HR

Step-by-step guide

This guide will show you how to update Base Data in your Paylink configuration. 

Contents

• Disclaimer
• What is Ciphr Paylink Base Data?
• Step 1 - Creating the new Base Data module (code)
• Step 2 - Configuring each Payroll with the new Base Data element

Disclaimer

Please carefully consider the implications of adding data items to the Base Data configuration of the Paylink. For customers that may have payroll integration (API transfer for example) and even for those who import Ciphr Paylink .csv files directly into the payroll software, making changes to the Base Data file can in some circumstances cause the transfer / import to fail because the receiving system has not been configured to accept the new Base Data pay element.

What is Ciphr Paylink Base Data?

Base Data from a Ciphr HR perspective is any payroll related field that needs to be configured into the Ciphr Paylink, and is typically found in the following areas of the system:

• Personal Details
• Job and Pay
• Further Information Fields

Current exclusions include:

• Absence
• Employee Additional Information

An example of typical Base Data is shown below:

Base Data differs from Payments and Allowances which are typically one-off or monthly amounts to be paid or deducted from a salary. Base Data is the payroll critical data that is required as a minimum to process the employee in the payroll software.

Scenario
The Payroll / Finance Team require an additional reporting element that could feed through from HR via the Paylink. For example, payroll need to know the Contract for each new starter, or they need to know the Contract for a person if / when it changes in HR and a new Job and Pay record is inserted as a result.

Step 1 - Creating the new Base Data module (code)

In order to add Contract type to the Ciphr Paylink Base Data, the first step is to create a new Paylink Module (Code) for this element.

Click on:

• Latest menu: Payroll > Payroll Configuration > Paylink Modules
• Pre-2025 menu: System > Payroll Configuration > Paylink Modules

Then select the Payroll Type: This usually states Ciphr Payroll or Ciphr Universal Paylink.

All of the existing Paylink modules will be displayed, so the next step is to Insert New Record. A blank form will appear that allows the user to create a Code and Description for this element and decide whether the field should be set as Text, Date or Number and whether this is going to map (in Step 2) to an item in the Base Data, Payments or Allowances.

Typically, the Code will be a number like 001, but it can also be an abbreviation so for example CON might be the Code and Contract is the Description. The Description entered here will show on the Base Data .csv file that is produced at the Validate stage of the Ciphr Paylink workflow.

The Format is a dropdown list and the choice will determine the Length and Decimals as follows:

• Text can have a Length up to 50 characters, Decimals should be set to 0
• Date should have a Length of 10 to accommodate the format of DD/MM/YYYY, and Decimals set to 0
• Number should have a Length of 10 to accommodate a figure such as 10000.00 and set the Decimals to 2

Finally, the Type should be set to Base Data.

Once all of the new Base Data elements have been set up as Paylink Modules, the next step is to map these to the actual fields that exist within Personal Details, Job and Pay or Further Information Fields.

Step 2 - Configuring each Payroll with the new Base Data element

The final stage is to add in these new Base Data elements to each of the payrolls that may be setup in the system. Eg UK Payroll Monthly, UK Payroll Weekly etc.

Navigate to:

• Latest menu: Payroll > Payroll Configuration > Paylink Configuration
• Pre-2025 menu: System > Payroll Configuration > Paylink Configuration

  Click into the relevant payroll. 

Click on the tab that is relevant for the new element being added: in this case, the Base Data tab.

Then click Insert New Record on the relevant tab (Base Data).

For the Data Code field, click on the magnifying glass and search for the new Base Data item that has been added to the Paylink Modules, and select it. In this case, the new element has a code of 041 for Contract.

Then click on the Long Description and select (map) the matching field in Ciphr HR. The majority of the fields for mapping purposes are found in the Tables named Personal Details or Job and Pay but others include Work Pattern Descriptions and Codes, Departments, Change Reasons etc in their own Code Tables.

Finally, click on the magnifying glass next to the field called Data Format. Find the last number used. Enter the next number as the Data Format. This will place the new Base Data item at the end of the .csv file columns. Note: It can be placed anywhere in the .csv file output but if this option is chosen, then potentially all of the other Base Data items will need to be re-ordered accordingly so that there are never two data items being output into one column.

Repeat this process for each of the payrolls listed that require these new pay elements.

The first time the Paylink workflow is run following this kind of configuration change, the new data item will be output for all employees attached to that payroll because the system views this a ‘change’ to the employee record and therefore it is output along with any of the usual monthly or weekly changes.

Subsequent Paylink runs will not contain this new data item unless it has been changed for an employee. For example, an employee changes their Hours and moves from Full Time / Permanent to Part Time / Permanent. A new Job and Pay record is entered and the new field of Contract is changed. The whole Job and Pay record will be output as a change for this employee including the new item.

Here is a sample .csv file with Contract added to the Base Data, in the last column position.

If you do not utilise the .csv files for import or transfer to the payroll software, the Pay Data Reports are often used in either .xlsx or pdf format. An example of the new field for Contract is shown here: