Workflow notifications can be used by most applications in the suite. A workflow notification is delivered within 180 seconds to appropriate recipients by any of the following methods:
Each workflow notification is triggered by a specific event. For navigator and mobile destinations, many alerts can be configured to open a specific widget automatically. See Recommended widgets receiving alerts for the tested combinations of alerts and widgets.
Key features used by workflow notifications include the following:
When configuring certain alerts, you can include a URL to a navigator widget within an email notification.
If you use this option, be aware of the following:
When configuring an alert, the Message area enables you to customize the Subject, Long Message, and Short Message text boxes.
Note : By default, UKG Workforce Central uses Twilio, a third-party cloud communications service, to provide SMS messaging services. To configure a different provider, see Configure SMS alerts.
You can configure either the Long Message or Short Message for delivery to a social network.
Many notifications include custom tags that can be used to pass data from the system to the recipient of the notification. These include data types such as manager name, pay period, start time, start date and many more. Custom tags are data placeholders in the body or subject line of a notification. Values are assigned to tags by the system and travel through the notification process, where they replace the tags in the content of the message.
Custom tags allow you to create notifications that contain specific information about the event that triggered the notification. For example, notifications can include the name of the manager who signed off on a timecard or the name of the event that was completed.
You can include custom tags in either the subject or message of a notification and there is no limit to the number of custom tags that you can include.
Before a notification that contains a custom tag is delivered, the custom tag is evaluated and replaced by the specific information represented by the tag.
Different notification types make use of different custom tags—each representing a different piece of information about the event—and not all notification types use custom tags. For information about notification types and their specific use of custom tags, refer to Step 2: Create workflow notifications and click the link for the notification type that you are configuring.
When a workflow notification is created, you:
To configure a workflow notification, complete the following steps. After the workflow notifications are created, you can add them to the Alerts widget or view them in a mobile app as as described in Configure alert destinations.
Notification Profiles define how workflow notifications are delivered: email, Inbox, navigator, mobile, a social network, or SMS text message. If you change a user's Notification Profile, the delivery methods for that user changes.
To work with Notification Profiles, log on as an administrator and select Setup > System Configuration > Notification Profile . In the Notification Profile workspace, you can:
If you click New , Duplicate , or Edit , the Notifications Profile Editor opens.
For time and attendance products, you assign a Notification Profile in the People Editor. If you are using Workforce HR, notifications are email only and can only be sent to the HR Administrator, Payroll Administrator , or Benefit Administrator . These notifications are added with Default "Recipient list will be provided at run time.". You assign the Notification Profile to the position default so employees who are hired or change position will be assigned the appropriate Notification Profile.
If you are using Workforce HR, you identify the Notification Profile as part of the Default Position Suite Setup so that new hires or employees changing positions are assigned a Notification Profile automatically.
To add a Notification Profile as part of the default position setup:
When you hire an employee, you then use the Default Position definition to streamline the process.
Although the mechanism for triggering workflow notifications alerts varies with each UKG Workforce Central application, the starting point is to create a workflow notification .
To create a workflow notification, log on as an administrator and select Setup > System Configuration > Workflow Notifications . Then, click New and select a notification type. The fields that appear vary depending on the type of notification you are configuring.
Note : Workforce HR/Payroll notifications can only be sent to the HR Administrator, Payroll Administrator, or Benefit Administrator. For more information, refer to Workforce HR/Payroll Self service System Administrator Guide .
This notification is sent at a specified interval of time before or after the end of a pay period. A HyperFind query determines the recipients.
For example, you can use a query that returns all employees whose timecards contain missed punches. The message in the notification could notify employees of the missing punches, remind them of the importance of punching in and out for the day, or both.
To create a pay-period based employee notification:
This notification is sent at a specified interval of time based on the number of days or hours before or after the end of a pay period. HyperFind queries determine the recipients and content.
To create a pay-period based manager notification:
Employee List — A list of the employees returned by the selected Employees HyperFind query who are associated with the manager receiving the notification.
You can create notifications for three timecard actions by managers:
Select one of these notifications and enter the following:
Manager Name — Notifications that use the Manager Name custom tag are only sent to employees who are associated with a manager. To associate an employee with a manager, edit the employee’s access profile in the People Editor.
These notifications are sent when a Group Edit has completed or failed. The notification is automatically sent to the manager who initiated the edit.
To create a Group Edit Completed or Failed notification:
This notification is sent when the application server is started or restarted. There is no automatic recipient. The notification is sent by e-mail to the specified users only. (This type of notification cannot be sent to the recipient’s Inbox, navigator, mobile device, as an SMS message, or via a social network.)
