Personnel Requests

The Personnel Requests feature is part of the Standard Plus, Plus and Premium Subscription levels. If you are interested in this feature, create a ticket through the Knowledge Base if you are a direct Martus customer, or contact your Martus reseller if you are supported through one of our Martus partners.

Personnel requests allow Martus Admins to predesignate specific positions that can then be requested by non-admin users. These requests can be approved or rejected by a designated Personnel Request Approver.  When approved, the requested positions will be added to the default Personnel Budgeting Scenario.

Setup and Configuration

The following must be set for non-admin users to utilize Personnel Requests. These values can only be set by an Admin user or a non-admin user with the Config Personnel Budgeting permission. See below for steps to accomplish each requirement.

• Set the default personnel budgeting year
• Set the default personnel budgeting scenario 
• Set a user as the Personnel Request Approver

How To Give Users Access to Make Personnel Requests

1. Go to Setup > Users > Make Personnel Requests
2. Click 'Save'

Default Personnel Budgeting Year & Define Personnel Request Approver

1. Go to Personnel Budgeting > Scenarios
2. Navigate to the appropriate year
3. Click Config  
4. Click Set [Year] as Personnel Budgeting Year if required
5. Click the dropdown for Personnel Request Approver and set if required
6. Click Save

Notes about approvers:

• The Personnel Approver can be an Admin or a non-admin user.
• This user may but does not have to have any other access to Personnel Budgeting information.
• The user assigned as the approver can approve or reject any Personnel Requests, regardless of any dimensional limitations for that user.
• This user can only approve personnel requests for the year(s) to which they are assigned.  
• If the user assigned as the Personnel Request Approver does not have access to Personnel, Martus will automatically update their User record and grant them access.

Default Personnel Budgeting Scenario

Only the default scenario is visible to non-admin users. Admin users may set any scenario as “current” to specify which scenario they want to work with.

1. Go to Personnel > Scenarios > Scenarios Tab
2. Click Set as Default on the appropriate scenario

Position Template Scenario

The Position Template Scenario defines all the positions for which personnel requests can be made. These are called “position templates”. Each position template must be assigned a title, a position type, dimensions for an existing budget worksheet, and the default pay items for that position.

Create Position Templates:

1. Go to Personnel > Scenarios
2. Type in a name
3. Click 'Add'
4. Click 'Set as Current' 

Notes about Position Templates:

• Each Position must be a unique combination of Position Type and Dimensions
• Each requestable position must be added by an Admin user or a non-Admin user with the Config Personnel Budgeting permission.

Add Positions to the Template

1. Go to the Positions tab
2. Add Positions as appropriate - either via Martus or via import
3. Each Position template is defined by the Position Type and dimensions so you must add those 
4. Once you hit 'Save' make sure to add any of the pay types that are applicable to this request

How to Make Personnel Requests

1. Go to Personnel Budgeting > Personnel Requests
2. Click Select Target
3. Choose the appropriate dimension combination and click 'Select'
4. The 'Position Type' from the dropdown will be picked
5. Mandatory field: [Quantity] will be how many of these positions you need to request
6. Mandatory field: [Start month] has to be filled out 
7. Number of months can be filled out if the position is temporary or seasonal but can be left blank if a full time employee
8. Click 'Add'
   
   

Reviewing the List of Personnel Requests

As positions are requested, they’ll be listed at the top of the Personnel Requests page. Use the filters at the top of this list to view pending, approved, rejected, or all requests. Personnel requests are visible only to the requester, an Admin user, and the user designated as the Personnel Request Approver.  This list is used to delete pending requests; only the requester can delete pending personnel requests.

Approving and Rejecting Personnel Requests

The personnel request approver can approve or reject personnel requests. Select to approve, reject, or ignore the pending requests. Add comments as necessary, then click Save. An email will be sent to the requester to inform them of any approvals or rejections. The comments will be included in the email. Any requests that are set to be ignored will remain pending for later review. Whenever a request is approved, that position will be added to the default personnel budgeting scenario.

Reviewing Approved Personnel Requests

Approved personnel requests are added to the default personnel budgeting scenario. They are listed on the Positions, Detail, and Summary pages, and personnel allocations could be applied to them, just like all other positions. In addition, the Summary has a special filter to limit the display just to approved personnel requests.
  

