Digitizing the new hire experience for Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants in-lieu

As part of our commitment to digital transformation, aimed at modernizing key processes and enhancing employee experience, Human Resources Services in partnership with University Technology Services and key faculty partners is introducing Phase 1 of the New Hire Digitalization project.

For fall 2024, Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants in-Lieu will complete their payroll documentation by using the new Employee Self Service features in Mosaic. This secure and convenient set up process will be launching for other employee groups in phases over the coming year. Full details are included below.

What’s happening?  

For the 2024-2025 academic year, the streamlined new hire setup process in Mosaic for Teaching Assistants (TA) and Research Assistants (RA) in-lieu payments will introduce an automated workflow through the new TA Hire eForm and enhanced Employee Self Service functionality.

TA Hire eForm:  Effective August 6, 2024, the TA hire and payment information for the 2024/2025 academic year will be submitted via the new TA Hire eForm in replace of JIRA Service Desk. The TA Hire eForm was designed to streamline the submission of TA hire and payment information Class B Teaching Assistants. Class A Teaching Assistants, RAs in Lieu and Graduate Research Scholarship payments will continue to go through the SGS database following the same process as before. After the database closure (August 22), late submission Class A Teaching Assistants and RAs in Lieu can be submitted via the new TA Hire eForm.  After the employee’s hire has been set up in Mosaic, the individual will receive notification via their McMaster email address to access the Employee Self Service portal for validating/submitting the required personal and payroll information on file with Mosaic HR, eliminating the need for traditional paper-based documentation.

Stop/Modify SPP Request eForm: Effective August 6, 2024, this existing SPP eForm will allow for adjustments (stop payment, modify-increase or modify-decrease) to existing TA payments post SGS Database and TA Hire eForm processing. Stops or changes to Graduate Research Scholarship Payments will continue to go through SGS directly.

Enhanced Employee Self Service (‘ESS’): Enhanced features in Employee Self Service empower employees to efficiently manage banking details, payroll taxation forms, emergency contacts, Social Insurance Number updates, and work/study permits for international employees throughout their employment lifecycle.  These enhancements extend to students receiving Graduate Research Scholarship payments, and all active university employees. For other roles outside TA and RA in-lieu, the new hire and payroll documentation submission process will continue via JIRA Service Desk until subsequent phases of the project launch.

Collecting Personal and Payroll Information for Returning Employees:(Outside of TA and RAs in-lieu) Effective August 6, 2024, a streamlined payroll documentation collection process will be introduced for returning employees who previously worked at the university and those who hold multiple appointments. It is essential that the Administrator, Recruiter or Hiring Manager ensures the completion of the Hiring Documentation Confirmation and Consent Form and submits it to HR for payroll processing through JIRA as part of the new hire package. For new employees who have not previously worked at the university or fall outside of TA and RA in-lieu hiring, new hire setup requests will continue to be processed through JIRA until subsequent phases of the New Hire Digitalization project are launched.

Why is this happening?  

In response to feedback gathered from community consultations across faculties and departments as part of the Hire to Pay initiatives, the New Hire Digitalization solutions are designed to provide:

• Automated Transaction and Workflow to streamline the processes to minimize the multiple data points and reduce manual workloads
• Significant reduction in the effort required to collect and submit employee payroll documentation with simplified digitalized process
• Enhance new hire data visibility for internal audits and reporting, ensuring compliance and accountability across all processes
• Enable faster and more accurate payroll processing to optimize payroll outcomes and enhance overall employee experience

Who will have access to the new eForms?  

Individuals with the following security profiles in Mosaic can submit, edit, and view the TA Hire eForm as well as initiate the Stop/Modify SPP Request eForm in Mosaic:

• Manager_Administrator
• Finance_Manager_Administrator
• NEW Grad_Administrator

This security role provides user access to initiate, review, and edit SPP eForms and initiate, review and edit the TA Hire eForm within user assigned department and in child departments as defined by the department security tree structure.

To request HR Security Access, the Supervisor of the user can log into UTS Service Desk and make a Mosaic Access Request. To view the HR Security Access,  run the HR Position Security query available in the HR Reporting Hub via the Administrative Homepage in Mosaic.

What actions are required from you?  

If you or your team members are involved in the New Hire process for TA and RA in-lieu employees or Grad Research Scholarship payment, we encourage you to:

1. Familiarize yourself with the online resources.
2. Share this information with the TA or RA in-lieu new hires.
3. Review the user security profile to ensure the user will have access to eForm before processing it.
4. Update the hiring package for TA employees, introduce ESS to new hires as per item (2).
5. Update the hiring package for returning employees to include the Hiring Documentation Confirmation and Consent Form and submit new hire set up in Mosaic request through JIRA.
6. Submit new hire payment requests through TA Hire eForms (Group B).

Where do I find the TA Hire eForm and ESS homepage in Mosaic? 

The TA Hire eForm can be accessed by logging into Mosaic, clicking on the HR and Finance eForms dropdown at the top of the page, and then by clicking on the TA Hire eForm tile.

Enhanced Employee Self Service functionality can be accessed by logging into Mosaic, clicking on the TA/Scholarship Onboarding or Employee Self Service (all active employees) dropdown at the top of the page.

New Self Service features are available in the Payroll Dashboard tile (tax and banking updates), and the Self Service eForms tile (SIN/Work-Study Permit Updates, COPI Form).

Questions?

For additional support regarding Mosaic HR eForms or Employee Self Service, please contact your HR representative by visiting HR contact website or contact the Employee Contact Centre: hr.mcmaster@mcmaster.ca or 905 525 9140 ext 22247.