Entering Time Card Data

The Enter/Update Timecards option opens the batch file that is used to process the paychecks. The time card entries may be manually entered through this screen, or imported from the Time Card Worksheet (TCW), or imported from a 3rd party time clock system or spreadsheet.  (AccuBuild Mobile time card entries are automatically saved into the TCW for review and modification before being imported into the time card batch).  

Manual Time Card Entry into the Batch File

Each employee's time is entered under a series of transaction codes, depending on the type of pay, and may be allocated to various departments, unions, workers comp insurance classifications, state codes, equipment codes, jobs and job cost phases. There is no limit as to the number of transactions that may be entered for each employee, therefore, your cost accounting may be as detailed as desired.

Note:  The timecard batch files (prtcbat.adt and prckbat.adt) are unique files for each user and they are located in the user's directory.  Therefore, you must be logged into AccuBuild as the specific user to view that user's batch files.                        

If you are using AccuBuild Mobile, then the time card records are automatically posted to the Time Card Worksheet Screen for review.  Changes can be made to the time card entries as needed in the TCW and then imported into this batch where the 'business rules' for pays and deductions will be applied.  If records have been imported from the TCW, then they will automatically update this screen.  You do not need to use the Import Time Records option on this screen to bring in the TCW entries.

If the employee has been set up with a pay method of Salary - Distributed Hours, then the various allocations of the employee's hours must be entered first (see below for a detailed description of each field) and then the Compute Salary Totals button must be selected. This calculation pro-rates the employee's total salary to the various jobs and/or other allocations based on the hours entered. This function will also automatically add any miscellaneous pays and deductions set up in the employee file to the timecard entries. Additional entries may be added to the employee's timecard by following the steps in the following paragraphs.                        

If a Local Deduction Code needs to be entered manually, then it may be entered as a flat amount using transaction code 99.  If the deduction is pre-tax, then be sure to use trans code 98 instead of 99; enter the amount as a flat amount.  The Local Deduction Code field on this screen is only enabled when a Trans Code 98 or 99 is entered.  

•Union - If the employee has a default union code in the employee file, then this union code will be displayed on the screen. Enter through this field to leave the code 'as is' or delete the code if the current timecard entry should not be associated with any union code.  

•Hours - Enter the hours worked for this transaction. This field will be automatically skipped if the transaction type is a 'flat amount deduction'. If you wish to enter a flat pay amount, then use a 'manual rate' type transaction (31, 32, 33, 34 or 41, 42, 43, 44) and skip the Hours field.

•Rate - If the selected transaction code is for regular or overtime pay based on either the employee file or union file, then AccuBuild will automatically update the Rate field with the rate found in the specified master file. If the transaction type is a 'manual rate' entry, then you may enter an amount in the field or skip the field to enter a flat amount.

•Amount - If the system automatically updated the rate field, then the Amount field is automatically calculated. If the transaction type is a 'flat amount' entry, then you must enter the amount in this field.

Note:  If the extended amount or the flat amount entered is zero, AccuBuild will ignore the entry and return to the transaction field.

•Dept - This field is not mandatory but it may be used to link a default job cost phase, workers comp code and the general ledger expense accounts to the timecard entry. If the timecard entry includes a union code, and the union code has been linked to a department code, then the Dept field will be automatically updated. If a union code is not entered, or if the union code has not been linked to a department code, then AccuBuild will look to the employee's file for a default department code.

Note: If this timecard entry represents vacation pay, sick pay or holiday pay, then the department codes may be used to track these pay types.

•Job - If the timecard transaction should be expensed to a job, then enter the appropriate job number in the Job field. All payroll burden expense calculated by the system for this transaction will also spread to the job. If the transaction should not be posted to a job, then the job field should be left blank.

Note: The job field also functions as a flag for spreading the transaction to a certified payroll file so that certified payroll reports can be generated at a future time. A job must be designated as a certified job prior to beginning a payroll run and is added to the certified payroll job list by enabling the Certified Payroll Reports Required? option on the Payroll Control Tab on the Job Cost > Update Jobs option.                        

