Use the Employee Time Entry wizard to load raw employee time entry data, including records with additional data like pay codes and projects. The wizard simplifies the data processing workflow and removes manual data collection from different sources.
The automated data validation reduces the time and effort required to process the data and prevents duplicate time entry data. If expected time entry data is missing or time entry sequences are incorrect, the wizard generates a warning. Activate stores the time entry data in chronological order according to employee and datetime.
Before you begin
Jobs, org units, pay codes, or projects must all be set up before using this wizard. The Employee Time Entry wizard doesn’t create them.
Every employee listed in the time entry file must be assigned to a Time Entry Policy in Dayforce. Make sure that the XRefCodes are populated for the related configuration in Dayforce.
Messages: Error, Warning, and Information
Activate sorts each generated message by severity:
Actively incompatible with the data in Dayforce. If you have a data error, you must resolve the error before you can complete the installation.
Indicate nonstandard setup that could potentially cause an error in Dayforce. For example, if an earning code is defined as Hours x Rate and the data is amount only, the system creates a warning. However, you can still import the data into the system.
A notable occurrence of data in the system. For example, an informational note shows if codes are dropped from the YTD import.
Tasks
- In Activate Central, click Load Your Data and the Load Your Data wizards show.
- Click Employee Time Entry.
- Review all information on the page.
- In the Before you proceed section, select the checkboxes to confirm that:
- Jobs, Org Units, Pay Codes, and Projects exist in Dayforce.
- Employees included in the file are assigned to the Time Entry policies in Dayforce.
- Click Next.
- On the Employee Time Entry Data page, click Download.
Note: You can also download an empty Employee Time Entry template from the Download Template Files page. You can also download any previously loaded Employee Time Entry templates from the Download Template Files page.
- Select the location where you want to save the template document.
- Open the
TimeEntryImport-Activate.xlsxtemplate on your computer.Note: You can also download an empty Employee Time Entry Data template from the Download Template Files page.
- Go to your completed Time Entry Import – Activate template in the location where you saved it.
- On the EmployeeTimeEntryData tab, complete all columns with the data for all employees in the organization.
Note: The Activate release version shows in cell B3 on the Instructions tab of the template. This information helps you later determine the version of Activate you were using when you downloaded the template.
Important: Don’t change the name of the tab in the template. Activate uses the tab name to validate that the correct template is being uploaded. In addition, don’t change the column headings.
Note: Instructions for populating the fields are in the Time Entry Import Template Fields (below) and on the Instructions tab of the template.
- Click Save and close the template.
You can use any file name for the template you upload. The file must be an Excel or CSV (Comma-Separated Value) document and contain the data in the required format.
- On the Employee Time Entry Data page, click Upload.
The Employee Time Entry wizard validates the data.
Note: If the uploaded file has errors, a Validation Failed message shows in red at the bottom of the page. You must correct the errors in the file on your computer and upload the file again.
Note: When you upload an Excel file, Activate includes the name of the uploaded file into the name of the XML file it generates and loads to the Dayforce File Server. The format of the generated XML file name is <NamespaceName>_<Import Type>_<file name provided>_YYY-MM-DD_HHMM. This information makes it easier to audit files later.
- Click Next.
- On the Employee Time Entry Review page, review the information shown in the grid.
All errors must be resolved to install the data.
To capture breaks and meals accurately, make sure that you record each break in a separate row, including the employee ID, shift start time, and shift end time.
If any errors show in the Error/Warning/Message panel, you must resolve them to continue.
-
Complete all columns with the data for all employees in the organization.
- To make updates to data on the page:
To insert a new row in the grid, click the row where you want to insert it and click New.
To delete a row, click the row and click Delete.
To save information in the grid to your computer, click Download File and save it to the location you want. The download file includes only the following information: Employee Number, First Name, Last Name, Effective Start Date, and the respective global properties and values selected.
To upload the file from your computer, locate the file and click Upload File. The data in the file shows in the grid.
