Human Resources Manual - 205 - Self-Service with the Human Resource Information System

1. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) uses a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) for the efficient management of employee information, benefits and pay.  To meet program and service needs employees are required to use the HRIS self-service module.  Exceptions are made for employees identified as self-service exempt employees.

2. These guidelines and procedures apply to all employees, except those employed by the NWT Power Corporation and the Worker’s Compensation Board of the NWT and Nunavut.

3. HRIS is the Human Resource Information System.
4. Self-Service Exempt Employee is:
   1. a casual employee hired in any Department, Board or Agency for a period of 14 calendar days or less to do work of a temporary nature; or
   2. an individual employed by the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources as a seasonal fire fighter; who is not continuous throughout the year, but whose employment recurs in successive years; or
   3. an individual employed by the Department of Transportation as a highway worker who continuously works in remote areas and who has no access to a computer, or
   4. an individual who has been approved by the Department of Human Resources as Self-Service Exempt.
5. Management and Recruitment Services is the division of the Department of Human Resources responsible for “front-line” human resource services, client services and client service centres including benefits health and wellness administration.
6. Employee Services is the area in the Department of Human Resources that is responsible for providing pay and benefits, data management and the help desk.

7. Employees are provided training for HRIS self-service during documentation.
8. Employees are provided access to HRIS to enter time and leave information and to review and, if appropriate, alter personal information.
9. Refresher training, detailed self-service information and instructions are available on the Department of Human Resources Internet / intranet site.
10. Employees view their payroll advice and online.
11. Departments, Boards or Agencies may hire employees to meet program and service needs who, due to the nature or length of their employment, are not required to use the HRIS self-service module.  Self-service exempt employees are allowed to submit their time using a manual process versus the on-line HRIS self-service module.  A designated individual or the Department of Human Resources enters applicable time and leave for self-service exempt employees.
12. Employee records are maintained and disposed of in accordance with the relevant Records Disposition Authority.

Self-Service Employees

13. New employees must meet with Benefits for documentation.
14. Once new employees information is entered into HRIS by the Department of Human Resources, employees are then responsible for entering:
    1. time;
    2. additional earnings (such as overtime or responsibility allowance); and
    3. leave.

Self-Service Exempt Employees

15. Before the applicable hiring forms are completed, Management and Recruitment Services determine whether the employee meets the outlined self-service exempt criteria. 
16. In cases where the term of employment is less than or equal to 14 calendar days, the Human Resource Officer in Management and Recruitment Services advises the Human Resource Assistant via email that a casual employee has been hired and states in the subject line of the email that the employee is a self-service exempt employee.

The Human Resource Officer also includes the following information in the body of the email:

1. employee name;
2. employing department;
3. manager’s name;
4. employee start date; and
5. employee termination date.

17. In cases where the employee is a seasonal fire fighter or a highway worker, who will be employed for more than 14 calendar days, no notification to the Human Resources Assistant is required.  Termination dates for these individuals will be noted when the Human Resource Assistant runs the Pending Future Action Report.

18. Management and Recruitment Services advises the hiring department that the individual is self-service exempt, and provides instructions describing how the employee will submit time and leave.  Management and Recruitment Services also advise the hiring department that the required time reporting and leave forms are available on-line at: http://www.hr.gov.nt.ca/forms/.
19. Using paper copies of the forms provided, self-service exempt employees complete the required time sheets, leave forms and overtime forms as applicable and submit to their supervisor within the appropriate pay periods. 
20. The supervisor reviews and signs time, overtime and leave forms and, if located in a region, faxes the forms to their regional Human Resource office.  If located in Yellowknife, the forms are faxed (867-873-0168) to the Data Management unit of Human Resources Employee Services office.

Self-service Exempt Employees - Termination of Employment

21. The Human Resource Assistant creates follow-up BF’s for self-service exempt casual employees for two days prior to their termination date.  Termination dates for seasonal or highway workers are obtained from the weekly Pending Future Action Reports.
22. The Human Resource Assistant contacts the Human Resource Officer to ensure that the termination date is still correct.
23. If the date is correct, in addition to the normal termination of employment processes, the employee completes all final time sheets as well as any applicable overtime forms and leave forms and submits to their supervisor.
24. The supervisor signs time, overtime and leave forms and, if located in a region, faxes the forms to their regional Human Resource office.  If located in Yellowknife, the forms are faxed to the Data Management unit of Human Resources Employee Services office.
25. The Department of Human Resources follows the step-by-step clearance procedure and completes the clearance checklist.
26. When all functions on the clearance checklist are complete, the Department of Human Resources completes the termination.
27. If the termination date has been extended and the term of employment for a casual employee makes the period of employment greater than 14 calendar days, the Human Resource Officer in consultation with the Management and Recruitment Client Services Manager assesses the new length of employment and determines whether the employee should be changed to a self-service user. If an employee is changed to a self-service user, the Human Resource Services Officer: 
    1. Contacts the employee to provide user support information; and
    2. Contacts the employee’s supervisor to advise that the individual will be captured in HRIS as a self-service user for the remainder of their employment.