Defining Counting Rules for Attendances and Absences

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to define counting rules to ensure employee attendances and absences are recorded correctly

Attendance and Absence Counting Rules

To calculate the duration of an attendance or absence, the system first references the number of planned hours from the daily work schedule valid for the specific day. However, this method may not work for counting the duration of an attendance or absence on certain days, such as public holidays. For such situations, you use rules to control how the daily duration of an attendance or absence is counted.

Units for Calculating Duration of Attendances and Absences

The duration of an attendance or an absence is calculated using the following types of units in the SAP system:

Calendar days:
The system calculates calendar days using actual calendar days for the attendance or absence. Partial days are calculated as 0 calendar days.
Attendance/absence hours, attendance/absence days:
The system calculates the attendance or absence hours by using the planned hours specified in the work schedule. Only the days on which the employee had planned hours are included in the calculation.
Payroll hours:
The  system uses payroll days and hours to deduct quotas. Payroll days, found in the number field of a wage type, are also used by the system during the processing of payroll. The calculation of payroll days and hours is controlled by the settings made for attendance or absence counting. In this way, you can also include attendance and absence days in the calculation for days on which the employee did not have any planned hours.

These units are included in the Attendances and Absences infotypes.

Rules

Some of the rules that apply to counting attendances and absences are as follows:

Counting rule:
The rules for counting attendances and absences are used to determine the payroll days and hours of an attendance or absence.
Rounding rule:
When attendances and absences are counted, the system may determine values to several decimal places. These decimal places are not normally used in quota deduction or in payroll. You assign a rounding rule to the counting rule to determine how the values are to be rounded.
Deduction rule for quotas:
The counting rule can also be assigned a deduction rule for quotas, which, in the case of quota deduction, determines which quotas are deducted in which sequence.

Conditions for Counting Rules​

A counting rule must be assigned to each attendance or absence type to ensure that the payroll days and hours are determined for the special attendance or absence. In addition, you must determine whether quota deduction is to be activated for each attendance or absence type. With quota deduction activated, the attendance or absence is deducted from quotas according to the specified quota deduction rules. These quota deduction rules are also assigned to the counting rule.

You need to define the counting rules for attendances and absences to determine payroll days and hours in Customizing. The counting rule is applied on the basis of the absence days and hours, which the system calculates using the planned hours specified in the work schedule.

Counting Rules

In a counting rule, you need to define the following specifications:

Required conditions:
You need to define the conditions that must be fulfilled for the corresponding counting rule to be used.

These include the following conditions:

  • Conditions for the current day (day of week, public holiday class)
  • Conditions for the work schedule (classification of daily work schedules and period work schedules)
  • Conditions for planned hours (> = 0)
  • Conditions for attendance and absence (full-day, partial-day)
Specifications for calculating payroll days and hours:
The counting rule needs to define how the payroll days and hours are calculated. Quota multipliers and rounding rules are used in the calculation.
Specifications for quota deduction:
For quota deductions, you can assign quota deduction rules to a counting rule.

A counting rule can consist of several individual rules. These individual rules are distinguished by their sequential number. The system searches through the individual rules until the conditions stated in one of the rules is met. The rule is then applied to the calculation.

Conditions for the Current Day

You can define the days on which a counting rule for absences and attendances is valid and counted in the Conditions for current daysection. In this section, you select the characteristics that the day must have for the counting rule to apply.

A current day can have the following characteristics:

  • The day of the week (Monday to Sunday)
  • The public holiday class (blank, 1 - 9)
  • The day type (workday or day off)

Note

You can select more than one option within a block. For the rule to be valid, at least one of the options must be selected for the block that is displayed.

Conditions for the Work Schedule

Depending on the type of work on a day or the work pattern, you can calculate the duration of absences and attendances differently.

You can specify the period work schedules or daily work schedules to which the counting rule is to be applied in the Counting class period work scheduleand the Daily work schedule classes. You can select from counting classes 0 to 9 for the period work schedules. Similarly, you can select from classes 0 to 9 for the daily work schedule classes. Different counting rules can be set up for different period work schedules, as well as for different daily work schedules. You can select more than one option within a block.

Note

You assign period work schedules to counting classes in the Define Counting Classes for the Period Work Schedule activity in Customizing.

