- Revision History
- Overview
- Feature Summary
- Leave Management
-
- Absence Management
-
- Two New Child Resources Added to the PlanBalances REST
- New Client LOVs for Absence Type and Business Title
- Tighter Rules for the Sale of Accrued Balances
- Automatic Compensatory Plan Enrollment and Plan Balance Copy During Local and Global Individual and Mass Transfers
- Automatic Donation Plan Enrollment and Plan Balance Copy During Local and Global Individual and Mass Transfers
- Absence Entry Updates in Workforce Management
- Multiple Assignments
-
- Absence Management
- Time and Labor Management
- IMPORTANT Actions and Considerations
February Maintenance Pack for 21A
This document will continue to evolve as existing sections change and new information is added. All updates appear in the following table:
Date | Product | Feature | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
26 FEB 2021 | Created initial document. |
HCM Cloud applications have two types of patches you can receive that are documented in this What’s New:
- Release Updates (21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D)
- Optional Monthly Maintenance Packs to each update
It is important for you to know what Release Update your environment is on. You can find this in your Cloud Portal.
This document outlines the information you need to know about new or improved functionality in Oracle HCM Cloud. Each section includes a brief description of the feature, the steps you need to take to enable or begin using the feature, any tips or considerations that you should keep in mind, and the resources available to help you.
In addition to this document you will also want to review the Oracle Human Capital Management Cloud Functional Known Issues and Maintenance Packs (Document ID 1554838.1). These documents identify bug fixes and possible known issues. You will also need to review these documents based in the release update version you are currently on or will be moving to.
Oracle HCM Cloud release documents are delivered in five functional groupings:
Suggested Reading for all HCM Products:
- HCM Cloud Common Features (This document pertains to all HCM applications. It is the base human resource information for all products and HCM Tools.)
- Global Human Resources Cloud (Global Human Resources contains the base application in which other application use for common data such as workforce structures and person information. Regardless of what products you have implemented you may want to see the new features for Global Human Resources that could impact your products.)
NOTE: Not all Global Human Resource features are available for Talent and Compensation products.
Optional Reading for HCM Products (Depending on what products are in your cloud service):
- Talent Management Cloud (All Talent applications)
- Workforce Rewards Cloud (Compensation, Benefits, Payroll and Global Payroll Interface)
- Workforce Management Cloud (Absence Management and Time and Labor)
Additional Optional Reading:
- Common Technologies and User Experience (This documents the common features across all Cloud applications and is not specific to HCM)
NOTE: All of these documents can be found in Release Readiness under Human Capital Management or via the Oracle Help Center under Cloud Applications > Human Capital Management.
GIVE US FEEDBACK
We welcome your comments and suggestions to improve the content. Please send us your feedback at oracle_fusion_applications_help_ww_grp@oracle.com. Indicate you are inquiring or providing feedback regarding the HCM Cloud What’s New in the body or title of the email.
Column Definitions:
Report = New or modified, Oracle-delivered, ready to run reports.
UI or Process-Based: Small Scale = These UI or process-based features are typically comprised of minor field, validation, or program changes. Therefore, the potential impact to users is minimal.
UI or Process-Based: Larger Scale* = These UI or process-based features have more complex designs. Therefore, the potential impact to users is higher.
Features Delivered Disabled = Action is needed BEFORE these features can be used by END USERS. These features are delivered disabled and you choose if and when to enable them. For example, a) new or expanded BI subject areas need to first be incorporated into reports, b) Integration is required to utilize new web services, or c) features must be assigned to user roles before they can be accessed.
Ready for Use by End Users Reports plus Small Scale UI or Process-Based new features will have minimal user impact after an update. Therefore, customer acceptance testing should focus on the Larger Scale UI or Process-Based* new features. |
Customer Must Take Action before Use by End Users Not disruptive as action is required to make these features ready to use. As you selectively choose to leverage, you set your test and roll out timing. |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Feature |
Report |
UI or |
UI or |
|
||
Improved Flexibility in Integration with Third Party Calendars |
Oracle Absence Management is a configurable and flexible global solution that enables organizations to manage absences of their workforce. The framework provides ability to define both complex and diverse absence plans. It integrates with the Oracle Cloud Global Payroll and Time and Labor products and provides dedicated work areas for the roles of Administrator and Employees. Simplified user interface is provided for employees’ absence data entry.
Improved Flexibility in Integration with Third Party Calendars
You now have the ability to turn off the delivery of .ics file (calendar invite) for absences through the absence notification. Here’s how you can do it:
- In the Setup and Maintenance work, click Search on the Tasks panel tab.
