Salary Transaction

The Salary (SAL) is used to report employees' base salary and pensionable allowances, including pensionable lump sum allowances. A salary transaction should be reported each time an employee's base salary or pensionable allowance changes.

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Salary Transaction - Modifier Code

The SAL transaction can perform the following changes:

  • Commence (add a new salary record) or
  • Delete (delete an existing salary record)

The “Modifier Code” C is used to commence a new salary transaction and will automatically close the previously posted salary record of the same salary type.

The “Modifier Code” D is used to delete a previously posted salary record if the previous data was incorrect. The “Modifier Code” D may be followed by a “Modifier Code” C transaction(s). When using “Modifier Code” D, it is important to use the exact same “Effective From Date”, and “Salary Type” previously posted in Penfax.

When to Report a Salary Transaction

Salary types, including allowances, have to be reported for new employees. Any changes in salary or allowances also need to be reported.

Taken on Strength Salary Reporting

  • Report the corresponding salary data in the same update as the Taken on Strength (TOS)
  • Report an open salary record for every type of TOS, including when a TOS is input for an employee in qualifying status. The “Effective To Date” needs to be blank for an open salary record

Example

Employee hired as a casual for 4 months – March 1, 2011 to June 30, 2011. Process a TOS and SAL transaction for the employee.

Step 1 (Taken on Strength Transaction)

  • Effective From Date: 2011/03/01 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
  • Effective To Date: 2011/06/30 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
  • Employee Type Code: K (Full Time Casual - Specified period not to exceed 90 working days in one calendar year in any particular department or other organization)
  • Pension Type Code: 53 (Term/Casual  6 mths, F/T - P/T  12 hrs not grandfathered)

Step 2 (Salary Transaction)

Modifier Code: C

  • Salary Type: 001
  • Effective From Date: 2011/03/01 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
  • Effective To Date: blank (for open salary record)
  • Salary Amount: $50,000.00

How to Commence a Salary/Allowance

To commence a salary or pensionable allowance record, a SAL transaction must be processed using the Modifier Code C.

A salary or allowance can be reported as an open or closed record. To report an open salary record, the “Effective To Date” needs to be blank. To report a salary that is closed and in the past, the “Effective To Date” also needs to be populated.

Note

The “Effective From Date ”must be prior to the Struck off Strength (SOS) date when reporting retro-active salary/allowance after a termination of employment (SOS transaction).

Example for How to Commence a Salary/AllowanceFootnote 1

Open Salary

Modifier Code: C

  • Salary Type: 001
  • Effective From Date: 2011/03/01 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
  • Effective To Date: blank (for open period)

Closed Salary

Modifier Code: C

  • Salary Type: 001
  • Effective From Date: 2011/03/01 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
  • Effective To Date: 2011/06/30 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)

All other fields pertinent to a salary transaction must also be completed (Example: rate base, Standard Work Week (SWW))

The Rate base must be congruent with the amount entered.

For example, you cannot enter $90,000 with rate base of 6 (monthly).

If an Allowance is entered without a basic pay on the account, it will cause a posting error.

An allowance does not override any salary or another allowance.

How to Amend an Existing Salary/Allowance

To amend a salary or pensionable allowance record, a SAL transaction must be processed using the Modifier Code C as well as D in some situations. The “Effective From Date, Effective To Date” and “Salary Type” used in the transaction need to match the original dates reported in Penfax for a delete transaction; if not, the transaction will reject.

Example 1 (amendment to salary, same from and to dates)Footnote 2

  • Salary posted to Penfax: 2010/06/01 to 2010/06/30 at $60,000.00
  • Salary needs to be amended to: 2010/06/01 to 2010/06/30 at $55,000.00:
    • Modifier Code: C
    • Salary Type: 001
    • Effective From Date: 2010/06/01 - AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
    • Effective To Date: 2010-06-30 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
    • Salary Amount: $55,000

All other fields pertinent to this salary line must also be completed (Example: rate base, Standard Work Week (SWW))

Example 2 (amendment to salary, different from and to dates)Footnote 3

  • Salary posted to Penfax: 2010/02/18 to 2010/04/28 at $50,000.00
  • Basic salary needs to be amended to: 2010/02/18 to 2010/03/31 at $45,000.00 and from 2010/04/01 to 2010/04/28 to $50,000.00:

    First delete original Salary and then create new one

  • Transaction #1 (posted on Day 1)
    • Modifier Code: D
    • Salary Type: 001 (mandatory, must match original)
    • Effective From Date: 2010/02/18 - “ AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)”
    • AM/PM indicator: 1 or 2
    • Effective To Date: 2010/04/28 - “AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)”
    • Salary Amount: $60,000
  • Transaction #2 (posted on Day 2, in separate Batch)
    • Modifier Code: C
    • Salary Type: 001
    • Effective From Date: 2010/02/18 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
    • Effective To Date: 2010/03/31 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
    • Salary amount: $45,000
  • Transaction #3 (posted on Day 2, same Batch as Transaction #2)
    • Modifier Code: C
    • Salary Type: 001
    • Effective From Date: 2010/04/01 - AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
    • Effective To Date: 2010/04/28 - AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
    • Salary Amount $50,000

All other fields pertinent to these salary lines must also be completed (Example: rate base, Standard Work Week (SWW))

Note

When sending a delete then a commence transaction, each needs to be done in different batches and on separate days; if not, it will create a posting error.