To Allow 

Personnel Budgeting - Managing User Access

Personnel Budgeting is available at all subscription levels within Martus, except Essentials. 

Enhanced permissions for Personnel Budgeting (to allow non-admins to access Personnel Budgeting for their assigned dimensions) and Personnel Requests are available only at the Plus and Premium subscription levels.

For Admin Users - Personnel Password

If you have Admin users who should not be able to access Personnel Budgeting, Martus support can add a password to your instance. 

Create a ticket through the Knowledge Base if you are a direct Martus customer, or contact your Martus reseller if you are supported through one of our Martus partners. Ask for a password to be set, and provide the password and a back up user who can know and adjust the password.

If there is a lock icon next to Personnel Budgeting, there is a password in use and users will be prompted for the password when clicking on Personnel Budgeting:

A user must only enter the password once for the Personnel section during each login session. (i.e., not each time they select Personnel Budgeting selected from the menu).

User Permissions

For more information on setting up users and permission, click here.

Payroll Taxes

Add Payroll Taxes - Choosing the Right Method

There are two methods of calculating the employer responsibility for payroll taxes. You want to use one of these methods to avoid doubling the payroll tax.

• Automatic: controlled by the Config settings along with the tax status settings on pay types and positions
• Pay Type: By assigning pay types with appropriate percentages to each position to be taxed

You can use the automatic method for calculating payroll taxes if both of these are true:

• You use a single GL account for both the Social Security and Medicare components of FICA.
• You have no employees whose compensation is high enough to be affected by the Social Security tax limit, or if the difference that this would make in your budget is minimal enough that you wish to disregard it.  (Social Security tax limit is set by the IRS each year. For 2022, it is $147,000.  No Social Security tax is due on compensation above that amount.)  

You must use the pay-type method for calculating payroll taxes if either of these are true:

• You use separate GL accounts for the Social Security and Medicare components of FICA.
• You have employees affected by the Social Security tax limit and you want to budget more precisely for the effect on employer payroll tax.

Note: This document is written from the perspective of US payroll tax requirements. Martus also supports payroll tax methods in other countries. The automatic method is of limited usefulness outside the US, but the pay-type method is very flexible and supports a wide variety of payroll tax requirements. Martus Support can help to configure pay types for payroll tax needs in countries outside the US.

Using the Automatic Method for Payroll Taxes

Three settings work together to determine what compensation is taxed.

• The Config settings define the tax rate for each fiscal year.

Using Pay Types to Calculate Payroll Taxes

If you use the pay-type method, you will create pay types for payroll tax and assign them to positions. (You will not assign them to positions that are not subject to payroll tax.)  

Each payroll pay type is associated with source pay types (such as Salary, Wages, Bonus, etc.)  When you assign a payroll tax pay type to a position with any or all of these source pay types, the tax amount is calculated automatically. If you change the rate for any of the source pay types on that position, the payroll tax amounts are updated automatically.  

If you use separate GL accounts for Social Security and Medicare, you will need two separate pay types. You’ll only need one pay type if you only use one GL account for FICA (and chose to use the pay type method because the Social Security tax limit has a significant impact on your compensation budget).

This example illustrates how to set up a pay type for Social Security tax.

Tax – Use the dropdown to set this to Is Tax.  (Non-taxable is also acceptable, although the Is Tax setting supports additional features within Martus.)

For each percentage pay type, assign the source pay types which are to be used as the basis for the payroll tax calculation.  The illustration shows just three source pay types, but you can assign as many as you need. This makes the payroll tax dependent on these source pay types.

Notes:

• When you use the automatic method, payroll tax is not shown on the Position screen or on the Detail screen.  You can see payroll tax on the Summary screen, although you’ve also got a flag on that screen so that you can exclude taxes from the display.
• Whenever you post a scenario to a Martus budget, the calculated payroll tax is always included.
• If you use the automatic method, be sure to verify the Config rates each year as you prepare for budget season!