Conditions for Planned Hours and Attendance and Absence

You can limit the validity of the counting rule according to the Conditions for planned hours and Conditions for attendance/absence. To define the condition for the planned hours from the daily work schedule, you can specify whether the planned hours must be equal to or greater than 0. To define the condition for the attendance and absence, you can specify whether the counting rule is valid for full-day or partial-day attendances and absences.

You can select more than one option within a block.

Counting Controls

After specifying the conditions for applying the counting rule, you need to define how the payroll days and hours are to be calculated when the specified conditions apply. You can specify different criteria for counting payroll days and payroll hours in the Hours and Days sections, respectively.

The table describes the counting criteria you can define for counting payroll hours and days:

Counting CriteriaDescription
Quota multiplierThis can be specified for each time unit. A quota multiplier of 100% means that the absence hours (or days) are weighted 100%.
Rounding ruleThis can be assigned to round the attendance and absence values up or down.
Multiply firstor round firstThese options are used to specify the sequence in which multiplying and rounding should take place when counting hours and days.

Rules for Rounding Days or Hours

When counting payroll days and hours, you can use rounding rules to round the determined values up or down. You can define several rounding rules, which can further consist of several complementary subrules. The system runs through the subrules until one is met.

The table describes the fields that you need to define for a rounding rule:

Rounding CriteriaDescription
RoRule (Rounding Rule)In this column, the system displays a two-digit number that uniquely identifies a rounding rule.
Lower limit

Upper limit		In these columns, you specify the lower and upper limits for the rounding interval in a rounding rule.
Incl. (Include)In the two Incl.columns, you activate the switch to specify whether the lower and upper limits are to be included when calculating the interval.
Tgt. Value (Target value)In this column, you specify the value to which you want to round up or down.
RollIn this column, you indicate if the interval is to be rolled (copied) to all subsequent intervals by activating the switch. In this case, the duration of the interval is always taken into account.

For example: According to rounding rule 01, all values between 0.5 inclusive and 1.5 exclusive are rounded to the target value 1. The interval is defined as rolling and is therefore carried over to the following intervals.

Note

Rounding rules can be assigned in counting rules. Rounding rules can also be used elsewhere; for example, to determine how absence entitlements are rounded.

Define Counting Rules

ExerciseStart Exercise

Business Example

Employees call in sick, go on vacation, participate in training courses, or go on business trips. You must record attendances and absences correctly for your company. You need to create counting rules to determine the payroll days and hours for attendances and absences. For this reason, you need to know how to define counting rules.

Define a counting rule to determine the payroll days and hours for absences.

Steps

  1. Define a counting class for the period work schedule that you created. You must make an entry for your period work schedule in the applicable Customizing view, because the counting class of a period work schedule is queried in the counting rules.

    1. In Customizing, choose Time Management → Time Data Recording and Administration → Absences → Absence Catalog → Absence Counting → Define Counting Classes for the Period Work Schedule.

    2. On the Change View "Period Work Schedule Valuation": Overview screen, select the first two entries.

    3. Choose the Copy As pushbutton.

    4. On the Change View Period Work Schedule First Valuation: Overview of Selected Set screen, enter PZ## (## = your group number) in the Period WS (Period work schedule) field and enter WP## in the second period WS field..

      Note

      Make sure that you copy the correct personnel subarea grouping (01).

    5. In the Cntg class (counting class) field, enter any counting class (between blank and 9).

      Note

      The counting class for the period work schedule could be used to differentiate between different period work schedules in a counting rule. If it is not used for this purpose then any counting class can be assigned. Example of usage: the 3 week rotating shift might be assigned a counting class of a 3 while the 4 hour Friday shirt might be a 1. Then different counting rules could be created for each class.

    6. Save your entries.

  2. Define a counting rule with two subrules to be used for your absence type LE##. Your personnel subarea TP## must be assigned to the personnel subarea grouping for time quotas 01. The applicable employee subgroups must be assigned to the employee subgroup grouping for time quotas 1. For these groupings, create counting rule 1## and name it Counting rule group ##.

    1. On the SAP Easy Access screen, enter SPRO in the command field and press ENTER.

    2. In Customizing, choose Time Management → Time Data Recording and Administration → Absences → Absence Catalog → Absence Counting → Rules for Absence Counting (New) → Group Employee Subgroups for Time Quotas.