How to Close a Salary/Allowance

Closing a salary or allowance can be done using different transactions depending on the employee's situation.

  • For an employee who's terminating, the SOS transaction closes the salary and/or allowance(s) that are still open. A salary transaction is not needed
  • Commencing a new salary will close the previously open salary record
    • Acting Pay Example:

      To end a period of on-going acting pay and to reinstate the salary, a SAL transaction must be processed with the “Effective From Date” of returning to the original substantive position. A Status Change (STS) transaction must also be entered to reinstate the classification of the original substantive position

  • Commencing a new allowance (different type) will not close an ongoing allowance (ie. on going bilingual bonus; adding a dirty work allowance). To close an allowance for an active employee, commence a SAL transaction using the “Effective From Date” and “Salary Type” previously posted on Penfax. The “Effective to Date” should be the date the allowance ends; posting an end date closes the open period

How to Delete a Salary/Allowance

To delete a previously posted salary record, an SAL transaction is required using the “Modifier Code” D. When using “Modifier Code” D, it is important to use the exact same “Effective From Date” and “Salary Type” previously posted to Penfax.

Example (closed period)

  • Basic Pay Salary (Salary Type 001) posted to Penfax needs to be deleted: 2012/01/04 to 2012/01/17 at $50,000.00:
  • Modifier Code: D
    • Salary Type: 001 (mandatory, must match original)
    • Effective From Date: 2012/01/04 (mandatory, must match original)
    • Effective From Date AM/PM indicator: 1 or 2
    • Effective To Date: blank
    • Effective TO Date AM/PM indicator: blank
    • Salary Amount: $50,000

Example (open period)

  • Open Bilingual Bonus (Allowance code 141) posted to Penfax needs to be deleted:
    2012/01/04 to (open):
  • Modifier Code: D
    • Salary Type: 141
    • Effective From Date: 2012/01/04
    • Effective From Date AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
    • Effective To Date: blank
    • Effective To Date AM/PM indicator (1 or 2): blank
    • Salary amount: enter the allowance amount

Note

When sending a delete then a commence transaction, each needs to be done in different batches and on separate days; if not, it will create a posting error. In most situation, a delete and commence are not required, the commence transaction alone will overwrite the information currently in Penfax by plugging in the data using the From and To date of the transaction.

How to Report a Change in Hours

All change in hours need to be reported as this may have an impact on the employee's eligibility to contribute. If the “Employee Type” changes as a result of the (Assigned Work Week) AWW/SWW change, a STS transaction will also be required to amend the “Employee Type”.

Change in Hours can only be reported by doing a SAL transaction or a STS transaction.

Example using the Salary transaction for How to Report a Change in Hours

The AWW/SWW were entered incorrectly and posted to Penfax for the period from 2010/02/18 to 2010/04/28. The hours of work reported were 30 hours per week when it should have been 25 hours per week with no change in the employee type.

Modifier Code: C

  • Salary Type: (mandatory, must match original)
  • Effective From Date: 2010/02/18 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
  • Effective To Date: 2010/04/28 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
  • Salary amount: $45,000
  • Standard Work Week (SWW): 37.50
  • Assigned Work Week (AWW): 25.00

For a part-time position, the AWW represents the part-time hours being worked and the SWW represents the full-time hours of the position. Ex: AWW: 18.75, SWW: 37.50. Do not enter AWW: 18.75, SWW: 18.75 for a part-time position. A part-time Employee Type code is also required with part-time hours; if not, the hours will cause posting errors.

How to Report a Non-Standard Work Week Change

Change to the “Non-Standard Work Week” field can be reported by doing a SAL transaction.

Example using the Salary transaction for How to Report a Non-Standard Work Week Change

The “Non-Standard Work Week” was entered incorrectly and posted to Penfax for the period from 2010/02/18 to 2010/04/28. The field was entered as code 1 (Yes, employee works a Non standard work week) when it should have been entered as a code 2 (No, employee works a Standard work week).

Modifier Code: C

  • Salary Type: (mandatory, must match original)
  • Effective From Date: 2010/02/18 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
  • Effective To Date: 2010/04/28 – AM/PM indicator (1 or 2)
  • Salary amount: $45,000
  • Standard Work Week: 37.50
  • Assigned Work Week: 37.50
  • Non Standard Work Week (NSWW): 2
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