Using Pay Types to Calculate Payroll Taxes

If you use the pay-type method, you will create pay types for payroll tax and assign them to positions. (You will not assign them to positions that are not subject to payroll tax.)  Each payroll pay type is associated with source pay types (such as Salary, Wages, Bonus, etc.)  When you assign a payroll tax pay type to a position with any or all of these source pay types, the tax amount is calculated automatically. If you change the rate for any of the source pay types on that position, the payroll tax amounts are updated automatically.  

If you use separate GL accounts for Social Security and Medicare, you will need two separate pay types. You’ll only need one pay type if you only use one GL account for FICA (and chose to use the pay type method because the Social Security tax limit has a significant impact on your compensation budget).

This example illustrates how to set up a pay type for Social Security tax.

Tax – Use the dropdown to set this to Is Tax.  (Non-taxable is also acceptable, although the Is Tax setting supports additional features within Martus.)

Category – Use the dropdown to set to this to Percentage.

Frequency – This must be set to Month.

Limit – This specifically supports the US Social Security tax limit, where the employer responsibility for payroll tax is calculated until the employee’s compensation exceeds the limit.  For the Social Security pay type, enter the result of multiplying the tax rate (currently 6.2%) by the annual limit established by the IRS for the calendar year in which your fiscal year starts. For example, if your fiscal year starts in July 2022, use the 2022 tax limit ($147,000) as the basis for this calculation.  

Leave the Limit blank if you have no employees whose compensation is high enough to be affected by the Social Security tax limit, or if the difference that this would make in your budget is minimal.  

Calendar Limit – If your fiscal year starts in January, or if you have not set a Limit above,  leave this blank.  If your fiscal year starts in any month other than January and you specified a limit, then select this checkbox. The limit calculation will take the payroll tax presumed to have occurred in the months between January and the start of the fiscal year into consideration.

Employer Percent – This should be set to 100% for all payroll taxes.

Source Percent – Enter the tax rate here. For US Social Security, the current rate is 6.20. For US Medicare, the current rate is 1.45.

Add the Pay Type to the Position

Once you have set the pay item up you then can add the pay type to the employee under Personnel > Scenarios >Positions > click the pencil icon of the position you want to edit > click 'Add Pay Type'

The Taxable flag on each position. When set, the tax percentage defined in the Config settings is used to calculate payroll tax on any taxable pay types assigned to this position. This should be left blank on positions to which payroll tax does not apply.

For each percentage pay type, assign the source pay types which are to be used as the basis for the payroll tax calculation.  The illustration shows just three source pay types, but you can assign as many as you need. This makes the payroll tax dependent on these source pay types.

Notes:

• When you use the pay-type method, the Taxable flag on positions is ignored.
• If you use the pay-type method, be sure to review the rates and limits each year, in preparation for budget season.

Viewing Payroll Taxes

The Summary screen has a checkbox that controls the display of payroll tax information. This applies to automatic payroll taxes and Is Tax pay types.  

The Detail screen only shows payroll tax information if you are using the pay-type method.  Taxes calculated with the automatic method do not show on the Detail screen.

Budgeting for Pooled Positions

Included on Positions in Personnel Budgeting is a setting for creating pooled positions: “Is Pool”.

When set, the FTE value of that position will be multiplied by the compensation indicated in the assigned pay items to determine the total compensation for that position. A special note under the list of pay items reminds you that compensation for this position is based on the FTE value assigned.

Keep in mind with each 'Pooled Positions' you make the hourly rate and the hours worked will stay the same amount.

If you have multiple pooled positions where they are paid different rates or hours you would have to create multiple pooled positions.

Create A Pooled Position

1. Go To Personnel Budgeting > Scenarios > Positions Tab
2. Click the pencil icon of the position you want to make pooled
3. Check 'Is Pooled'
4. Enter the FTE value of the position 
5. Add their pay type and determine their hours per pay period and starting rate 

What is my FTE? 

1. Your FTE will be the number of employees that are in this pool
2. For example if I have 3 interns my number will be 3

How Does Martus Calculate This?

1. Martus will multiply the starting rate and the hourly rate together and then apply that number to the frequency of the pay rate as determined. It will then take that number and multiply it by the FTE to give the monthly budget number for all 3 positions
2. Example:
   The intern is paid 100.00 an hour and works 10 hours per paid period - which is 2 weeks
   ((100.00)(10))*(2) = 2,000
   We have 3 interns so (2,000)*(3)= 6,000
3. We budget for these 5 positions 6,000 a month. 

