To: MOU Leads
University Business Managers
ResInfo
RASG
HR Officers
From: Brian Simet, Payroll Director
Andy Johns, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
Fran Dykstra, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enterprise Applications, ITS
The new Payroll Accounting Adjustment Tool (PAAT) will be released on Oct. 28, 2015, to replace the Short Term Retro tool that has been in use since last spring (and ended 10/19 at 4 p.m.). Beginning Oct. 28, campus staff will use PAAT to make funding changes for past pay periods. This tool has been extensively tested by campus and central office staff.
Please read this email carefully to learn what you need to know about PAAT.
- Advantages of PAAT over previous system
- Who will have access to PAAT
- Approvals in PAAT
- Reporting from PAAT
- When to use PAAT, when to use Funding Swap ePAR form
- No funding changes on payrolls prior to Oct. 1, 2014
- Training on how to use PAAT
- Help and support
Advantages of PAAT over previous system
The previous short-term retro tool provided a quick and needed solution to the funding source distribution challenge. With the new tool, though, we’ve been able to incorporate input from users to make a number of improvements in PAAT:
- It is easier to change funding sources for multiple pay periods .
- You can change funding sources for employees who are in two different pay groups.
- You can perform funding source changes on top of completed funding source changes (retros on retros).
- Regular pay elements such as vacation, sick and holiday are grouped together so you don’t have to make a change for each pay element separately; the system allocates the change to pay elements behind the scenes.
- Distribution of fully approved funding source changes will occur on a nightly basis eliminating delays before you see the impact).
Who will have access to PAAT
PAAT has three levels of access which are described below. The three levels of access are:
- Basic access: A person with this access can move earnings for an employee to a new funding source with deductions and taxes automatically following. Departmental personnel who have access to the Funding Swap ePAR form in ConnectCarolina and have been designated by their MOU lead to retain access will be automatically given basic access to PAAT.
- Advanced access: A person with this access can change funding sources for the deductions and taxes separately from the earnings. This access is much more limited. MOU Leads selected staff members in their school or division who needed to be given advanced access.
Everyone who uses PAAT will be able to view any employee’s funding change, regardless of which department is the employee’s home department.
Approvals in PAAT
We are leveraging the existing L1 and L2 ePAR approvers for PAAT approvals. The approval process has been simplified. After a transaction is submitted:
- Changes to State fund sources must be approved by Level 1 for the funding department before it routes to Level 2.
- Changes to non-State fund sources can be approved by either Level 1 or Level 2. As soon as the adjustment is approved at one level, it skips the other level and routes to a Level 3 budget office such as the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR). Level 2 approvers should determine a protocol for approving these transactions. Running the Review Pending Retros Report discussed below can identify the status of each transaction awaiting approval.
- If the adjustment is changing an OSR chartfield string that is more than 90 days past the pay end date of the paycheck, Level 3 approval by OSR is required.
Reporting from PAAT
PAAT currently has three reports available. Additional reports will be added in future. These reports are
- Review Pending Retros Report available in ConnectCarolina– Provides a list of all transactions that are waiting for approval.
- Review Suspense Transaction Report available in ConnectCarolina– Provides a detailed view of labor expenses charged to suspense accounts.
- Labor Expense Report available in InfoPorte– Provides a summary of payroll accounting expense by accounting period.
When to use PAAT – when to use Funding Swap ePAR form
Continue to use the Funding Swap ePAR form to make funding changes for the current or future pay periods. Beginning Oct. 28, you will use PAAT to make funding changes for past pay periods. Avoid issues by waiting until the pay day for a particular paycheck to enter a payroll accounting adjustment in PAAT. Please note that use of the Short Term Retro Tool will end at 4 p.m. on Oct. 19, 2015.
No funding changes on payrolls prior to Oct. 1, 2014
In PAAT, just as in the Short Term Retroactive Funding tool, you cannot make retro funding changes for payrolls prior to October 1, 2014 (when ConnectCarolina launched).
Training to use PAAT
To learn more about PAAT, attend the webinar:
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2 p.m.
Webinar link: https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/jwsdetect/meeting.jnlp?sid=2009099&password=M.9DB4F20D8C63E337CF2AB0E3DAF784
The webinar will also be recorded and will be available on the ccinfo.unc.edu website.
Help and Support
Please contact the Help Desk if you need assistance with PAAT.