- On the Search page, search for and click Manage Common Lookups task.
- On the Manage Common Lookups page, seach for and click ANC_PROC_CONFIGS lookup.
- Add and enable a new lookup code, ANC_NO_ICS. The data in other fields isn’t important.
- Click Save and Close.
If you had previously configured AbsencesApprovalTask in BPM Worklist to disable all absence attachments in e-mail notification, you can now revert that change. To do so you need to first create the ANC_NO_ICS lookup code as described above, and then follow these steps:
- In the Setup and Maintenance work, click Search on the Tasks panel tab.
- Search for and click the Define Approval Management for Human Capital Management task list, and select the Manage Task Configurations for Human Capital Management from the task list.
- Select AbsencesApprovalsTask, and click Edit task in the BPM Worklist page.
- Click Notifications.
- Select the Send task attachments with email notifications checkbox.
AbsencesApprovalsTask in BPM worklist
- Click Save.
Once this is done, approvers will start getting attachments in their email notifications for absence approvals, except for the calendar invite .ics file. To continue receiving .ics calendar invite as you do today, you don’t need to make any changes.
You can now exercise greater control over the generation of calendar files (.ics files) for absence approval messages. You can now configure absence notifications according to your preference..
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
This document will continue to evolve as existing sections change and new information is added. All updates appear in the following table:
Date | Product | Feature | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
25 JUN 2021 | Time and Labor |
Time Change Audit Enhancements | Updated document. Revised feature information. |
29 JAN 2021 | Absence Management |
New Client LOVs for Absence Type and Business Title | Updated document. Revised feature information. |
18 DEC 2020 | Absence Management | Automatic Compensatory Plan Enrollment and Plan Balance Copy During Local and Global Individual and Mass Transfers | Updated document. Revised feature information. |
18 DEC 2020 |
Absence Management |
Automatic Donation Plan Enrollment and Plan Balance Copy During Local and Global Individual and Mass Transfers | Updated document. Revised feature information. |
18 DEC 2020 |
Absence Management/ Multiple Assignments |
Enhanced Absence Security for Workers with Multiple Assignments | Updated document. Revised feature information. |
18 DEC 2020 |
Absence Management/ Multiple Assignments |
Prevent Absences from Impacting Multiple Assignments | Updated document. Revised feature information. |
04 DEC 2020 | Created initial document. |
HCM Cloud applications have two types of patches you can receive that are documented in this What’s New:
- Release Updates (21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D)
- Optional Monthly Maintenance Packs to each update
It is important for you to know what Release Update your environment is on. You can find this in your Cloud Portal.
This document outlines the information you need to know about new or improved functionality in Oracle HCM Cloud. Each section includes a brief description of the feature, the steps you need to take to enable or begin using the feature, any tips or considerations that you should keep in mind, and the resources available to help you.
In addition to this document you will also want to review the Oracle Human Capital Management Cloud Functional Known Issues and Maintenance Packs (Document ID 1554838.1). These documents identify bug fixes and possible known issues. You will also need to review these documents based in the release update version you are currently on or will be moving to.
Oracle HCM Cloud release documents are delivered in five functional groupings:
Suggested Reading for all HCM Products:
- HCM Cloud Common Features (This document pertains to all HCM applications. It is the base human resource information for all products and HCM Tools.)
- Global Human Resources Cloud (Global Human Resources contains the base application in which other application use for common data such as workforce structures and person information. Regardless of what products you have implemented you may want to see the new features for Global Human Resources that could impact your products.)
NOTE: Not all Global Human Resource features are available for Talent and Compensation products.
Optional Reading for HCM Products (Depending on what products are in your cloud service):
- Talent Management Cloud (All Talent applications)
- Workforce Rewards Cloud (Compensation, Benefits, Payroll and Global Payroll Interface)
- Workforce Management Cloud (Absence Management and Time and Labor)
Additional Optional Reading:
- Common Technologies and User Experience (This documents the common features across all Cloud applications and is not specific to HCM)
NOTE: All of these documents can be found in Release Readiness under Human Capital Management or via the Oracle Help Center under Cloud Applications > Human Capital Management.
GIVE US FEEDBACK
We welcome your comments and suggestions to improve the content. Please send us your feedback at oracle_fusion_applications_help_ww_grp@oracle.com. Indicate you are inquiring or providing feedback regarding the HCM Cloud What’s New in the body or title of the email.
Column Definitions:
Features Delivered Enabled
Report = New or modified, Oracle-delivered, ready to run reports.