•Phase - If a job number was entered, a phase (cost category) number must also be entered. The Use Job Master for Phase Lookup option may be enabled on the Accounting Tab of the System Administrator > Configuration option in order to force the payroll entries to be coded to only those phases that have been set up on the specified job. If this option is not enabled, then the timecard entry may be posted to any phase contained in the phase master file (a list of phases applicable to all jobs). You may be able to enable or disable this option on the Timecard Entry screen if your password allows such access.        

Labor Distribution Codes - LDCs are coding rules that can be created based on the phase in order to prevent user entry errors.  LDCs may include a specific workers comp code, union code, state code, and department code.  If any LDCs have been created, then the LDCs Enabled check box on the time card screen will be checked (this box cannot be checked by the user).   If a phase is entered on the time card screen that is linked to an LDC, then the time card entry will be updated with the linked values of the LDC which will override any other coding already entered including values that may be linked to the employee.  (Refer to the 'Business Rules' documentation for more information).  The fields that are associated with the LDC will be highlighted in yellow and will remain highlighted until the next transaction is entered.

•State Code - If your AccuBuild software package contains the Multi-State Payroll feature, and the timecard entry has been charged to a job, then the State Code field will default to the state code as set up in the job file but only if the employee's file has been set up with the same state code. Otherwise, the state code field will only display the states that have been set up in the employee's file. Be sure to select the proper state code for each entry so that taxes are calculated properly.

•Workers Comp Insurance Code - This field will default with a workers comp code based on the system rules for workers comp codes which is documented in the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Payroll Manual. You may enter through this field to leave the default code 'as is' or you may enter a new code. If this transaction is not subject to workers compensation insurance, then be sure to leave this field blank. The workers comp code field is 'case sensitive' which means that the comp code has to be keyed in exactly as it was set up in the workers comp master file. For example, if a code is set up in the workers comp master file as 8810A but was entered as 8810a on the timecard transaction, the system would display an invalid comp code message because the letter 'a' was not capitalized.                        

•Equip - This field is used to charge maintenance time to a piece of equipment in order to keep a historical record of expenses. If the timecard transaction is not associated with a piece of equipment, then this field should be left blank.

Note: The Equip field is only enabled if you have purchased the Equipment system.

•Certified Payroll Report Required - By default, every new job that is set up will also be set up for certified payroll reporting.  This setting is reflected on the timecard screen by the check mark in the box labeled Certified Payroll Report Required.  The transaction's hours are then entered in the Daily Hours Distribution area of the timecard screen.  Note that the actual dates have been displayed below each day in case your payroll period is not a standard Sunday through Saturday period.  AccuBuild displays in the taskbar at the bottom of the timecard screen the message 'Certified Payroll Hours Mismatch' until the distributed hours equal the total hours for the transaction. The system will prevent the transaction from being saved until the hours are equal.  Only hours that are charged to a job may be distributed in the daily hours fields.  If the hours charged to a job should not be included in the certified payroll report, then uncheck the box.

Note:  The setup of certified payroll reporting may be removed from a job completely by disabling the option found on the Payroll Controls Tab of the Job Cost > Update Jobs option.  This option can be re-enabled at any time, however, reports cannot be generated on payroll that has been already posted without the setting.

Note: Flat amount deductions that are set up in the employee's file are scanned only once to prevent duplicate deductions in the same payroll period.

Making changes to imported time card worksheet records:  Once the time card worksheet entries have been imported into the payroll batch, changes made to these entries within the batch, such as job number, phase or hours, will NOT flow back to the original time card worksheet entries and therefore will not update the PM Daily Report.  Therefore, if you have an imported transaction that needs to be corrected, you should delete it from your current batch, make the change to the record in the time card worksheet screen, and then import it once again into the payroll batch.