Online payroll system launched

A new Human Resources Management System was launched during the summer of 2004. It enables the entire UR faculty and staff members in all six colleges, the Medical Center and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics to check and access their individual payrolls, time and labor management and various benefits. “The University of Rochester is the second largest employer in Rochester,” HRMS manager Timothy Eldred said. “So it is important to understand that this system is for the entire community.”Eldred added that payrolls are only a small portion of the new system, and that there are more features such as managing job applicants, offering benefits to staff members and maintaining up-to-date information for over 16,000 full- and part-time faculty and staff members. Under the old human resource system, all the necessary documents were handled on paper and sent by mail. The new system allows faculty and staff members to do all its functions online.Since the new system is all computerized, it can track staff members’ sick or vacation days accurately.”There are system issues that papers did not have,” technology assistant for the International Services Office Susan Palmer said. “But with the new system, I can access [the HRMS] from home and it is much more accurate.”The new system uses the most recent version of the PeopleSoft’s software so UR can always upgrade into the new version. “The system’s upgrade is never static and it is always dynamic,” Eldred said.Although the new system experienced interface problems related to the NetID at first, it was solved quickly and since then, the system has been working properly. “It takes away the paper burden,” administrative assistant for the College Writing Program Kathleen Picciano said. “I’m optimistic that in the long run, it will be more convenient.” For those who were not comfortable using the online system, more than 100 training sessions were offered through the months of May, June and July prior to launching the new system in order to make the transition smoothly. Out of more than 16,000 employees, 7,000 attended these sessions. Eldred noted that some are having issues with the system. “There is still room for improvements,” he said. “We want to make the system more user-friendly.”Professor William Hauser of the history department said that he was suspicious about the new system at first, when he had trouble logging into the HRMS due to its interface problems.”But they worked those bugs out of the system [and] it seems to work quite well,” Hauser said. “So, overall, I like the system.” Some, however, were worried. “I’m a little wary of it, to be honest,” sophomore Kumiko Tanaka said. She felt that there was a danger of fraud or just losing track. Aoyama can be reached atyaoyama@campustimes.org.