UI or Process-Based: Small Scale = These UI or process-based features are typically comprised of minor field, validation, or program changes. Therefore, the potential impact to users is minimal.
UI or Process-Based: Larger Scale* = These UI or process-based features have more complex designs. Therefore, the potential impact to users is higher.
Features Delivered Disabled = Action is needed BEFORE these features can be used by END USERS. These features are delivered disabled and you choose if and when to enable them. For example, a) new or expanded BI subject areas need to first be incorporated into reports, b) Integration is required to utilize new web services, or c) features must be assigned to user roles before they can be accessed.
Ready for Use by End Users Reports plus Small Scale UI or Process-Based new features will have minimal user impact after an update. Therefore, customer acceptance testing should focus on the Larger Scale UI or Process-Based* new features. |
Action is Needed BEFORE Use by End Users Not disruptive as action is required to make these features ready to use. As you selectively choose to leverage, you set your test and roll out timing. |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Feature |
Report |
UI or |
UI or |
|
||
Enhanced Absence Security for Workers with Multiple Assignments |
||||||
Mandatory Assignment Selection for All Advanced Absence Entries |
||||||
Route Work Schedule Assignment Approvals to the Appropriate Manager |
||||||
Absence Real Time Enhanced to Support Assignment Selection While Creating Absences |
||||||
Oracle Absence Management is a configurable and flexible global solution that enables organizations to manage absences of their workforce. The framework provides ability to define both complex and diverse absence plans. It integrates with the Oracle Cloud Global Payroll and Time and Labor products and provides dedicated work areas for the roles of Administrator and Employees. Simplified user interface is provided for employees’ absence data entry.
Two New Child Resources Added to the PlanBalances REST
The Planbalances REST resource has been enhanced with two new child resources. You can use the PlanBalanceDetails child resource to get details of all transactions that impact the plan balance. You can use the PlanBalanceSummary child resource to get a summary of this info at the transaction type level.
You can see which transactions contribute to the balance as of the given date by using the findByBalanceAsOfDate finder, which is available on both child resources. If you pass balanceAsOfDate through the finder for any of the REST services like planBalances, planBalanceSummary or PlanBalanceDetails, the balance info should return information as of that specific date. If balanceAsOfDate is not passed through finder, then the application takes the configuration of absence batch parameter into consideration.
Configure Absence Batch Parameters Page
If Balance Calculation Date is set to “Current Date” in the Configure Absence Batch Parameters page, then application will consider the system date as balanceCalculationDate in the finder.
If Balance Calculation Date is set to “Last calculation date” in the Configure Absence Batch Parameters page, then application will return the information as per the date on which the balance was last calculated.
You can now use two new child resources of PlanBalances REST to get detailed information or summary of all transactions that impact the plan balance.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
New Client LOVs for Absence Type and Business Title
Selecting an absence type and a business title during absence entry is now faster with two new client Lists of Values (LOVs). These LOVs now provide type ahead capability for an improved performance.
When you, as an employee or line manager, use the Add Absence page to record an absence, the client List of Value (LOV) for absence types will display the names of the absence types available to you. You can then select an absence type from the LOV. You can search using the absence type name and as you begin typing, you will start seeing a list of suggestions.

Absence Type LOV in the Add Absence Page
If an absence type is configured to allow assignment selection, the client List of Value for business title will be available on the Add Absence page during absence entry. You, as an employee or line manager, can use this LOV to select an assignment that will be impacted by the absence. Based on the absence type configuration, you may also be able to select “All” to enter the absence for all assignments.

Business Title LOV in the Add Absence Page
Selecting an absence type and a business title during absence entry is now easier with the introduction of two new client Lists of Values. They offer improved performance and type ahead capability that make the process of selecting absence type and business title much faster.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Tips And Considerations
- The absence types and business titles (assignments) that appear in the lists will remain the same as before. The change is only in the user-experience, not in the entries that appears in the list.
- When you edit an absence, you can’t change the absence type.
Tighter Rules for the Sale of Accrued Balances
New rules have been introduced to have more control over the sale of accrued balances. When a person decides to sell his accrual balance, you, as an HR Specialist, can ensure that the person is paid properly by sending payment instructions for the elective disbursement. These new rules don’t change the benefits processing of elections.
When an employee makes an election to sell a number of hours from a plan set up by anniversary year, benefits captures that Election Date. Another date configured on the benefits side is called the Life Event Date. If the target plan’s term is a calendar year, the first day of the new calendar year will be considered the Life Event Date. Earlier, this sale would be processed on the first year end date after the election. Year end date is the day before the anniversary date on which the plan year ends. Now with the newer rules, the sale will be processed only on the year end date that comes after the Life Event Date.