To remove changes that you don’t want to save, click Refresh.
- To download the error message list and save it to your computer, click Download Errors File.
When the employee time entry information is complete in Activate, you must install it in Dayforce.
- When the data is complete, click Load. When you leave the page, the selected values stay in the grid.
- On the Review & Load page, review and verify the summary information.
The Load page opens with a list of the steps to complete and an estimate of how long the installation usually takes. During the installation, the current step in the process is bolded so you can monitor the progress.
-
Click one of the following:
- Add Email and enter your email address to be notified when the installation process ends instead of waiting for it to finish.
- Next when the installation is complete.
Activate Central opens with the wizard name now in green text and a green checkmark next to it. The day, date, and time of completion show, along with your name as the user who completed the wizard. The environment in which the installation was applied (Stage, Config, or Train) also shows.
Note: If project data was included in the file, Activate validates the project start time against the shift start time and shows a message if any discrepancies are found.
Important: After successful installation, always check the background jobs. Some Dayforce configurable validations might not have been triggered, which could result in record failures.
Note: If you want to add more information, click I want to add more. See Executing a Rollback When Using the “Add More“ Feature in the Payroll Wizards.
Results
The data is uploaded to the Dayforce Timesheets page.
The data uploaded from the Employee Time Entry Data template populates the fields on the Timesheets page in Dayforce.
| Field in Template | Field in Dayforce | Page in Dayforce |
|---|---|---|
| Employee Identifier | Employee Number | Timesheets |
| Shift Start Time | Start Time | |
| Shift End Time | End Time | |
| Break Type | Break | |
| Break Start Time | Start Time | |
| Break End Time | End Time | |
| Job Assignment | Job Assignment | |
| Org Unit | Org Unit | |
| Pay Code | Pay Code | |
| Project | Project |
After completing the Employee Time Entry wizard, Activate automatically generates a single import file and places it on the customer’s FTP site.
HR Import:
- FTP Subdirectory: EmployeePunchImport
- Filename: <Namespace> EmployeePunchImport <DateTime>.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<xs:schema id="EmployeePunchImport"
xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<xs:annotation>
<xs:documentation xml:lang="en">
Copyright 2015 Dayforce. All rights reserved.
</xs:documentation>
</xs:annotation>
<xs:element name="EmployeePunchImport">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="Settings">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="XrefCodeValidationLevel">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:enumeration value="STRICT" id="Strict"/>
<xs:enumeration value="NONE" id="None"/>
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="EmployeePunch" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:choice maxOccurs="unbounded">
<xs:element name="PunchXrefCode" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" />
<xs:element name="EmployeeXrefCode" type="xs:string" />
<xs:element name="StartTime" type="xs:dateTime" />
<xs:element name="EndTime" type="xs:dateTime" />
<xs:element name="Operation" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:enumeration value="insert" id="InsertOperation" />
<xs:enumeration value="update" id="UpdateOperation" />
<xs:enumeration value="delete" id="DeleteOperation" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="DeptXrefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="JobXrefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="DeptJobXrefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="OrgUnitXrefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="PayAdjustCodeXrefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="ProjectXRefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="DocketXRefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="NetHours" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:decimal">
<xs:totalDigits value="15"/>
<xs:fractionDigits value="5"/>
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="Quantity" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:decimal">
<xs:totalDigits value="15"/>
<xs:fractionDigits value="5"/>
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="Break" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:choice maxOccurs="unbounded">
<xs:element name="BreakType">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:enumeration value="b" id="Break" />
<xs:enumeration value="m" id="Meal" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="StartTime" type="xs:dateTime" />
<xs:element name="EndTime" type="xs:dateTime" />
</xs:choice>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="Transfer" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:choice maxOccurs="unbounded">
<xs:element name="StartTime" type="xs:dateTime" />
<xs:element name="DeptXrefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="JobXrefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="DeptJobXrefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="OrgUnitXrefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="PayAdjustCodeXrefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="ProjectXRefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="DocketXrefCode" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="Quantity" minOccurs="0">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:decimal">
<xs:totalDigits value="15"/>
<xs:fractionDigits value="5"/>
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="TransferLaborMetrics" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="10">
<xs:complexType>
<xs:sequence>
<xs:element name="LaborMetricsTypeXRefCode" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:minLength value ="1" />
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
<xs:element name="LaborMetricsCodeXRefCode" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
<xs:simpleType>
<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
<xs:minLength value ="1" />
<xs:maxLength value="128" />
</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>
</xs:element>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:choice>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:choice>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:sequence>
</xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
</xs:schema>Next steps
Complete the next wizard, as appropriate.
