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Setting Up HR Benefit Codes

HR Benefit Codes (help also says HR Benefits Codes) defines each benefit plan type — for example Life Insurance, Health Insurance, Disability, 401(k) — including vendor/eligibility/ACA info, benefit options, and the earnings and deduction/liability (DL) codes and rates tied to the plan. The form lives under HR and Payroll → Human Resources → Benefits, not Setup/Maintenance.

Create the code first; assign it to HR Benefit Groups afterward (groups are not a prerequisite). Push rates to resources with HR Benefit Update, then to Payroll with HR Update Benefit/Salary to PR when Update PR is on.

Before you start​

  • PR earning codes and deduction/liability codes exist for any earnings or DL rows you will attach.
  • For DL rows with a Frequency: the DL’s Calculation Category should be E-Employee or A-Any (procedure requires this when a frequency is assigned; field help states it more strongly).
  • Frequency codes exist in HQ Frequency Codes (required on earnings rows; optional on DL rows).
  • Vendor (if used) exists in AP Vendors — address defaults from that vendor. Country must be valid for the state in HQ States; required when the address is outside the company default country (help cites HQ Company Setup or HQ Company Parameters).
  • For ACA health plans: know MEC / self-insured answers before completing the ACA section.

Steps​

  1. Open HR Benefit Codes.
  2. On Info, enter Benefit Code (up to 10 characters), Description (up to 30), optional Plan Name / Plan # (20 each), Reporting Info, Vendor and address/contact/phone/fax, Eligibility Basis (Days / Months / Years / blank) and Eligibility Period (disabled when basis is blank), and Update PR (checked = related earnings/DLs can update to PR; can be overridden per resource on HR Resource Benefits).
  3. For ACA health coverage, complete the ACA section: Health Plan, then Minimum Essential Coverage and Self Insured only if Health Plan is checked.
  4. On Benefit Options, add option numbers and descriptions (for example Self, Self+Spouse, Self+Dependents, Self+Family), including ACA Coverage and notes as needed. Option description feeds the Option Description on Earnings and DL tabs.
  5. On Earnings Codes and/or Deduction/Liability Codes:
    • Enter Earning Code or DL Code.
    • Enter Option (required, numeric) so the same earning/DL can carry multiple rates (for example medical tiers).
    • Enter Frequency (required for earnings; optional for DLs).
    • Enter New Rate and Effective Date. Old Rate is 0.00 for a brand-new rate. If New Rate already holds a rate you are replacing, run File → Move New Rates to Old first so the current rate stays in effect until Effective Date — that move affects all earnings and DL codes on the benefit; for a few rates, type the old rate manually instead.
    • Leave Updated YN unchecked when you want later updates to flow to resources / PR (see below).
  6. Save.
  7. Optionally assign the code to groups in HR Benefit Groups, then assign to resources on HR Resource Benefits.

Update PR and Updated YN​

There is no field-by-field “online” post from this form to Payroll. Payroll update is the program HR Update Benefit/Salary to PR.

For a code to update to PR, typically all of the following apply: Update PR is checked on the benefit; Ready Y/N is on in HR Resource Benefits; employee and benefit are in the update selection; you are in the active HR company; resource only (Dependent Seq# = 0 — dependents are not updated); resource Effective Date ≤ update form Effective Date; Updated YN is unchecked; Exists in PR is checked with PR Empl # set; the resource/benefit is not already in another batch. Earnings go to PR Automatic Earnings; DLs go to PR Employee Deductions/Liabilities. Employee-based DLs need a processing sequence; Ready = N skips that earning/DL.

Updated YN is shared across help wording for both “updated to HR Resource Benefits” and “updated to PR.” Practical rule: leave it unchecked so HR Benefit Update and PR update can pick up changes; if it is checked, resource updates are blocked. After a successful update the system may check it; when the benefit later changes, the system unchecks it again.

Notes​

  • Employer vs employee cost is not separate amount fields on this form — it comes from which DL you attach and the employee-based flag (when the benefit is added on HR Resource Benefits, Employee-Based is checked for all DLs).
  • Related: HR Benefit Groups, HR Resource Benefits, HR Update Benefit/Salary to PR, HR Benefit Update, HR Benefit Initialization, HR Batch Process.