Let us take an example. A person decides to sell a portion of their sick-time accrual on their employment anniversary date of 4 November 2020. The target plan’s term is a calendar year, so the Life Event Date is 1 January 2021. This means that the sale will not get evaluated until 3 November 2021. This sale will get processed on 3 November 2021 which is the first year end date for the plan after the Life Event Date. The initial year-end balance will be calculated and disbursement for the elected amount will be sent to payroll with the default payment percentage.
You now have greater control over sale of accrued balances with the introduction of new rules. These rules help in ensuring that the person electing to sell a portion of their accrued balance gets paid properly.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Tips And Considerations
- You need to set up elective disbursements for the absence plan by enabling benefits integration from the absence plan setup page.
Automatic Compensatory Plan Enrollment and Plan Balance Copy During Local and Global Individual and Mass Transfers
The process of local and global transfers now includes automation of plan enrollment and copying of plan balances for compensatory plans. This is part of the phased delivery of global and local transfer automation across multiple releases.
When an employee is transferred, all active compensatory plans are end dated in the old organization. If the employee is eligible for the same plan in the new entity, then the application automatically enrolls the employee into the same plan in the new entity. If the old compensatory plan had been configured for expiration, then the corresponding expiration details will be copied over to the new plan. Similarly, the plan balance is copied from the old organization to the new organization.
The automation of plan enrollment and copying of plan balances is now available for compensatory plans.
Steps to Enable
To enable this feature, you need to configure the lookup code. Here's how you can do it:
- Navigate to the Setup and Maintenance work area.
- Search for and click the Manage Common Lookups task.
- Search for lookup type lookup type ANC_PROC_CONFIGS. If you don’t find it, add this lookup type.
- Set the Module as Global Absences.
- Set the Lookup Configuration Level as Site.
- From the REST Access Secured list, select Secure.
- Click Save.
Once you define the lookup code, you can add the lookup code in the same page. Here’s how you can do it:
- Add the lookup code ANC_RESTRICT_HIRE_TERM_EVENT in the ANC_PROC_CONFIGS: Lookup Codes section.
- Select the Enabled checkbox.
- Set the start and end dates.
- Click Save and Close.
Manage Common Lookups Page
Automatic Donation Plan Enrollment and Plan Balance Copy During Local and Global Individual and Mass Transfers
The process of local and global transfers now includes automation of plan enrollment and copying of plan balances for donation plans. This is part of the phased delivery of global and local transfer automation across multiple releases.
When an employee is transferred, all active donation plans are end dated in the old organization. If the employee is eligible for the same plan in the new entity, then the application automatically enrolls the employee into the same plan in the new entity. Similarly, the plan balance is copied from the old organization to the new organization.
The automation of plan enrollment and copying of plan balances is now available for donation plans.
Steps to Enable
To enable this feature, you need to configure the lookup code. Here's how you can do it:
- Navigate to the Setup and Maintenance work area.
- Search for and click the Manage Common Lookups task.
- Search for lookup type lookup type ANC_PROC_CONFIGS. If you don’t find it, add this lookup type.
- Set the Module as Global Absences.
- Set the Lookup Configuration Level as Site.
- From the REST Access Secured list, select Secure.
- Click Save.
Once you define the lookup code, you can add the lookup code in the same page. Here’s how you can do it:
- Add the lookup code ANC_RESTRICT_HIRE_TERM_EVENT in the ANC_PROC_CONFIGS: Lookup Codes section.
- Select the Enabled checkbox.
- Set the start and end dates.
- Click Save and Close.
Manage Common Lookups Page
Absence Entry Updates in Workforce Management
On the time card, saved absence entries now display the assignment and absence management type fields in read-only mode. You can make changes to these entries by deleting them and reentering them on your time card or using the Existing Absences task.
Saved Responsive Time Card with Absence and Assignment Attributes
Saved Classic Time Card with Absence and Assignment Attributes
You can't add a new absence entry, or change a nonabsence entry (such as worked time) to an absence on time change requests. You can make changes to absence entries by deleting them and reentering them on your time card or using the Existing Absences task.
Error Message That Appears When People Try To Submit an Absence on Time Change Requests
These updates ensure the integrity of data between Absence Management and Time and Labor.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Prevent Absences from Impacting Multiple Assignments
You can now configure an absence type to ensure that all absences using that type will need to be entered for a specific assignment. Employees will multiple assignments will have to enter and maintain such absences separately for each assignment. This is instrumental in ensuring that HCM Assignment Security is fully implemented because absences for a specific assignment will be visible only to managers and administrators who have the authority to access that assignment.
