Kronos Timekeeping and Scheduling System Key Messages Key Message #1: Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) is implementing Kronos, a completely automated timekeeping and scheduling system, beginning in February 2014 and continuing in phases through July 2014. Kronos will be used at all Henry Ford Health System locations. About Kronos: Kronos plays a key role in consistent, accurate time tracking, shift scheduling, absence management, data entry and approval processing. Employees will have easy access to their schedules, including CTO/PTO, to view and print. Using Kronos, employees can request time off and departments will have improved ability to forecast and fulfill scheduling needs. Employees with non-exempt (hourly) job classifications will swipe in and out using the Kronos system. Some employees will sign in and out, with the same type of functionality, using the Kronos PC entry system. Exempt (salaried) employees will use Kronos mainly to request time off, verify their own time, and verify and approve the time of the employees who report to them. The rollout schedule for Kronos: Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014: Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital*, Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals**, and Greenfield Health Systems. June 2014: Henry Ford Hospital, Henry Ford Medical Group, and Behavioral Services. July 2014: Community Care Services (includes Continuing Care*), Corporate Services, Health Alliance Plan, Project Helios, Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital* and Henry Ford OptimEyes*. Specific dates for the June and July rollouts will be shared when they are finalized.
*These locations currently use the Kronos system and will be receiving an upgraded version of the software/application with the same functionality that is being deployed throughout the organization. **At Macomb, the Warren Campus is receiving the same upgraded version. Key Message #2: Kronos is a significant investment in information technology and, similar to Project Helios/Epic and HAP 2.0, will result in improved efficiency and consistency System-wide. Kronos allows HFHS to: Simplify and automate employee timekeeping and reduce manual data entry. Accurately record time in and time out for every shift and provide real-time attendance information. Reduce the time required for payroll processing, adjustments and finalization. Reduce time spent by managers reviewing time worked and approving vacation time. Minimize compliance risk by providing high-quality, real-time information that is centralized and comprehensive. Kronos enhances HFHS' ability to comply with pay regulations. Help refine staffing levels and manager labor costs, such as overtime. Improve consistency and accuracy in applying pay rules and policies and improve paycheck accuracy. Improve the accuracy of time recorded for both non-exempt (hourly) and exempt (salaried) employees prior to review by managers for approval. Give greater visibility to employees of their work schedules and CTO/PTO. Key Message #3: Exempt (salaried) and non-exempt (hourly) employees will use Kronos for scheduling, requesting time off, and approving time worked, once their location goes live. Detailed information will be provided in Kronos training. Non-exempt employees will be able to see their schedules at a time clock or PC, and view their schedules using Kronos. Department managers or schedulers will enter non-exempt (hourly) employee schedules into Kronos. For exempt employees and physicians, a 40-hour work week will be pre-populated into the Kronos system. Exempt employees will use Kronos mainly to request time off, verify their own time, and verify and approve the time of the employees who report to them.
Non-exempt employees will use either the time clocks or a PC, depending on their specific department. Exempt employees will use a PC to verify their own time and the time of employees who report to them. Schedules will be created for a four-week period in advance. However, time off can be requested greater than four weeks ahead. When employees request CTO/PTO, they will be able to see their CTO/PTO balance. This eliminates the need for employees to go back and forth between Employee Self Service and Kronos. Key Message #4: All non-exempt (hourly) employees will be required to swipe in and out at a Kronos time clock using their identification badges or sign in and out with PC entry in their designated areas. Employees at business units that will be using Kronos for the first time will be able to practice swiping or signing into the system prior to the day their business units go-live. Additionally, there will be a two-week launch period immediately following the go-live date in these business units. During this launch period employees will not be formally penalized for not punching in and out. After the launch period ends, non-exempt employees not punching in and out will be subject to corrective action. Detailed information will be provided. Some employees will require new badges. To determine if you need a new badge: Turn your badge over. If it has a black magnetic strip on the back, you do not need a new badge. If it does not have a black strip on the back, you will need a new badge. As go-live dates draw near, re-badging information specific to each business unit will be communicated. Important timekeeping procedures for non-exempt employees: Employees swipe/sign in no more than six minutes before their shift start time unless prior authorization from a manager or supervisor is given. Swiping/signing in one minute or later after the scheduled start time is recorded as tardy. There is no grace period for tardy arrivals. Employees may not swipe/sign out before the end of their scheduled shifts or more than six minutes after their shift ends unless authorized to do so by their manager or supervisor.
For example: Shift start time: 7 a.m. Swipe/sign in between 6:54 and 7 a.m. Shift end time: 4 p.m. Swipe/sign out between 4 and 4:06 p.m. Employees who swipe/sign in earlier than six minutes before the start of their shift or later than six minutes after the end of their shift will receive a verbal warning on the first incident and advance to documented counseling or the next step in corrective action every two incidents thereafter, up to and including termination. Employees failing to swipe/sign in or out ( missed punch ) three times in a three-month period will be subject to corrective action, up to and including termination. Exception Time There are times when swiping/signing in early or late is necessary. In these cases, non-exempt (hourly) employees should complete an entry in the Kronos Exception Log. Each unit/department will determine where Kronos exception logs are kept. Exception logs must be completed prior to the end of the shift. Use the exception log when: Worked hours are different from the original schedule. There is a missed swipe/sign in or out. All exception time must be approved daily by a manager or designee with a signature. Incomplete or unapproved entries will not be paid or entered into Kronos. Overtime must be authorized in advance by a manager or supervisor. Approving hours Both non-exempt and exempt employees will be required to have their department manager approve their time using Kronos. Managers approve each employee s time before Payroll accesses it to process paychecks. Manager approval helps ensure accuracy in payroll, and reduces the number of time exceptions and the need for additional payroll processing. All employees are expected to approve their time by the end of the pay period and can do it on a daily basis.
Manager approval can take place anytime after the last shift in a pay period and up to noon, the Monday prior to pay day. For example: o The first pay period after the Feb. 23 rollout ends Saturday, March 8 with employees paid on Friday, March. 14. o Manager approval is required by noon, Monday, March. 10. Details about approving hours are covered in Kronos training. (See Key Message #5.) Key Message #5: Through training, all managers/timekeepers/schedulers and employees will learn more about Kronos and how to use it. Reminders about when to register for training will be communicated through business unit newsletters and emails when each area s go-live date draws near. Training for Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals, Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, and Greenfield Health Systems is currently underway. Specific information is being communicated to these business units through print and electronic vehicles as well as leader meetings and via managers at the business unit level. This information is also included in the Essential Facts sheets which are part of the manager s tool kit available on Manager s Zone on HR Connect. Key Message #6: In addition to the updates to the HR Policy 6.25 Kronos Timekeeping and Exception Time, available on HR Connect under Forms & Policies, several policies have also been updated and will go into effect Sunday, Feb. 23. This is a result of an indepth analysis of pay practices and will create more consistency throughout the organization. Employees who are in job classifications that are affected will be contacted by their Manager and HR Business Partner. Note to managers: For more information about Kronos, helpful FAQs, links to policies, a flyer to post in your area and more, log on to Manager s Zone on HR Connect.