Payroll Based Journal

Introduction to Payroll Based Journal (PBJ); how to create a PBJ Export dataview.

This topic describes Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) and the PBJ Export integration, and provides recommendations or best practices for preparing data for the reports.

What the PBJ Export does

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) identifies staffing as a vital component of a nursing home’s ability to provide quality care. Section 6106 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires facilities to submit electronically direct care staffing information (including for agency and contract staff) that is based on payroll and other auditable data. This source data makes up the CMS Reportable Hours that can be used to report the level of staff in each nursing home and employee turnover and tenure, all of which can impact the quality of care.

CMS developed the Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) system so that facilities submit the mandatory staffing information in a uniform format while the system collects staffing information regularly and frequently. The information can be audited to ensure accuracy.

The Payroll Based Journal Export integration enables you to comply with the CMS reporting requirements for staffing information based on payroll data in a uniform format. The reporting shows worked time by the actual calendar date worked.

Functions used for Payroll Based Journal data

The following functions must be handled carefully when reporting:

Moved time with move amounts
Reconciled timecards
Historical corrections

The accurate collection of time worked for payroll purposes does not always align for some functions — such as move amounts and historical edits — with the actual calendar day worked that is required for the CMS PBJ (for example, the day divide at midnight).

If the functions do not occur in a logical order that accounts for the actual date-worked requirement of CMS, the PBJ reporting can be incorrect.

Move amounts

You can use move amounts to move time or money from one paycode to another and change the account against which the time is charged.

CMS PBJ requires worked time records for actual dates. However, move amounts do not provide compatible information for PBJ reporting requirements because of a default, static time stamp that cannot be modified.

Recommendations

Instead of using move amounts, make changes to paycode edits, labor category transfers, business structure transfers, or work rule transfers.
Also, remove access to move amounts in the managers’ function access profile (FAP) as follows:
1. Select Administration > Application Setup > Access Profiles > Function Access Profiles> {profileName} > Manager — Department Manager > Timecard Editor for Managers > Pay codes in Timecard Editor.
2. In Move Amount, select Disallowed.
3. Repeat for the next FAP.

Reconcile timecards

Use Reconcile Timecard to identify problems such as missing punches. Before you submit staffing data, correct missing, early or late punches, and unexcused absences, and make sure that totals are up to date.

Recommendations

Reconcile timecards daily.
If daily reconciliation is not feasible for your organization, reconcile timecards no less than twice a week and at the end of the pay period.
Submit PBJ staffing data after all applicable edits are complete for the time period that you submit to payroll.
Avoid edits to CMS data after submission. The PBJ policy states that data be verifiable and auditable.

Historical corrections

Normally, you track and pay time for employees based on a day divide that aligns with shifts, such as 7a-3p, 3p-11p, or 11p-7a. However, CMS PBJ reporting requirements are based on the actual day worked with a day divide at midnight. Changes to data by way of Historical Corrections after a pay period is closed, translate correctly only if changes are applied to the actual start time of the paycode edits, labor category transfers, or work rule transfers.

Recommendation

To ensure data consistency, follow a standard process for handling historical corrections. You can centralize Historical Corrections processing, so that anyone who is allowed to make Historical Corrections understands the implications to the timecard and the CMS PBJ reporting requirements.

File submission

If you resubmit staffing hours for the whole period after the reporting period ends, any historical corrections are applied to the CMS PBJ database.

Recommendations

Submit staffing files after each pay period is closed.
A best practice is to avoid uploading files to CMS as a full replace after a manual update is submitted. The full replace causes the loss of any manual updates in the CMS PBJ database.
Excerpt from CMS PBJ Data Specs v2.00.0 12/28/ 2015. Download PBJ Data Specs Overview (v2.00.0) published by CMS on 12/28/2015:

Section processing control

Note the use of the item “processType” within the and tags. This item is used to control how the data within these sections will be processed.

There are two possible values for “processType”: “merge” and “replace”. If “processType” is set to the value of “merge”, the data within that section will be processed as follows:
- If no previous data exists for the specific lookup appropriate to the section (i.e., employeeidentifier and the date for the Staffing Hours section, month and date for the Census section), the data will be added to the PBJ database.
- If previous data does exist for the specific lookup appropriate to the section (i.e., employeeidentifier and the date for the Staffing Hours section, month and date for the Census section) the data will overwrite the existing data in the PBJ database.
If “processType” is set to the value “replace”, then the data provides in the PBJ submission file will overwrite ALL previously submitted data for that section in the report quarter.

Dataviews

Use a dataview to compare hours and jobs by facility.

Note: For details about dataviews, see .

Recommendations

Review the results in the dataview at the end of each pay period. If this is not feasible for your organization, compare the results at the end of each month.
Submit PBJ staffing data after all applicable edits are completed for the time period that you submit to payroll.
Avoid edits to CMS data after you submit it. The PBJ policy requires that data be verifiable and auditable.

Create a PBJ Export dataview

Log in with an account that allows you to create dataviews.
Select Main Menu Administration > Application Setup > Display Preferences > Information Access > Dataview Management.
Click Tap Add and select Employee View.
In Dataview Key, enter PBJ_EXPORT as the unique identifier for the dataview. It is not displayed if you do not enter a Label. You cannot edit the key after you save.
(Optional) Enter a Description.
Example: This dataview provides the worked hours data delivered with the PBJ Export integration.
In Label, enter PBJ Export.
In Timeframe, select Last 7 Days.
Select how to view the data. You can select only one method.
- Select Hyperfind and PBJ Employees.
- Do not select Location.
In Category, select Timekeeping so that this dataview is in the Timekeeping category of the Dataview Library.
In Currency Displayed As, select Logged-in User. This selects the currency for the logged-in user.
Clear Column Relationship Rules so that it is disabled (false).
Note: The Column Relationship Rules option is only available when enabled and allowed. See Ability to Disable Column Relationship Rules.

In Columns, define the table columns as follows:

Click Tap Add to add a column.
Use the fields at the top of the table to find the appropriate columns. Example: In Entity, enter Employee Details.
Select the appropriate column.

Select the options as defined in the following table:

Data Column Label	Entity	Category	Visible	Assignment
Employee ID	Employee Details	Employee	Yes	NA
Employee Last Name	Employee Details	Employee	Yes	NA
Employee First Name	Employee Details	Employee	Yes	NA
Hire Date	Employee Details	Employee	Yes	NA
Job Name - Full Path (Worked)	Worked Job	Employee	Yes	NA
Transaction Type	Timecard Transactions	Timecard	No	Raw Total By Calendar Day
Apply Date	Timecard Transactions	Timecard	Yes	NA
Paycode Name	Paycode	Timekeeping	Yes	NA
Paycode Type	Paycode	Timekeeping	No	NA
Actual Hours	Timecard Transactions	Timecard	Yes	NA
Caution: Use the data column that matches the Data Column Label and Entity in this table to make sure that the correct columns are used.

Click Tap Add Column.
Repeat to add the next column.

Click Tap Save.