If an absence type is configured to prevent absences from impacting multiple assignments, during absence entry using the self-service absence entry page, the Business Title field will list all assignments that the user can enter the absence for. If the employee has only one assignment, or the manager has access to only one assignment, that assignment will be selected by default.

Add Absence Responsive Page for Employees and Managers
The user can proceed with the absence entry only when a business title is selected. This means that the absence will only be applied to that specific assignment.
Similarly, on the absence entry page available to the administrator, the assignment drop-down list will display only those absences that the admin can enter an absence for.
When using REST or HDL to enter an absence using this type, the REST or HDL expects that the assignment information is passed, unless the employee has only one assignment as of the absence start date.
You can configure absence types to ensure that any absence entered by an employee with multiple assignments impacts only one specific assignment.
Steps to Enable
A new checkbox called “Allow only one assignment per absence” has been added to the absence type setup page. This checkbox is in a new section called Multiple Assignment Rules. Select “Allow assignment selection at absence entry” checkbox and then select “Allow only one assignment per absence” checkbox to ensure all absences of this type are entered at the assignment-level.
The two checkboxes allow you to configure the absence type in 3 different ways which are explained below:
Allow Only Person-level Absence (Default behavior)
This is the default behavior. You do not need to make any configuration changes to enable this behavior. The configuration on the absence type setup page is as follows:
- Allow assignment selection at absence entry checkbox is not selected.
- Allow only one assignment per absence checkbox is not selected.
Default Absence-Type Configuration for Person-Level Absences in Absence Type Setup Page
Add Absence Responsive Page for Entering Person Level Absences
- Business title on the Self-service absence entry page will not appear upon selecting absence type. Similarly, the Assignment field will not appear on the administrator’s absence entry page.
- The absence will impact all the active assignments the employee has, as of the absence start date, based on employee schedule and info that may have been entered in Edit Entries screen.
- You can continue to use Absences REST and data-loaders like you do today.
Allow Only Assignment-level Absences
The configuration on the absence type setup page is as follows:
- Allow assignment selection at absence entry checkbox is selected
- Allow only one assignment per absence check is selected.
Absence Type Configuration for Assignment-Level Absences in Absence Type Setup Page
Add Absence Responsive Page for Entering Assignment Level Absences
- Upon selecting the absence type, the business title field will appear listing all assignments the user has access to. Similarly, assignment field will appear in the administrator’s absence entry page.
- The user is allowed to enter the absence details only after selecting an assignment.
- The assignment field is mandatory when you enter absences of this type using Absences REST service or through the data-loader.
Allow Either Person-level or Assignment-level Absences
The configuration on the absence type setup page is as follows:
- Allow assignment selection at absence entry checkbox is selected
- Allow only one assignment per absence checkbox is not selected.
Absence Type Configuration to Allow Users to Decide Whether to Enter Person Level or Assignment Level Absences
Add Absence Responsive Page Allowing User to Decide Whether to Enter Person Level or Assignment Level Absences
- When the absence type is selected, the business title field will appear listing all assignments the user has access to, along with the “All” option which will be selected by default. Similarly, assignment field will appear in the administrator’s absence entry page.
- The absence will be entered at person level if the business title is selected as “All”. If a specific assignment is selected, the absence is entered at the assignment level.
- If you use Absences REST service or the data-loader, and you want to enter an absence at assignment-level, you need to pass the assignment information.
Tips And Considerations
- HCM Assignment security does not work on person-level absences, meaning any manager or HR administrator who has access to the employee can access all absences of this type. Any manager or administrator can view and manage advanced entries belonging to all assignments, even those that they are not authorized to see.
- HCM Assignment Security, if enabled, applies only to absences entered at assignment-level. Such an absences is visible only to managers or administrators who are authorized to access the specific assignment for which the absence was created. Managers and administrators can enter assignment-level absences only for assignments that they have the authority to access.
- If “Allow one assignment per absence” is selected, and the employee wants to take time off from all assignments using this type, the employee must enter separate absences for each assignment.
- If you use absence approvals and implement HCM Assignment Security, you must configure the absence type to set the approvers to “Managers of relevant assignments”. This ensures that the notifications do not go to managers who don’t have access to the assignment for which the absence was created.
- Once the absence is saved, the business title or assignment can’t be changed. If you want to change the business title, you need to withdraw the absence and create a new one.
- If you have enabled absence entry for a specific assignment and configured fast formulae that execute at the time of absence entry or processing, you need to test and ensure that your fast formula code continues to work as expected when entering absences for the specific assignment.