To create an Application Server Booted notification:
This notification is sent when the system determines that the database server is unavailable. There is no automatic recipient. The notification is sent by e-mail to the specified users only. (This type of notification cannot be sent to the recipient’s Inbox, navigator, mobile device, as an SMS message, or via a social network.)
To create a Database Server is Unavailable notification:
This workflow notification is only triggered when a scheduled event has failed . The notification is sent by e-mail only. (This type of notification cannot be sent to the recipient’s Inbox, navigator, mobile device, as an SMS message, or via a social network.)
The notification is not sent if the event fails to start or shuts down due to operating or hardware errors.
To create an Event Status notification:
The Event Status Notification:
This notification is sent when a user-selected event occurs on a user-selected service. There is no automatic recipient. Notification is sent by email to the specified users only. (This type of notification cannot be sent to the recipient’s Inbox, navigator, mobile device, as an SMS message, or via a social network.)
Only one Server Notification can be defined per system. After you create a Server Notification, the Server Notification type is no longer listed in the Select Notifications Types dialog box.
This notification type supports multiple subnotifications for different events. The text and distribution lists for the sub-notifications are configured separately.
To create a Server Notification:
Occurs if an SQL statement generates a severe error. All SQL statements that return a SQL State class value not equal to 00, 01, or IM are treated as severe errors.
Occurs if the number of in-use licenses of a particular type reaches a threshold percentage value. The notification is resent with each subsequent license that is used as long as the number of licenses used is still above the threshold value.
To set the threshold value, select the E-mail tab in System Settings, and edit the value for site.e-mail.license.percent . The same threshold is used for all license types.
If you edit a server notification, you can add recipients and messages:
In the Additional Recipients text box, type or paste the e-mail addresses of additional people who should receive this subnotification. Separate multiple e-mail addresses with a comma.
Enter the message for the subnotification in the Message text box. To include custom tags in the message, place the cursor in the message text box, and the click Insert Custom Tag .
The following custom tags are available, depending on the service and event pairing:
Database Error Code — The ID number associated with the error that triggered the notification.
Database Error Message — The error message associated with the event that triggered the notification.
Generic notifications are an extensive category of alerts that are associated with a number of application-specific functions to send messages to users. Generic notifications are used to generate the following types of alerts:
To configure a generic notification:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
The Leave tags reflect the information on the Frequency & Duration and Notification panels on the General tab in the Leave Case Editor. Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Select from the following custom tags:
Additional configuration steps are necessary to define the event that triggers alerts. These steps are different, depending on the UKG Workforce Central application:
Events that trigger timekeeping events alerts:
Events that trigger scheduling alerts include:
Send an alert when a plan is released or the budget is released.
Events that trigger Leave alerts include:
Events that trigger Attendance alerts include:
Alerts can be sent to project creators, reviewers, and stakeholders when a project is:
Alerts can also be sent to store managers if a project is overdue or canceled, and if an urgent project is released to the store.
Notify the payroll administrator when an employee submits a life event change, open enrollment change, name/marital change status change, direct deposit change, or tax withholding change.
The following sections provide more details.
This example explains how to set up a simple workflow notification alert to notify employees when their manager has approved their timecard. Log on as SuperUser or an administrator and complete the following steps:
Create two workflow notifications— Timecard Approved and Timecard Signed Off.
Now, when the manager approves a timecard, the employee is notified according to the delivery mechanism defined in the employee’s Notification Profile. In this example, the employee is set up to receive notifications in email and in navigator.
When the employee receives the email message, because we configured one-click navigation, the URL to the hourly timecard is included in the message.
When employee clicks the URL, the employee’s navigator opens. If the employee’s navigator is not already open, the logon screen opens. When the employee logs on, the widget defined in the Alerts sub-category (Widget Receiving Workflow Notifications Alert) opens. In this case, My Timecard opens in the primary position.
The alert on the left with the number 1 displayed at the top of the navigator. When the employee clicks this alert, a drop-down list appears with the Timecard approved message displayed.
Each type of alert is linked to a specific widget. When a user clicks an alert, the widget that opens should help the user address the subject of the alert.
Although you can configure an alert to open any widget, Kronos has tested the following alerts to open specific widgets with appropriate context. For example, if you are configuring an alert to notify employees that a time-off request period is open, you should configure the ESS Calendar to be the “receiving” widget. That way, when an employee clicks the alert, the employee’s calendar will open with the request period displayed.
Time-off request period
Employees receive an alert that a time-off request period is open.
