Employee Work Contract & Work Pattern

Use the Employee Work Contract & Work Pattern wizard to load employee historical, current, and future work contract and work pattern details into Dayforce.

This wizard avoids manual data entry and reduces the time and effort required. In Dayforce, employees' records can be assigned to a predefined work contract/work pattern to identify their working time on a period basis. This is useful for a wide range of industries hiring contracted/part-time employees to identify their working hours for scheduling and pay compliance purposes.

The wizard offers two options for loading your data:

• A simple data load for work contracts and effective dates only (Work Contract, Effective Start Date, and Effective End Date).
• A full data load for work contracts, effective dates, and all work pattern-related data.

Note: This wizard doesn’t create work contracts.

Before you begin

Note the following:

• All work contracts must exist in Dayforce before using this wizard.

• To use this wizard successfully, you must load employees’ work contracts and effective start dates at a minimum.

Tasks

To confirm the prerequisites:

1. In Activate Central, click Load Your Data. The Load Your Data wizards are shown.
2. Click Employee Work Contract & Work Pattern.
3. On the Intro page, review the information.
4. Select the checkbox to confirm that all work contracts exist in Dayforce.
5. Click Next.

To complete and upload the Employee Work Contract template:

1. On the Work Contract Data page, click Download.
2. Select the location where you want to save the template document.
3. Open the WorkContractDataTemplate.xlsx template on your computer.

   Note: You can also download an empty Employee Work Contract template from the Download Template Files page.

4. On the WorkContractData tab, complete all columns with the data for all employees in the organization.

   Important: If you aren’t loading employees' work patterns, the Length in Days field must be blank.

   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.

   Note: Instructions for populating the fields are in the Work Contract Data Template FieldsWork Contract Data Template Fields section (below) and on the Instructions tab of the template.

5. Click Save and close the template.

   You can use any file name for the template you upload. The document must be an Excel or CSV (Comma-Separated Value) document and must contain the data in the required format.

   Important: Don’t change the name of the tab because Activate uses it to validate that the correct template is being uploaded.

6. On the Work Contract Data page, click Upload.
7. Go to your completed Employee Work Contract template in the location where you saved it.

   Note: If the file you uploaded has any 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 it again.

8. Click Next.

   Note: If a value is in the Work Pattern Length Days field, the Work Pattern Review page opens.

To indicate the type of data you want to load:

1. Indicate whether you want to load work patterns:
   • Yes: Activate provides an extensive data template so you can load work contracts, effective dates, and all work pattern-related data like shift type, times, net hours, and locations.
   • No: Activate provides a simple data template so you can load only work contracts, effective start, and end dates.

   Note: You must answer this question to continue.

2. Click Next.

To download, update, and upload the Employee Work Contract file:

1. On the Work Contract Review page, click Download File.
2. Select the location on your computer where you want to save the document.
3. Open the document on your computer and update the information.
4. Click Save and close the document.
5. On the Work Contract Review page, click Upload File.
6. Go to and select your completed document on your computer.
7. Click Refresh.

To update information in the grid manually:

1. Click in the field to be edited.
2. Enter or select the new information.
3. Make the changes as appropriate.
   • To delete a row, click in the row and click Delete.
   • To add a row, click New.
   • To download the template file, click Download File and save it to your computer.
   • If you make a change by mistake and haven't saved the change, click Refresh to undo the change.
   • To save the errors, click Download Errors File and save the file on your computer.

     Note: To navigate in the grid, click Tab to move to the right and click Shift Tab to move to the left in a row. Use the scrollbars on the right side and bottom of the grid to go to other areas of the grid.

4. Repeat this process for all additional changes needed.
5. Click Save.

   Activate verifies the information again.

6. Click Load.

   How the If the Length in Days field impacts the load

   If the Length in Days field...	Then...
   Has a value	The Work Pattern Review page opens.
   Doesn’t have a value	The Load page opens.

To complete and upload the Employee Work Pattern template:

The Work Pattern Review page opens when you click Next on the Work Contract Data page and there is a value in the Work Pattern Length Days field. The data previously loaded on the Work Contract page is included on this page.

1. On the Work Pattern Review page, click Download.
2. Select the location where you want to save the template document.
3. Open the WorkPatternDataTemplate.xlsx template on your computer.

   Note: You can also download an empty Employee Work Pattern template from the Download Template Files page.

4. Complete all columns on the WorkPatternData tab 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.

   Note: Instructions for populating the fields are in the Work Pattern Template Fields section (below) and on the Instructions tab of the template.

5. Click Save and close the template.

   You can use any file name for the template you upload. The document must be an Excel or CSV (Comma-Separated Value) document and contain the data in the required format.

   Important: Don’t change the name of the tab because Activate uses it to validate that the correct template is being uploaded.

6. On the Work Pattern Review page, click Upload.
7. Go to your completed Employee Work Pattern template in the location where you saved it.

   Note: If the file you uploaded has any errors, a Validation Failed message shows in red at the bottom of the page to indicate what the errors are. You must correct the errors in the file on your computer and upload the file again.

8. Click Load.

To install employee work information:

1. On the Install page, 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) is also shown.

   Note: If you want to add more information, click I want to add more.

Results

Fields populated in Dayforce

The data uploaded from the Employee Work Contract template populates the fields on the Work Contracts page in Dayforce.

Note: If you haven’t already, you must select an employee.

The data uploaded from the Employee Work Pattern template populates the fields on the Work Contracts page in Dayforce.

Note: You must select an employee if you haven’t already done so.