Enhanced Absence Security for Workers with Multiple Assignments
You can now choose if you want managers or administrators to have access to all the absence information of the employee, or restrict access to only the absence information pertaining to a specific assignment of the employee.
By default, all absence information is secured at person-level, which means that if you have access to an employee’s information, you have access to all the absence information of the employee for all the assignments the employee has. But if you enable HCM Assignment security, the access to information regarding absences and plan balances is restricted for managers and admins to only those assignments that the manager or admin has been granted access to. However, security for absence records additionally depends on the absence type configuration, and certain absence components like qualification plan entitlements will always be at person-level.
For employees with multiple assignments, a new filter for business titles has been added to Existing Absences, Absence Balances, Cash Disbursements and Donations responsive pages. By default, the application displays absence information for all assignments to the employee. The employee can use the Business Title field as a filter to view the absence information for only a particular assignment. The same behavior will be seen by managers accessing this info on behalf of the employee, if HCM Assignment Security is disabled. But if HCM Assignment Security is enabled, the managers will see the absence information pertaining only to the assignments that they are authorized to access, one assignment at a time.
The impact of HCM Assignment security on various absence components is described below.
Plan Balances
Role | When HCM Assignment Security Is Disabled |
When HCM Assignment Security Is Enabled |
---|---|---|
Line Manager |
|
|
Administrator |
|
|
Plan Balances REST
Role |
When HCM Assignment Security Is Disabled | When HCM Assignment Security Is Enabled |
---|---|---|
Line Manager and administrator |
Returns plan balances of enrollments belonging to all assignments of the employee |
Returns plan balances of enrollments belonging only to the assignments the manager and admin are authorized to access. |
Disbursements and Donations
Role |
When HCM Assignment Security Is Disabled |
When HCM Assignment Security Is Enabled |
---|---|---|
Line Manager and administrator |
|
|
Absences Self-Service, Admin Page and Absences REST
Role |
When HCM Assignment Security Is Disabled | When HCM Assignment Security Is Enabled |
---|---|---|
Line Manager and administrator |
|
|
You can now restrict managers and administrators from accessing all the absence information of employees with multiple assignments. You can restrict their access to only the absence information pertaining to the specific assignments of the employee that they are authorized to access.
Steps to Enable
For more information about the steps to enable, and tips and considerations for this feature, refer to the 21A HCM Common What's New feature: Secure Access for Workers with Multiple Assignments.
Tips And Considerations
- If you enable HCM Assignment security and use absence approvals, you must configure the absence types to send approval requests to managers of relevant assignments. This ensures that absences are routed to the correct manager for approval.
- Absences impacting multiple assignments are considered absences entered at person level. These absences will continue to be secured at person level. This means that any manager or administrator who has access to this employee will be able to view and manage all such absences.
- Qualification plan entitlements and Entitlement Agreements are at the person-level. Therefore, this information will be visible to all administrators who have access to the person.
- If you want the absences to be fully secured, you need to ensure that they are entered at assignment level. This means that you need to ensure that a specific assignment is selected when entering an absence.
- If you use absence approvals and implement HCM Assignment Security, you must configure the absence type to set the approvers to “Managers of relevant assignments”. This ensures that the notifications do not go to managers who don’t have access to the assignment for which the absence was created.
- Absences data loaders do not support Assignment Security because they run with super user privileges.
- Assignment-level security doesn’t work when using the classic Person Management page. It will only work through the quick actions. Administrators need to ensure that they access Absence Records page or Work Schedule Assignments page using the quick actions only.
Key Resources
Enabling this feature impacts multiple products. To understand how to enable this feature, and for additional cross-product information refer to the 21A HCM Common What's New feature: Secure Access for Workers with Multiple Assignments.
Mandatory Assignment Selection for All Advanced Absence Entries
The assignment field is now mandatory for all absences entered using the advanced entry mode. By ensuring that each advanced entry refers to a specific assignment, you can eliminate ambiguity during absence duration calculation. For employees with just one active assignment as of the entry date, the appropriate assignment is derived, and selected by default. Similarly, if you click “Edit Entries” or “Advanced” on the advanced entries that were automatically created during absence entry with basic mode, the appropriate assignment will be selected by default. But if you create advanced entries manually for employees with multiple active assignments, each advanced entry needs to be linked to a specific assignment.
Employees and managers using the responsive list view mode need to select an assignment in Business Title field for each entry, if the application doesn’t automatically select one by default.

