Steps for Adding an Activity Code

To add a new activity code, complete the following steps:

1. From the Configuration section>Staffing Card>select the Activity Codes screen.
2. Click on the Add button to open the screen to configure a new record.
3. Enter a Code to identify this record.

   The alphanumeric short name or abbreviation identifying this activity code.

   Activity codes can be up to eight characters in length, but it is recommended they are shorter, so they can print on the schedule reports in one line. The system is not case sensitive so you cannot have both a D1 (upper case D) and a d1 (lower case d) code, with upper and lower case letters the same.

   Do not use a space, comma, or semicolon in the code, as these are used as delimiters (characters that mark the beginning or end of a unit of data) when entering activity code/profile strings into the schedule grid. For more information, see Steps for Adding a Schedule or Calendar Directly into the Grid.

   Do not use spaces, commas, or semi-colons in the code field.

4. Enter a Description to create a label to describe the record.

   The label describing the activity code.

5. Enter the Start Time to indicate when this activity code is to begin.

   The time of day that this activity code begins, expressed in 24-hour time.

   For information on entering time values, see Time Fields in the Help section.

6. Enter the Length (Hours) (in whole and decimal hours) for this activity code. For example, if the activity code is for 8 and 1/2 hours, enter 8.5. Note: The lunch length is added to the activity code, so if the total length of the activity is 8.5 hours with 1/2 hour lunch, enter 8.0 hours in the Length field and .5 in the Lunch Length field.

   The length in hours of this activity without lunch length, entered in whole/decimal hours. If an activity runs from 07:00 to 15:30 with a half hour lunch, enter 8.0 hours for the length and .5 for the lunch. The system adds these together to make an 8.5 hour activity code.

7. Enter the length of the lunch break in the Lunch Length (Hours) field in whole and decimal hours.

   The total time of the lunch break expressed in whole/decimal hours. For example, a half hour lunch break should be entered as .5 hours. The Lunch Length value is added to the Length value to determine the ending time of the activity.

   For example, if the activity code has a start time of 7:00 and a Length of 8 and a Lunch Length of .5, the end time of the activity is calculated to be 15:30. If this same activity code has a Lunch Length of 1.0, the calculated end time is 16:00.

8. In the Display Color field, select a color for this activity code to display on the screen and on printed reports, if generated on a color printer.

   The color this activity code displays on the schedule screen and on printed reports when using a color printer.

   Colors can be used to denote time of day, such as day (blue), evening (green), and night (purple). Colors can differentiate types of work, such as on call, productive, and nonproductive. These colors make it easier to identify patterns or an unusual shift on the Schedule screen.

   More About Selecting Colors

   The Color Selector is used in fields where the colors displayed can be selected by the user (for example, activity codes, schedule visual cues, etc.)

   To select a Display Color, complete the following steps:

   1. Click on the Color Selector icon to the right of the Color field. The Color Selector palette appears in the right pane.
   2. Click on the color palette. A circle appears.
   3. Move the circle around on the palette to load the desired color into the Selected Color box.
   4. To adjust the hue of the Selected Color, move the arrow below the Shade box.
      • To lighten the color, move the arrow to the left
      • To darken the color, move the arrow to the right
   5. When the color is finished, click on the Accept button.
   6. The corresponding color identification code is loaded into the Color field.

   Colors can be used to denote time of day, such as day (blue), evening (green), and night (purple). Colors can differentiate types of work, such as on call, productive, and nonproductive. These colors make it easier to identify patterns or an unusual shift on the Schedule screen.

9. Enter the time and attendance Pay Code that this activity is associated with.

   The Time and Attendance pay code associated with this activity code. For example, a VAC (vacation) activity code may be associated with a PTO (paid time off) pay code.

10. Indicate whether this activity code is Active. Note: Activity codes which have been assigned to employees cannot be deleted, because they are part of the history of the system. Activity codes that are no longer to be used can be de-activated by setting this value to No.

    Indicates whether this activity code is currently being used by the system and can be assigned (Yes/No).

    Activity codes that are no longer valid but have been previously assigned cannot be deleted from the system. This is to maintain historical integrity of data. An activity code can be deactivated by setting this value to No, so it can no longer be assigned.

11. Enter the Organization Unit where this activity code is assigned. The structure level where the activity codes are assigned is set up with the initial configuration of the system and is visible on the Organization Link Level screen.

    Enter the appropriate organizational codes for this activity code. The corporate structure determines the organization level where activity codes are configured, and also the number of levels and label names available.

12. Select the Indicators and Parameters tabs and configure the settings for this activity code for each of the application cards. For more information, see the Rules and Parameters Specifications documentation.
13. Click on the Save button to save this activity code record.