The employee’s calendar displays the actual request period (not the submit period).
If the request period is “any time,” the calendar displays the next schedule period.
Open shift request period
Employees receive an alert that an open shift period is ready.
The employee’s calendar displays the actual request period (not the submit period).
If the request period is “any time,” the calendar displays the next schedule period.
Shift swap period
Employees receive an alert when a shift swap request period is open.
The employee’s calendar displays the actual request period (not the submit period).
If the request period is “any time,” the calendar displays the current schedule period.
Request to cover period
Employees receives an alert when a request to cover period is open
The employee’s calendar displays the actual request period (not the submit period).
If the request period is “any time,” the calendar displays the current schedule period.
Posted schedule alert
Employees receive an alert that the schedule has been posted.
The employee’s calendar displays the date range of the span posted.
Schedule change alert
Employees receive an alert when any of their shifts have changed from the posted schedule.
The employee’s calendar displays the date range of the span posted.
Unposted schedule alert
Employees receive an alert that their schedule has been unposted.
The employee’s calendar displays the date range of the span posted.
Pending released plans
The employee receives an alert for any “pending” released plans that the logged-on user has not yet worked on and promoted back.
Basic Budget Planner
The plan that requires attention appears without additional context and without a time period in the Basic Budget Planner.
Store manager receives an alert when the budget is released.
Basic Budget Planner
The plan that requires attention appears without additional context and without a time period in the Basic Budget Planner.
Timecard edited after employee approval
The employee receives an alert that the manager edited his or her timecard after he or she approved it.
Specific timecard for the specific time period.
A manager receives an alert that an employee is approaching the overtime threshold.
The manager’s Schedule widget displays the current schedule period and All Home.
A manager receives an alert that an employee has reached the overtime threshold.
The manager’s Schedule widget displays the current schedule period and All Home.
A manager receives an alert that an employee will reach the overtime threshold.
The manager’s Schedule widget displays the current schedule period and All Home.
Absence Management (Leave and Attendance) alerts
The case administrator receives a alert that an employee is approaching the maximum number of certified duration or total time incidents available and may need re-certification.
Leave Case editor — Frequency and Duration menu
Specific leave case (case number) for the person associated with the leave case.
The case administrator receives a notification that an employee has exceeded the maximum number of certified duration or total time incidents available and may need re-certification.
Leave Case editor — Frequency and Duration menu
Specific leave case (case number) for the person associated with the leave case.
The case administrator receives a notification that an employee is approaching the maximum number of certified frequency incidents available and may need re-certification.
Leave Case editor — Frequency and Duration menu
Specific leave case (case number) for the person associated with the leave case.
The case administrator receives a notification that an employee has exceeded the maximum number of certified frequency incidents available and may need re-certification.
Leave Case editor —Frequency and Duration menu
Specific leave case (case number) for the person associated with the leave case.
The case administrator receives a notification that the employee is out of paid leave time.
Leave Case editor
Specific leave case (case number) for the person associated with the leave case.
The case administrator receives a notification that the employee is out of unpaid leave time.
Leave Case editor
Specific leave case (case number) for the person associated with the leave case.
The case administrator receives a notification that the leave case has changed to a non-FMLA case because the employee has reached the maximum allowed time.
Leave Case editor
Specific leave case (case number) for the person associated with the leave case.
The case administrator is notified that an employee’s documents are about to become past due.
Leave Case editor — Documents menu
Specific leave case (case number) for the person associated with the leave case.
The case manager is notified when a discipline level for an employee has moved and an action needs to be taken.
Leave Case editor — Incidents tab
Rule that was triggered, person who triggered it, information about the rule, all of the incidents for the person.
Employee self-service changes
The manager is notified when an employee makes self-service changes such as benefit enrollment, tax withholding, and direct deposit changes.
With the navigator framework, you can provide users with many views into their UKG Workforce Central environment. If a navigator includes too many widgets, an email notification that contains a one-click URL may not open the appropriate widget or you may see an error message, “There are too many widgets to open. Some of them were automatically closed and can be found in the RI pane.”
Although there are no hard and fast rules to avoid this from occurring, consider the following general guidelines: Conceptually, each widget type can be assigned a relative size of small, medium, or large. The average memory size for large widgets is 20 MB. For medium widgets, it is 5 MB and for small widgets, it is 1 MB.
When configuring navigators, you should consider the number of widgets that can be opened simultaneously. A general rule of thumb is 70 MB for the total memory limit for a user. That means that if a navigator includes four “large” widgets (as defined in the following table), an email notification that contains a one-click URL may not function as designed.