27 biweekly payperiods and impact on benefits

[Former Member]

We will have 27 pay periods in 2009. This is causing the deductions to be reduced because the system is dividing the yearly deductions by 27 and not 26. We have tried using the payment models (benefit integration in payroll), but when we configure this it make the employees benefit plan deductions monthly and the deduction is even farther off.

Does anyone have any ideas? We would appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance.

Bill

[Former Member]

Bill-

You have to setup the payment model for a bi-weekly frequency (not monthly).

1. Generate a payment model for 2009 ONLY using the following settings:

Use Date Modifier = 01 (if your payroll consultant agrees)

Period Parameter = 04 (bi-weekly)

Cumulation type = V (bi-weekly)

2. Define your payment model (i.e. Z26P) and attach the 01, 04 and V settings in the fields where requested.

3. Set Pay Periods (select only the 26 that you desire)

4. Define Employee Groups (using Feature MODDE) is not necessary, unless only some employees will follow this calendar, while others do not.

5. Set Default Values is not necessary unless you used Feature MODDE and the deduction is stored on IT14. In this case, the return value in the feature is your Variable Key in this table, tied to the Wage Type used on IT14, and Payment Model created.

OTHERWISE...

6. From Benefits Integration, go to Assign deduction model. Enter plan code, Variable key as the payroll area (create multiple lines if plan is processed in more than one payroll area), and the Payment Model created. From this table, you also have a chance to use Feature MODDE, again it's not necessary as per #4 above.

Be sure to test this configuration...run Payroll for every period in 2009 to confirm 26 pays (instead of 27) and run payroll for 2010 to ensure there are no error messages now that the deduction model has expired.

If so, you can generate the deduction model for all years, selecting the 26 pays each year, so that if you have this situation again, it's already covered, and when it's a normal year, the 26 pays are used anyway. This is probably best method.

Or if the client does not want the model generated for all following years, someone will have to remove the configuration for Plan assignment before the 1st payroll of the new year is run. Again, I would test this theory. I haven't had a client that only needed to utilize the models for 1 year.

Good Luck.

[suresh_datti]

This is pat of the payment/deduction model in the configuration. You can mark one of the pay periods to be skipped for deduction.

~Suresh