Topics Map > Human Resource System (HRS) > Finance > FN Learning Path
Completing Simple Encumbrance Maintenance - Close out in HRS
Overview
This document shows how to research and zero out an encumbrance balance for a specified employee, funding string and/or Project.Process Considerations:
- The steps described below to trigger an encumbrance zero-out should not be done until after all payments have been made to the employee using that funding; in an ideal situation, once the payroll has processed after the last payment is made to the employee. When this time period has elapsed, in most instances, the encumbrance will zero itself out with no further action needed.
- There may be occasions when salaries and fringe encumbrances are at $0, but other encumbrances remain. Encumbrances that are not related to salaries and fringes cannot be zeroed out using HRS funding entries. The campus needs to contact either their Purchasing Department or the grant accountant. For UW Madison only, see UW-Madison Purchasing Services.
- Leave With Out Pay and Furlough Earnings Codes are not encumbered; the dollar amount tied to these Earnings Codes on an employee's paycheck will not be liquidated.
- The encumbrance process does not recognize an employees Expected Job End Date (EJED) entered in Job Data; however, the resulting/eventual Job Data termination row will trigger an encumbrance recalculation.
- An employee with an FTE less than 0.10 (Standard Hours less than 4.0) will not encumber, resulting in the "Encumbrance Override" box automatically being checked in Job Data > Job Information tab > Standard Hours section.
- If an employee experiences an FTE change in Job Data to 0.10 FTE or above, the Encumbrance Override box will need to be manually unchecked to allow encumbrance calculations to resume for the rest of the current fiscal year for that Empl Rcd.
- If an employee with below 0.10 FTE had an encumbrance balance at the time of their termination, the encumbrance balance will not zero out until the Fiscal Year End (FYE) encumbrance clear.
- Summer Session (Pay Group BSR) and Summer Service (Pay Groups BVR and BVF) do not encumber in HRS.
- For UWMSN Summer Session and Summer Service only, encumbrance balances are created in SFS/WISER, but are not tied to HRS
- Questions regarding UWMSN Summer Session and Summer Service encumbrance balances in WISER should be directed to uwsaproblemsolvers@uwsa.edu
You may click on the links below to navigate directly to a section:
Instructions
A. WISER Encumbrance - Project Search
Take note of issue specifics to be reviewed; this includes Empl ID, Empl Record, funding string (including project) and encumbrance amount to be closed.1. Log into WISER and select the appropriate Business Unit and Fiscal Year
2. Follow navigation path Main Menu > Projects > Find Awards/Projects
3. Enter Project number in Project ID field
- Project Status field should be blank
4. Click Search
5. The following information will display; note any encumbrance balances
- If encumbrance balance is not $0, click project number in Fund & Proj column
6. The following information will display; note that only salary/fringe encumbrance balances can be zeroed out with a funding entry (discussed at later step)
7. Click on the balance in the Salary lines in the Encumbrances column for more details
- Changing from the Standard view to Salary/Fringe will provide the names of employees who may have encumbrances that are not yet at $0
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B. WISER Encumbrance - Encumbrance Search
1. Log into WISER and select the appropriate Business Unit and Fiscal Year
2. Follow navigation path Main Menu > Payroll > Find Salaries & Encumbrances
3. Enter the Project number in Project field
4. Click Search
- Use other search criteria as necessary if there is no project within the funding string in question
- Transaction Type defaults to Salaries; change selection as needed
5. The following information will display; note any employees with Encumb. Balances not at $0
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C. HRS Encumbrance
1. Log into HRS and follow navigation path Main Menu > Reporting Tools > Query > Query Viewer
2. Search for, select and run query UW_FI_ENCUMB_BYEMPLID_V2 in HTML
3. Enter the Fiscal Year and Empl ID, and click View Results
4. Confirm that the amount listed in the Sum Amount column for the funding string/project matches the WISER balance
NOTE: HRS encumbrance balance should always agree to WISER balance. However, if the employee has experienced a recent Job Data or funding change that would impact encumbrances, it may have not reached WISER; it usually takes 1-2 business days.
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D. Review Employee HR and Payroll Status
1. Check the employee’s HR status in Job Data to determine if this is an Active or Inactive employee
2. Follow HRS navigation path Workforce Administration > Job Information > Job Data
3. Enter Empl ID and Empl Rcd Nbr, then click Search to display the following results:
4. An Active employee must have funding in place that is different that the funding being zeroed-out, so current and future payrolls are funded
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E. Review Funding and Trigger Encumbrance Zero-Out
1. Review the Appointment-Level funding for the employee by following HRS navigation path Set Up HCM > Product Related > Commitment Accounting > Budget Information > Budget Funding Data Entry
- Accessible from the Finance WorkCenter found at Payroll for North America > Payroll Distribution > Commitment Accounting USA > UW Finance WorkCenter. For more information about the WorkCenter, see KB Setting Up a WorkCenter in HRS .
2. Enter the SetID, Business Unit, Department, Fiscal Year, Empl ID and Empl Record
3. Check the Include History box, then click Search
4. When screen displays, click View All, if this option is available
5. Confirm that the Project or funding string that should be zeroed out appears in at least one of the funding entries
- If it does not, double check the accuracy of the search criteria used
6. For an Active employee, if the most recent funding entry includes the Project or funding string that needs to be zeroed out, add a funding row and enter the new funding string. Projects will not close-out until all active employees have new funding sources assigned . See: Adding or Changing Appointment Level Funding for Employee's Salary Expense in HRS
- If the most recent funding entry does not include the project or funding string that needs to be cleared-out, or if the employees is inactive, continue to the next step
7. To zero-out the encumbrance, add a new funding row identical to the most recent row
- Click the Add a New Row icon (+) found in the most recent row
- Click View All
- In the new row, use the same Effective Date as the prior row
- Click Save
8. This entry should zero out the encumbrance and will post to WISER within a few business days; if it does not, contact UW-Shared Services Support; Get help from UW-Shared Services Support Team .
Additional Resources
Related KBs:
- Adding or Changing Appointment Level Funding for Employee's Salary Expense in HRS
- Reviewing the Earnings Encumbrance Messages Report in HRS
- Maintaining Encumbrances - Balance Not Correct or Doesn't Exist in HRS
- Finance Report List in HRS
- Funding and Direct Retro Security by Campus in HRS
- Funding Checklist and Timelines in HRS
- Review of the Nightly Encumbrance Process in HRS
- HR Report List for HRS
- Setting Up a WorkCenter in HRS
- Get help from UW-Shared Services Support Team