Annual Commuter Subsidy Mass Process

Overview

The Commuter Subsidy Program provides a One-Time Payment (OTP) to eligible employees to assist with the costs of commuting to campus.

For more information about the subsidy and answers to questions regarding employee eligibility, visit the Commuter Subsidy Program FAQ webpage on the Human Resources website.

Important — Report Access

Only those who hold the HR Executive or Academic HR Executive role in Workday can run the report, Mass Annual Commuter Subsidy Load Template - RPT1121.

Policy Questions

For CSUs with specific policy questions not answered by the FAQs, including questions related to eligibility or to workers included in the report Mass Annual Commuter Subsidy Load Template - RPT1121, please contact your HR Representative.

Reminder: CSU Approvals Required via DocuSign

DocuSign forms for the Annual Commuter Subsidy Mass Process should be initiated by an HR Executive and must be signed by a second HR Executive or a Chief Business Officer for the CSU.

Please refer to the article linked below for general guidance on submitting approvals via DocuSign.

CSU-initiated mass processes require the submission of an approval form via DocuSign. We are requiring this step to improve our compliance with internal audit findings regarding the approval of mass processing requests. For more information, continue reading Reminder: CSU Approvals via DocuSign are Required for Mass Processes.

Reasons Submissions Won’t Be Processed

If the mass process cannot be run, an error report will be uploaded to UT Box and a notification will be sent to the person who submitted the spreadsheet.

• Incorrect Data on Submitted Spreadsheet – If columns are removed or if the order of columns is changed, the process cannot be run on the spreadsheet. 
• Worker terminated – Any positions that ended before the spreadsheet is loaded will cause an error in processing.

What to do BEFORE submitting your spreadsheet for processing

• HR Executives or Academic HR Executives should run the Mass Annual Commuter Subsidy Load Template - RPT1121 report for the applicable supervisory organization(s).
• Export the report to Excel (using the Excel icon next to the report title)
  • Do not remove columns that are included in the report.
  • Do not change the order of the columns that are included in the report.
  • Do not add new rows to the report.
• Remove any rows for workers who are marked as ineligible in the Worker is Eligible for Commuter Subsidy column. See NOTE below for override instructions. 
• Submitted OTPs require submission of a signed Approval Form via DocuSign along with each spreadsheet submission uploaded to the designated CSU UT Box folder.
• Save the completed spreadsheet submission in the designated CSU Mass Processes > Compensation > One-Time Payment UT Box folder.
  • Consolidate submissions into one spreadsheet.
  • Use the following file name format: <CSU><DATE>_Commuter Subsidy_RPT1121.xlsx
    Example: ENGR_20240903_Commuter Subsidy_RPT1121.xlsx

NOTE: Overrides may be submitted for workers who show as ineligible on the report but are eligible based on the criteria. For eligibility questions, contact Human Resources. 

To indicate an override, leave the row in the report and update the following: 

1. Column L Worker is Eligible for Commuter Subsidy?
   1. Change "No" to "Yes"
2. Column N Amount of Subsidy Eligible for, if Any
   1. Enter the correct amount
      1. $300 if Total Base Pay is less than $60,000
      2. $200 if Total Base Pay is between $60,000 - $80,000

What happens during the Commuter Subsidy submission window

• The Chief Business Officer, HR Executive, or Academic HR Executive of the College, School, or Unit (CSU) uploads the spreadsheet to their folder in UT Box
• The eBITS team will lock the file in UT Box to prevent changes.
• eBITS will process files marked as Approved and pending upload within five business days of receiving the approved DocuSign request form. 
• Once a file is processed, it is moved in UT Box to the CSU Processed folder.
• The tag is changed to Approved and loaded.
• The submitter of the file will receive an email with the results of the load.

For additional guidance about CSU approvals via DocuSign, refer to the article Reminder: CSU Approvals via DocuSign are Required for Mass Processes.

What to do AFTER your Commuter Subsidy file has been processed

• Review the error files on UT Box for your CSU.
• Any workers that could not be loaded or were missed will need to be addressed with HR SWS and Payroll.   They will advise whether another submission will be needed.
• Run report One-Time Payments – RPT0273 using the One-Time Payment Plan prompt of Annual Commuter Subsidy to review those that were loaded

If a transaction generated by this process needs to be rescinded, contact  askUS@austin.utexas.edu following the Rescind Transaction Guidance.

Box file management

• All files should be loaded to your CSU folder by the Chief Business Officer, HR Executive, or Academic HR Executive.
• Files should be named with  <CSU><DATE>_Commuter Subsidy_RPT1121.xlsx
  Example: ENGR_20240903_Commuter Subsidy_RPT1121.xlsx
• Files will be moved to the CSU Processed folder by a member of eBITS after the file is loaded to Workday and the submitter has been notified.  A results file will be uploaded to the Processed file for CSU review as well.

Reviewing Tags in Box

Schedule and Important Dates