Key Settings When Using Human Resources with Payroll

If you are using the Human Resources module with the Payroll module in Microsoft Dynamics GP for benefit enrollment, there are two key options that affect how the setup and enrollment process works. The Human Resources setup for benefits is defined under Microsoft Dynamics GP | Tools | Setup | Human Resources | Benefits and Deductions, and the enrollment is handled under Cards | Payroll | Employee Benefits.

Before we talk about these options, it might be worthwhile to walk through how the benefit portion of Human Resources integrates with Payroll. When you initially set up a benefit in Human Resources, the corresponding records can be configured in Payroll. The same process occurs when you enroll an employee in Human Resources; the corresponding records can be configured in Payroll as well. It’s important to realize that these records always are going to be maintained in both places—Payroll and Human Resources. But it is the Payroll records that are used when actually processing payroll. Consider the following mapping:

In general, these records are initially created in Human Resources and then rolled down to Payroll. There are, however, utilities to assist you if records were first set up in Payroll, although in my opinion, this is not a process you would want to use regularly (Microsoft Dynamics GP | Tools | Utilities | Human Resources | Reconcile).

Now back to those options.

The first option is located on the user setup window, Microsoft Dynamics GP | Tools | Setup | System | User. If the option for “Payroll View for Human Resources” is marked, when a user sets up a benefit record or enrolls an employee, the record will be rolled down to Payroll. If this option is unmarked, the roll down will not occur.

User Setup Window

Microsoft Dynamics GP | Tools | Setup | System | User

The second option deals with the actual roll down. Do you want the roll down to happen silently, meaning that when you save the Human Resources record, the Payroll record is automatically created with no intervention from you? Some folks don’t like this approach, as they want confirmation the roll down did occur or they need to modify settings only available on the Payroll record.

Benefit Preferences Window

Microsoft Dynamics GP | Tools | Setup | Human Resources | Benefits and Deductions | Benefit Preferences

If the “Automatically Update Payroll Benefits & Deductions” option is marked, when you save a Human Resources record, the Payroll record is automatically created with no intervention from the user. If the option is unmarked, when you save a record, you will be prompted to roll down the setup to the Payroll module.

If you choose “Yes,” the corresponding Payroll window(s) will open, and a message will warn you that the Payroll record also must be saved for the setup to be complete.

If you choose “No,” the setup in Payroll will not be completed.

So these two options can have a significant impact on how/if records from Human Resources roll down to Payroll. If you have any questions, or need assistance with configuring Benefits and Deductions in Payroll and Human Resources, please contact BKD’s Dynamics GP support center at gpsupport@bkd.com.