Responsive List View Mode of Absence Entry for Employees and Managers
Similarly, admins entering an absence on behalf of an employee using the advanced mode, need to select an assignment from the drop-down list.

Admin Classic Advanced Mode of Absence Entry for Administrators
If admins use advanced mode through HCM data loaders to enter absences at person-level for employees with multiple assignments, they need to select an active assignment for each advanced entry. If an advanced absence entry is submitted without linking all the entries with an assignment, the application will display an error message.
The assignment field is now mandatory for all absences entered using the advanced entry mode. This makes the calculation of absence duration much easier.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Tips And Considerations
- This enhancement will not impact:
- Employees with a single assignment
- Absences entered for a specific assignment
- Absences entered in basic mode
- Absences entered through the Absence REST service
- This rule will also affect the absences created in the past. If you created an absence in the past for an employee with multiple assignments, where a single advanced entry affected multiple assignments, you will get an error when you re-submit the absence. You will then have to select an assignment for all the advanced entries on which an assignment couldn’t be derived.
- If you load person-level absences for employees with multiple assignments using the data-loader, you must ensure a valid assignment is selected for each advanced entry.
Route Work Schedule Assignment Approvals to the Appropriate Manager
You now have greater control over configuring approval rules for work schedule assignments approval process. The following enhancements have been made:
- The Manage Work Schedule Assignment process has been made available in Transaction Console
- The default rule has been changed so that approval requests for any change in work schedule assignment go to the employee’s primary assignment manager, instead of the requester’s assignment manager. This has been done to align this with other HCM approval processes.
- You can now configure approval rules in Transaction Console for employees with multiple assignments, so that the approvals for changes to work schedule assignments are routed to the relevant assignment’s manager.
You can now configure work schedule assignment approval rules so that the approval request is routed to the manager of the relevant assignment. Earlier, the approval request used to be routed to the manager of the employee who made the change to a work-schedule assignment.
Steps to Enable
Here’s how you can configure the work schedule assignment approvals so that the approval notifications for work-schedule assignment changes go to the relevant assignment’s manager of the employee instead of the primary assignment manager:
- Click Tools > Transaction Console in the Home Page.
- Click Approval Rules.
- Search Manage Work Schedule Assignment and click edit to configure approval rules.
- Select the relevant component from the chain of approval.
Manage Work Schedule Assignment Page
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Set the Approval Chain Of field to Requester and set assignment type to Use current assignment hierarchy.
NOTE: When you pick "Requester" in the Approval Chain of field, the application assumes that this means the "employee". So, the approval will be routed to the employee's manager.
You can retain the application's earlier behavior where the approval was routed to the manager of the employee who made the change to a work-schedule assignment, by configuring it through BPM as shown in the screenshot below.
WorkSchedsApproval in Oracle Business Process Management
Oracle Time and Labor is a comprehensive, easy to use, rule-based time recording and management application. The calendar-based time entry interface and fully configurable time card layout easily address simple and complex time recording needs. Rule templates and the real-time rules engine provide an extensible and robust method to validate time entries and automatically apply pay rules, such as overtime calculations. Time and Labor now integrates completely with the following Oracle Cloud Human Capital Management applications: Global Human Resources, Absence Management, Global Payroll, and Project Costing. This integration insures accurate and consistent data for payroll processing and costing as well as project management billing.
Absence Entry Updates in Workforce Management
On the time card, saved absence entries now display the assignment and absence management type fields in read-only mode. You can make changes to these entries by deleting them and reentering them on your time card or using the Existing Absences task.
Saved Responsive Time Card with Absence and Assignment Attributes
Saved Classic Time Card with Absence and Assignment Attributes
You can't add a new absence entry, or change a nonabsence entry (such as worked time) to an absence on time change requests. You can make changes to absence entries by deleting them and reentering them on your time card or using the Existing Absences task.
Error Message That Appears When People Try To Submit an Absence on Time Change Requests
These updates ensure the integrity of data between Absence Management and Time and Labor.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Time Change Audit Enhancements
Now when change audit is enabled and people request time changes, you can require that they include the reasons for the changes.

Example Time Change Request with the Reason for All Changes Selected
Managers see these reasons when they review and approve the change requests.

Example List of Team Change Requests Pending Approval with the Change Reason Included in the Summary Info
The Reason and Reason for all changes choice lists show only the change audit reasons added to the ORA_HWM_CA_REASONS lookup. These are the bundled reasons: Created by change request, Updated by change request, Deleted by change request, Created in Absence Management, and Generated by a mass time entry process. Because only time processes use these reasons, they don't show in the reason choice lists.

