WFM UK: Configuring Expenses Functionality

Overview

The Expense functionality enables expenses to be entered into the system by the employee and submitted for authorisation. This article provides guidance on the configuration of the expenses functionality.

For guidance on creating and approving expenses, please see the following articles:

WFM UK: UI Refresh: Creating Employee Expenses
WFM UK: UI Refresh: Submitting Your Own Expenses
WFM UK: UI Refresh: Approving Expenses

Expense Authorisers

Once an Expense Request has been submitted for authorisation, it will retain the status Unauthorised until an Expense Authoriser authorises it, declines it, or turns it back into a draft.

Expense Authorisers can either be set up as the ‘Reports To’ individual in the ‘Assign Access Levels’ page or tailored specifically for expenses in the ‘Line Manager Notification’ page if different to the Holiday Authoriser.

The employee submitting the expense must also have the expense permissions ticked in their Payroll access template, and have access to at least their own Location and Division in the Payroll module

 
Expense Codes

Expense Codes are the types of expenses that employees log their expenses against. These can be created by each customer, although 'Mileage' is default and cannot be deleted.

To set up Expense Codes

• Go to Payroll > Expenses > Expense Codes > Create New Expense Code
• Enter the description of the expense, e.g. Travel and an Expense Accounting Reference Code

These will then be seen in the drop-down list when employees create their expenses.
 

Mileage Schemes

If the customer uses Mileage Schemes for those employees who drive and need to claim the cost back through expenses, these can be configured through:

• Payroll > Expenses > Mileage Schemes > Create New Mileage Scheme
• Enter the Description of the Mileage Scheme, e.g. 'Company Mileage'
• Tick the Company Car Mileage Scheme? box if required
• Enter the Starting Mileage, End Mileage and the Amount Per Mile
• Set the Effective Dates
• Create additional bands for different mileage bandings by using the Plus symbol
• When finished, select Save

Multiple mileage schemes can be created to account for the different rates between types of vehicles.

Fig.1 - Example of a Created Mileage Scheme

Once the Mileage Scheme(s) are set up, the employees who are on each scheme will need to be assigned to it.

• Go to Payroll > Expenses > Mileage Schemes > Employee List (top-right corner)
• Select the Mileage Scheme against the required employee(s)
• Scroll down to the bottom and Save

Fig.2 - Assigning mileage schemes to employees

This will enable the correct mileage rate to calculate when the employee uses the mileage expense code when logging their expenses.

Expense Workflow

An Expense Workflow can be set up if expenses past a certain value need to be authorised by more than one person. The workflow is created and assigned to relevant locations, then bandings for values are created and job titles assigned.

• Configure the workflow in Payroll > Expenses > Expense Workflow > ‘Create Workflow’
• Enter in a Workflow Description, such as ‘Head Office’ and then Save
• Then select the newly created workflow from the left side, and then Assign Locations
• Select Locations as required with the arrow buttons and Save
• Then select Assign Bandings
• Use the + icon to add expense bands
• Enter an Authorisation Limit for the first band and then Assign Job Titles - this works in the same way as assigning locations
  • Multiple selections are possible, but a job title can only be assigned to a single band
• Add more expense bands if required, and then Save

Fig.3 - Expense Workflow & Bandings

Example

If a general manager should authorise expenses up to £100, and an area manager up to £250, the job title ‘General Manager’ should be assigned to Band 1, and ‘Area Manager’ should be assigned to Band 2.

If an expense of £200 was submitted by an Assistant Manager, this would need authorising by the General Manager and the Area Manager.

Please note: A Job Title can only be assigned to one band.

Expense Settings

The following settings can be applied for expenses functionality, and are applied to the whole organisation.

• Go to Payroll > Expenses > Expense Settings
  • Pay All Expenses Through Payroll - all expenses entered are paid through the Payroll module
  • Display Employee Reference on Expense Request - when creating the expense claim period, the employee will be prompted to add a reference
  • Record Location Against Expenses - gives an extra drop-down menu of Locations when creating the expenses
  • Link Receipt with VAT Calculation - calculates VAT only when the receipt tick box is ticked
  • User Defined Field - allows one additional column for a tick box on the expense creation page
  • User Defined Label - allows the additional column to be named, for example, ‘rechargeable’
  • Use Custom Form for Expense Processors - for the user(s) with permission for Processing Expenses. This setting gives more information on the expense form and allows the status of an expense to be amended
• Use the ? help icons to learn more about each setting 

Fig.4 - Expense Settings

Expense User Permissions

User permissions for expenses (who can view, process, create, and edit expenses) are found on the Payroll templates.

• To access these, go to Payroll > Users > Templates
• Select or Create the template for the relevant users
• Then select Assign Permissions

Fig.5 - User Templates > Assign Permissions

Each template is divided into sections. Expenses permissions are split between the Expenses and Administration sections of the template.

Expenses Section

The permissions in the Expenses section of the template are for employees who need to create their own expenses – they can create employee expenses and view their own expenses - and the managers who need to view and authorise these expenses.

Fig.6 - Template Expenses Permissions

Administration Section

The permissions in the Administration section are for the System Administrator/Finance/Payroll individuals who require access to set up expenses and edit submitted expenses, as well as being able to authorise their own expenses.

Fig.7 - Template Administration Permissions