even if you have set the salary schedule to increment.

How is anniversary movement handled?

Anniversary movement is done several different ways depending on the desired end result. The most common are listed below. A table version of the various setups follows this section. We have also created a flowchart to help you visualize the process.

If you want no change to the step/col value in the future record:

  1. The INCREMENT SALARY SCHEDULE PLACEMENT field, in the roll forward dialogue box, should be left blank.

    As a result, the new position tracking record will contain the last step/column listed in the CHANGE1 or CHANGE2 fields. In other words, it will not increment the begin date step/col of the future tracking record. It will not automatically input new dates in the CHANGE fields.

If you want the future tracking record to increment on 7/1 using the mid-year change value (change 1 or 2 line) in the current tracking record:

  1. The MID-YEAR ANNIVERSARY field in the position type record should be a Y OR
  2. The TRACKING ANNIVERSARY field in the bargaining unit setup should be a Y AND
  3. The person should have no Anniversary Date.

    WARNING: if they have an anniversary date, the increment will be done on that date instead of 7/1/XX).

    Be sure to mark a Y in the INCREMENT SALARY SCHEDULE PLACEMENT field of the dialog box.

If you want Position tracking records to be created with mid-year changes for anniversary movement using the ANNIVERSARY DATE in the person record the set up is as follows:

  1. The MID-YEAR ANNIVERSARY field in the position type record should be a Y OR
  2. The TRACKING ANNIVERSARY field in the bargaining unit setup should be a Y AND
  3. There is a date in the ANNIVERSARY field in the person record.

    The begin step/col of the future record will not be incremented and will be equal to the mid-year change (change 1 or 2 line) of the current record. A change line will be created in the future record for the anniversary date with the step/col incremented. For example, if the person was at 25A at the beginning of the tracking record and 25B at the mid-year change, then the new tracking record will be 25B at the beginning and 25C at the mid-year change.

Anniversary Scenarios

The following table lists various scenarios to determine whether increment will occur in the future tracking record. It is assumed that the Increment Salary Schedule Placement = Y in the tracking roll forward dialogue box.

Assumptions:
1. Increment salary schedule placement equals Y when running Position Tracking Roll Forward.
2. Salary schedule as Anniversary Movement set up.
3. Employee is not maxed out on salary schedule.

*mid Anniv Person Anniv Date Current Tracking Change Line Will Increment Occur in Future Record? Change Line?
Yes No Y or N Yes - Increment will occur on 7/1/yy. No
Yes Yes Y or N Yes - Increment will occur on the Anniversary Date. Yes
No Y or N Yes No - no incrementing will take place. New 7/1/yy record will be a copy of the last change line, same range/step.** No
No Y or N No Yes - Increment will occur on 7/1/yy. No

  *Can come from Position Type (Mid Year Anniversary) or Bargaining Unit (Tracking Anniversary).
**Assumes you already incremented, so increment does not occur. Uses the last change line.

Setup

Below is a picture of the Position Type screen. The Mid-Year Anniv field is located on this screen.

Below is a picture of the Bargaining Units screen. The Tracking Anniversary is located on this screen.

Below is a picture of the system setup Salary Schedule record. The Anniversary Movement section is located on this screen.

Roll Forward Procedures

Before you begin this procedure, please verify that these important steps have been completed first.

  1. CHART has been rolled forward for the next fiscal year. See your District's Fiscal Services Manager if you are unsure.
  2. Position Accounts have been rolled forward to the next year. See procedures for this process beginning on page 1 of this document.
  3. Check Mid-year and Anniversary Movement flag set up for accuracy.

Step 1 - Create All Calendars for Next Year

Calendars may be accessed from either the PSL or PAY module. To access the calendar setup from the PSL module:

  1. Select Setup and then Pos Setup. From the PAY main menu, choose Setup, then choose Calendars.
  2. From the list of calendars, highlight the first calendar you wish to copy for the current fiscal year, and press F4. This will create a copy of the calendar you were highlighting and will default the fiscal year to the next fiscal year.
  3. You MUST change some fields to make it correct: The CONTRACT FROM and CONTRACT THRU date fields should be changed for the coming year, as well as marking the days section for work days, unpaid days, etc.
  4. When finished, press F3. Repeat this for each of the calendars.

Step 2 - Create Pay Cycles for Next Year

This function must be done from the PAY module.