Example: 

NOTE: If you use a pay item with a limit for your social security tax, you will want to use a separate pay item, with no limit, for pool positions.

Use the filter on the Positions list to select only Pool positions for review.  

Add Pay Type Mid Year

Step 1 - Determine Coverage

We first have to determine if the pay item we are adding mid year has a coverage attached to it. 

Go to Personnel Budgeting > Pay Types > Search for the pay type you need to add > click the pencil icon and scroll down 

You should also see the coverage levels that are associated with this pay type. We will add the coverage in the next step. 

If there is a coverage attached follow Step 2 - otherwise skip to step 3 

For example: 

I want to add Health Insurance to my employee mid year. The pay type 'Health Insurance' is set as 'Coverage 1'

Step 2 - If Coverage - Update Employees Coverage

If there is a coverage - you must update the employees coverage under Personnel Budgeting > Employees > Edit > Coverage > Save

For example: 

My employee is going to be adding Heath Insurance - so I choose the drop down under 'Coverage 1' to their tier of Health Insurance. This employee has the coverage level of 'Employee' for Healthcare so I choose that option and hit 'Save' 

Step 3 - Add The Pay Type to the Employee

Add the Pay Type to the employee under Personnel Budgeting > Scenarios > Positions tab > Click the pencil icon of the employee you need to edit > Add 'Pay Type' > Choose from the drop down > edit any areas needed > Hit 'Save' 

You will see if there is a 'default' amount that it will automatically pull that number in for you - you can leave that area blank if the starting value is correct

Step 5 - Zero Out Months

To 'zero out' the months that the employee did not have this pay type 

Click the 'Detail' tab > Filter for the position that was updated > check the box for the line we need to update > Click 'Update Pay Items' 

Choose the time frame the employee should not have had health insurance and then choose 'Flat' and we are going to add the original month amount as a negative number going out to 5 decimal places and then click 'Update' 

For example:

The employee did not have Health Insurance from Jan - Mar. The health insurance costs 400.00 a month. To zero it out we change our time frame to Jan- Mar and then make the figure -399.99999,

Using Stat Accounts in Personnel Budgeting

This feature is currently available to Standard Plus, Plus and Premium customers with a Sage Intacct integration.

Stat accounts can be utilized in Personnel Budgeting to allow for staffing information - such as FTEs - to flow from personnel scenarios to the Planner budget worksheets. This information can then be reported on in Planner Summary and Financial reports and also viewed by users in their planner worksheets. Additionally, stat accounts can be used in Reporting Groups (Plus and above subscriptions) to assist in allocations or formulas using FTEs.

It may be beneficial to create multiple stat account pay types if there is a need to distinguish certain types of FTEs or for other uses. 

Creating a Pay Type Based on a Stat Account  

1. Go to Personnel Budgeting > Pay Types.
2. Click Add New Pay Type.
3. Enter a Name.
4. Choose the appropriate stat Account.
5. Set Tax to Non-Taxable.
6. Fill out all other fields as appropriate.
7. Click Save.

Assigning a Stat Pay Type to Positions   

Add a stat Pay Type to any position as you would any other pay type, via the Position, the Pay Items tab or import/export.

1. Go to Personnel > Scenarios.
2. Ensure the appropriate scenario is Selected by clicking Set as Current.
3. Click on the Positions tab.
4. Click Edit to update a position.
5. Click Add Pay Item.
6. Choose the appropriate Pay Type.
7. Enter the appropriate Starting Rate / Amount. (Normally the same number that is in the Full Time Equivalent field.)
8. Click Save.

Viewing Stat Accounts in the Scenario  

1. Go to Personnel > Scenarios.
2. Ensure the appropriate scenario is Selected by clicking Set as Current.
3. Click on the Summary tab.
4. Choose the option in the Pay Type filter to Show Pay Types with Stat Accounts.
5. Click Load.

View Stat Accounts in the Budget

After posting the personnel scenario to the Planner budget, the stat accounts will show on the Stats tab in the budget worksheet.