Reason for All Changes List of Values
Improve audit history related to change request and reporting by ensuring only company approved reason codes can be selected by users.
Steps to Enable
Complete these tasks in the Setup and Maintenance work area to enable change auditing of time cards. Use the Workforce Deployment offering, Time and Labor functional area.
- Add the change audit reasons that support your time policies to the ORA_HWM_CA_REASONS lookup type using the Workforce Management Lookups task.
- Select the time card fields that enable people to identify a time entry that changed using the Time Layout Sets task. For example, on one set of layouts, the Job and Pay Type fields together uniquely identify time entries.
Time Entry Identifier on the Time Entry Layout
Time Entry Identifier on the Responsive UI Layout
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Enable the appropriate change audit options using the Worker Time Processing Profiles task.
Key Resources
For more information about reason lookups and enabling auditing of time changes, see these topics in the Implementing Time and Labor guide on Oracle Help Center:
- Change Audit Reason Lookup
- Time Entry, Review, View, Approval Notification, and Calendar Entry Layout Configurations
- Entries Section Configuration of the Responsive UI Layout
- Change Audit Options
Workforce Management Transactional Business Intelligence
Oracle Transactional Business Intelligence is a real time, self-service reporting solution offered to all Oracle Cloud application users to create ad hoc reports and analyze them for daily decision-making. Oracle Transactional Business Intelligence provides human resources managers and specialists, business executives, and line managers the critical workforce information to analyze workforce costs, staffing, compensation, performance management, talent management, succession planning, and employee benefits.
Don’t want to start from scratch building a report or analytics? Check out the library of sample reports for all products on Customer Connect on the Report Sharing Center.
Absence Real Time Enhanced to Support Assignment Selection While Creating Absences
Enhance your reporting on Absences to include the assignment attributes related to worker's absence.
Absence entry allows users to select a specific assignment when entering an absence. This feature is targeted for employees with multiple assignments, and is helpful when the employee needs to take time off from one of the assignments.
The Absence Real Time subject area has been enhanced to include the following attributes:
Folder | Attributes |
---|---|
Assignment Absence Details |
|
You can now improve your absence reporting to know which absences were reported for a specific assignment.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
IMPORTANT Actions and Considerations
REPLACED OR REMOVED FEATURES
From time to time, Oracle replaces existing Cloud service features with new features, or removes existing features. When a feature is replaced the older version may be removed immediately or at a future time. As a best practice, you should use the newer version of a replaced feature as soon as the newer version is available.
Product | Removed Feature | Target Removal | Replacement Feature | Replaced In | Additional Information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nothing for this release |
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ORACLE HAS DECOMMISSIONED THE HCM CLASSIC SIMPLIFIED USER INTERFACE IN UPDATE 20B
The new and redesigned HCM Responsive User Experience has been available and promoted as our standard since Update 18B. If you are still using the older HCM Classic Simplified User Interface, you must begin transitioning to the HCM Responsive User Experience, as these older pages will no longer be supported.
For information on the Responsive features, see the HCM Common What's New for Update 18B and 18C. The redesigned features are under a heading for Redesigned User Experience and have groupings by product. Features that have come out from 19A onwards will be in their respective solutions: HCM Common, Global Human Resources, Talent Management, Workforce Management and Workforce Rewards What's News. The feature will be under their product headings. You can open one these solutions such as Workforce Rewards and you will see tabs on the left to easily let you open the different releases to view the responsive features.
For consolidated information on generic setup information you can refer to My Oracle Support Document ID 2399671.1 - HCM Responsive User Experience Setup Information.
Highlights of New User Interface:
We’ve taken the employee and manager self-service pages to the next level by redesigning them to look and behave the same on desktop and mobile devices. We’ve also changed the look and feel of the pages to provide a better experience for end users.
Pages and messages look more modern and use simpler, more conversational language so that you can more easily read and understand content across all devices. The pages are clutter-free and clean and display only those fields that are required to complete the task. You can personalize the pages and add more fields that are hidden by default. For most self-service tasks, you’re asked what you want to do, and the task is broken down into a series of steps based on your choice.
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KNOWN ISSUES / MONTHLY AND STATUTORY MAINTENANCE PACK
Oracle publishes a Known Issues document for every Update to make customers are aware of potential problems they could run into and the document provides workarounds if they are available.
Oracle also publishes Maintenance Pack and Statutory Maintenance Pack documentation of bugs that are fixed in the monthly or statutory patching.
To review these documents you must have access to My Oracle Support:
Oracle Human Capital Management Cloud Functional Known Issues and Maintenance Packs (Document ID 1554838.1)