    3. In the Determine Work Area: Entry dialog box, choose Continue.

    4. On the Change View "Employee Subgroup Grouping for Time Quotas": Overview screen, check the relevant employee subgroups (X0 and X1) to ensure that your employee is assigned to the employee subgroup grouping for time quotas 1.

    5. Go back to the initial Customizing screen and choose Group Personnel Subareas for Time Quotas.

    6. On the Change View "Personnel Subarea Grouping for Time Quota Type": Overview screen, check whether your personnel subarea TP## is assigned to the grouping 01.

    7. To check the rounding rules that you want to assign to your counting rule, return to the initial Customizing screen and choose Time Management → Time Data Recording and Administration → Absences → Absence Catalog → Absence Counting → Rules for Absence Counting (New) → Define Rules for Rounding Counted Absences. Rule 01 corresponds to the requirements of this exercise. The values determined are rounded to the next whole amount.

  3. Define a counting rule with subrule 001. Apply the following specifications to subrule 001:

    • The absence is to be counted on all seven days of the week.
    • The public holiday class of the day must not be 2, that is, the rule applies on all days except half-day holidays.
    • The absence is counted only if the day is a workday according to the work schedule.
    • Counting occurs for all period work schedules and all daily work schedules.
    • The rule applies only to days with planned hours greater than zero and to days that have full-day and partial-day absences.
    • Hours and days are to be counted as whole amounts (100%) and are rounded to the next whole number. Choose and assign a suitable rounding rule.
    • Absence hours and days are to be multiplied first by the quota multiplier before the values determined for payroll days and hours are rounded.
    • Do not enter any quota deduction rules in the Deduction rule section yet.

    1. In Customizing, choose Time Management → Time Data Recording and Administration → Absences → Absence Catalog → Absence Counting → Rules for Absence Counting (New) → Define Counting Rules.

    2. Choose the New Entries pushbutton.

    3. Enter the following values:

      FieldValue
      ESG Time quota types (Employee subgroup grouping)1
      PS Grpg Tm Quota Typ (Personnel subarea grouping)01
      Counting rule1## Counting rule group ##
      Sequential no.001

      Note

      Because the counting rule has two subrules, you need to enter the sequence number 001 in the Sequential no. field.

    4. In the Conditions for current day screen area, select the following options or values:

      SectionOption/Value
      WeekdaySelect all seven days
      Holiday classSelect Not a public holiday and the holiday classes 1 and 3 through 9
      Day typeWork acc. to work schedule

    5. In the Conditions for work schedule screen area, select the following options or values:

      SectionOption/Value
      Counting class for period workscheduleSelect all options
      Daily work schedule classSelect all options
      Condition for planned hoursPlanned hours > 0
      Condition for absence/attendanceChoose both < 1 day and Full-day

    6. In both Counting screen section areas, select the following options or values:

      SectionOption/Value
      Quota multiplier100
      Rounding rule01

    7. Retain the default option Multiply first for both Counting screen sections.

      Note

      No entries are required in the Deduction Rule section at this time.

    8. Save your entries.

  4. Add another sequence to your Counting rule 1##. Use a copy of subrule/sequence 001 as a template. Use subrule 001 with the following changes:

    • You want a new counting sequence to apply to days that have the public holiday class 2 (that is, half-day holidays). You want only half of these days to be counted.
    • A different rounding rule is to be assigned for counting. Values determined for hours and days are to be rounded to two decimal places. Use rounding rule 04 here.
    • Assign the applicable rounding rule in the Hours and Days sections of the screen. You also want to calculate the values first and then round them.
    • For days with the public holiday class 2, hours are to be counted as their full amount. Full-days are to be valued as half-days. Use the rounding rule 04.

    1. In Customizing, choose Time Management → Time Data Recording and Administration → Absences → Absence Catalog → Absence Counting → Rules for Absence Counting (New) → Define Counting Rules.

    2. On the Change View "Counting rule": Overview screen, select the subrule 001 you created.

    3. Choose the Copy As pushbutton.

    4. On the Change View "Counting rule": Details of Selected Set screen, enter 002 in the Sequential no. field.

    5. In the Holiday class screen area, select Holiday class 2 - public hol and deselect all other holiday classes.

      Note

      All other conditions in subrule 001 apply.

    6. To count in days, in the Days screen area under the Counting section enter 50in the Quota multiplier field.

    7. Save your entries.

Learning

SAP FacebookSAP YoutubeSAP LinkedIn