Employee Time Entry Data template fields
All templates have the same basic structure:
- Instructions tab: Helps you understand the purpose of the data and complete the fields in the template.
- Data tab: Contains headers for the data to be included in the template. The headers remain the same, but you can change the column order. If you add more columns, Activate ignores them.
All number ranges in the templates include the numbers at both ends of the range.
| Order | Data Type | Description | Examples | Why This Is Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alphanumeric. Unique value between 1-–9 characters. |
Use the same employee number assigned during the initial HR data loads. This information enables the system to identify employees uniquely. Note: Upon upload of the template data, Activate converts any lowercase alpha characters found in the Employee Identifier field to uppercase. |
3241245
000000006 abc123499 |
This field validates that the data being loaded corresponds to the correct employee record. The values given must match exactly with an existing employee record in Dayforce. |
| Order | Data Type | Description | Examples | Why This Is Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | DateTime use 24-hour time format. | The time when an employee's work shift begins. | DateTime formatted cells: 09/24/2015 16:00 2015-09-24 20:30 |
This required field specifies the start time of an employee's shift. |
| Order | Data Type | Description | Examples | Why This Is Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | DateTime use 24-hour time format. | The time when an employee's work shift ends. | DateTime formatted cells: 09/24/2015 16:00 2015-09-24 20:30 |
This required field specifies the end time of an employee's shift. |
| Order | Data Type | Description | Examples | Why This Is Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Accepted Values: Meal Break. |
The type of break scheduled: Meal Break | Meal Break | This field specifies the break of an employee's shift. |
| Order | Data Type | Description | Examples | Why This Is Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | DateTime use 24-hour time format. | The time when an employee's work break begins. | DateTime formatted cells: 09/24/2015 16:00 2015-09-24 20:30 |
This field specifies the start time of an employee's break and is required if a Break Type is selected. |
| Order | Data Type | Description | Examples | Why This Is Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | DateTime use 24-hour time format. | The time when an employee's work break ends. | DateTime formatted cells: 09/24/2015 16:00 2015-09-24 20:30 |
This field specifies the end time of an employee's break and is required if a Break Type is selected. |
| Order | Data Type | Description | Examples | Why This Is Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | String between 1–128 characters. | If no job is specified for the employee, their primary position effective at the start of the shift is used. | ASSISTANT | Use this field to specify the employee's secondary job if needed. |
| Order | Data Type | Description | Examples | Why This Is Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | String between 1–128 characters. | If the employee’s location isn’t specified, Activate uses the employee’s primary location effective at the start of the shift. | STORE | Use this field to specify the employee's secondary location, if needed. |
| Order | Data Type | Description | Examples | Why This Is Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | String between 1–128 characters. | The short name of the scheduled pay adjustment code. Ensure that pay codes are created in Dayforce before loading this data file. | TRAINING | Pay codes represent what an employee was doing for a particular segment of time, and could be required for scheduling purposes. |
| Order | Data Type | Description | Examples | Why This Is Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | String between 1–128 characters. |
The short name of the scheduled project. Make sure that pay codes are created in Dayforce before loading this data file. Note: If project data is included in the file, Activate validates the project start time against the shift start time and shows a message if any discrepancies are found. |
PROJECT | Projects could be used to support the administration and tracking of projects organization-wide. |