  1. From the Payroll Setup menu, choose Pay Cycles.
  2. From the list of Pay Cycles, highlight the first pay cycle you wish to copy for the current fiscal year and press F4 to copy the highlighted record.
  3. You will want to review the pay dates and make sure that they are correct, then save the record with F3.
  4. Repeat the steps above for each of the pay cycles.

Step 3 - Create Salary Schedules for Next Year

If Salary Schedules ARE Changing Next Year

If the salary schedules are changing for the next fiscal year, you need to end the current salary schedule and copy it to the new year.

  1. From the Payroll Setup menu, choose Salary Schedules (you may also do this in the PSL module, under Pos Setup).
  2. From the list of salary schedules, highlight the one you wish to end, and press ENTER.
  3. Enter an ending date in the END field and press F3 to save it.
  4. While highlighting that salary schedule in the list, press F4 to copy it. This will create a copy of the salary schedule you were highlighting-with a starting date of the day following the end date of the salary schedule it was copied from and leaving the ending date blank. In this case, the start date should be 7-1-XX.
  5. If changes should be made, manually change the salary amounts or use the choice Percent Adjust in the File pull-down menu. There may be differences due to rounding. Please verify the calculated amounts to your district's actual schedules.
  6. When finished, press F3. Repeat the steps above for each of the salary schedules.

If Salary Schedules are NOT Changing Next Year

If the current salary schedules are not changing for next year, make sure that they do not have end dates.

Step 4 - Roll Forward Tracking Records

This is also done from the Position List.

WARNING: It is important to obtain the position list by Position Number as a primary access method, then filter on tracking so only current tracking records will be chosen for roll forward.

  1. Use position number as the primary access, then filter on current tracking records (Type = blank, and status = CURR).
  2. In addition, you might want to filter your list further, to select only classified, or only certificated. This will allow you to work with a smaller list.
  3. From the File pull-down menu, choose Tracking Roll Forward.

An Important Word about Setting Dialog Parameters

Step 5 - Run Tracking Verification Report

When you are finished with the Tracking Roll Forward process, run a tracking verification report to make sure that the tracking records you have created are correct. If you do not see the report on your Position Reports list, please contact Escape Customer Care for assistance.

Step 6 - Position Control Maintenance Utility

The Tracking records that this process creates will have a PTRACK type of Future. The Position Control Maintenance Utility will update this to Current at the appropriate time.

Menu Setup

Menu Parameters for Position Tracking Roll-Forward; syntax: 

Print File;Show Detail;Delay;Increment Salary;Cal Dates

Print File

is the file name (or printer name) for the report. Default is \ESCAPE\PSL\PTF_YYYY.RPT, where YYYY is the new (destination) fiscal year.

Show Detail

is a Y or blank flag to indicate reporting activities in detail. Y shows every update, blank only shows exceptions in the log file named in Print File.

Delay

is a count of seconds to delay before processing each position. This might be necessary if the function is run while other users, or other activities are working and the network is very busy. Before adding a delay to the menu parameter, consult with Escape Customer Care.

Increment Salary

is a Y to enable Salary Increments, N to skip Salary Increments, regardless of other settings.

Example menu parameter: 

;;0.50;

Uses the default report file, reports only exceptions, delay for 0.5 seconds before processing each position, allows Salary increments, and sets the begin and end dates in new records with the begin and end dates for the fiscal year.

Troubleshooting

If tracking records won't roll over...

In general, tracking will roll forward if the tracking record ends on the last day of the fiscal year (06/30/XX). However, there are other factors that might change this. No tracking records will be created under the following circumstances:

NOTE: Check the error report that is generated after the position tracking roll forward process for clues as to why a tracking record did not roll.

If only one new tracking record is created when multiple tracking records exist.

Position and Tracking Roll Forward Checklist

Important! Please review the entire Position and Tracking Roll Forward Document before beginning this procedure.
√ Ensure that accounts have been created for the new fiscal year. See your Fiscal Services Manager for help.
√ Roll forward Position Accounts.
√ Print Position Account Report.
√ Create Calendars.
√ Create Pay Cycles.
√ Create Salary Schedules.
√ Check Bargaining Unit records for anniversary movement set up.
√ Check Position Type records for anniversary movement set up.
√ Check Salary Schedule records for anniversary movement set up.
√ Roll forward Position Tracking records for each group of listed employees (i.e., cert., class., or no anniversary movement).
√ Print Tracking Verification Report.