Files generated by the Employee Work Contract & Work Pattern wizard

After completing the Employee Work Contract & Work Pattern wizard, a single import file is automatically generated and placed on the customer's FTP site.

HR Import

• FTP Subdirectory: Import/HRImport
• Filename: <Namespace> HRImport <DateTime>.xml

Example illustrating how Activate translates the template data to XML:

Employee Work Contract

<?xml version="1.0"?>
-<EmployeeImport xmlns:cs="urn:cs">
    -<Employee>
        <XRefCode>000151</XRefCode>
        <EmployeeNumber>000151</EmployeeNumber>
        <FirstName>Maloney</FirstName>
        <LastName>Aaron</LastName>
        -<WorkContract>
            <ContractXrefCode>CONTRACT</ContractXrefCode>
            <StartDate>2022-03-01</StartDate>
            <EndDate>2023-03-01</EndDate>
            <WorkPatternLengthDays>7</WorkPatternLengthDays>
        </WorkContract>
    </Employee>
</EmployeeImport>

Employee Work Pattern

<?xml version="1.0"?>
-<EmployeeImport xmlns:cs="urn:cs">
    -<Employee>
        <XRefCode>000151</XRefCode>
        <EmployeeNumber>000151</EmployeeNumber>
        <FirstName>Maloney</FirstName>
        <LastName>Aaron</LastName>
        -<WorkContract>
            <ContractXrefCode>CONTRACT</ContractXrefCode>
            <StartDate>2022-03-01</StartDate>
            <EndDate>2023-03-01</EndDate>
            <BaseHours>38.0</BaseHours>
            <WorkPatternLengthDays>7</WorkPatternLengthDays>
            <CreateShiftOnHolidays>true</CreateShiftOnHolidays>
            -<WorkPattern>
                <WorkPatternDayIndex>0</WorkPatternDayIndex>
                <ShiftTypeXrefCode>FIXED</ShiftTypeXrefCode>
                <NetHours>7.6</NetHours>
                <OrgXrefCode>UNI_1</OrgXrefCode>
            </WorkPattern>
            -<WorkPattern>
                <WorkPatternDayIndex>1</WorkPatternDayIndex>
                <ShiftTypeXrefCode>SHIFT</ShiftTypeXrefCode>
                <ShiftTimeBegin>1900-01-01T09:00:00</ShiftTimeBegin>
                <ShiftTimeEnd>1900-01-01T17:00:00</ShiftTimeEnd>
                <NetHours>7.6</NetHours>
            </WorkPattern>
            -<WorkPattern>
                <WorkPatternDayIndex>2</WorkPatternDayIndex>
                <ShiftTypeXrefCode>FIXED</ShiftTypeXrefCode>
                <NetHours>7.6</NetHours>
                <OrgXrefCode>UNI_4</OrgXrefCode>
            </WorkPattern>
            -<WorkPattern>
                <WorkPatternDayIndex>3</WorkPatternDayIndex>
                <ShiftTypeXrefCode>FIXED</ShiftTypeXrefCode>
                <NetHours>7.6</NetHours>
                <OrgXrefCode>UNI_7</OrgXrefCode>
            </WorkPattern>
            -<WorkPattern>
                <WorkPatternDayIndex>4</WorkPatternDayIndex>
                <ShiftTypeXrefCode>OFF</ShiftTypeXrefCode>
            </WorkPattern>
            -<WorkPattern>
                <WorkPatternDayIndex>5</WorkPatternDayIndex>
                <ShiftTypeXrefCode>OFF</ShiftTypeXrefCode>
            </WorkPattern>
            -<WorkPattern>
            <WorkPatternDayIndex>6</WorkPatternDayIndex>
            <ShiftTypeXrefCode>FIXED</ShiftTypeXrefCode>
            <NetHours>7.6</NetHours>
            </WorkPattern>
        </WorkContract>
    </Employee>
</EmployeeImport>

Next steps

Complete the next wizard, as appropriate.

Employee Work Contract & Work Pattern wizards

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.

For an example illustrating how Activate translates the template data to XML, click here.

Employee Identifier (Required)

First Name (Required)

¹ Special characters accepted within the string include: alphanumeric, space, period, apostrophe, dash, number symbol #, comma, underscore, forward slash /, parentheses (), &

Last Name (Required)

Work Contract (Required)

¹ Special characters accepted within the string include: alphanumeric, space, period, apostrophe, dash, number symbol #, comma, underscore, forward slash /, parentheses (), &

Effective Start Date (Required)

Effective End Date

Work Pattern Length Days

Work Pattern Data template instructions

Employee Identifier (Required)

First Name (Required)

¹ Special characters accepted within the string include: alphanumeric, space, period, apostrophe, dash, number symbol #, comma, underscore, forward slash /, parentheses (), &

Last Name (Required)

¹ Special characters accepted within the string include: alphanumeric, space, period, apostrophe, dash, number symbol #, comma, underscore, forward slash /, parentheses (), &

Work Contract (Required)

¹ Special characters accepted within the string include: alphanumeric, space, period, apostrophe, dash, number symbol #, comma, underscore, forward slash /, parentheses (), &

Effective Start Date (Required)

Effective End Date

Work Pattern Length Days

Work Pattern Day Index (Required

Shift Type (Required

¹ Special characters accepted within the string include: alphanumeric, space, period, apostrophe, dash, number symbol #, comma, underscore, forward slash /, parentheses (), &

Shift Time Start

Shift Time End

Net Hours

Organization

¹ Special characters accepted within the string include: alphanumeric, space, period, apostrophe, dash, number symbol #, comma, underscore, forward slash /, parentheses (), &