“UKG Pro can’t do that.” You might have heard this before, or even said it yourself. Usually, it comes from someone familiar with UKG Pro, so people rarely question it. But Pro is always changing. Features get updated, settings change, and new options are added. So something that wasn’t possible a few years ago might be possible now. Your UKG Pro configuration also matters. What you can do depends on your system settings, security permissions, and the modules your organization uses.
So, when someone says, “Pro can’t do that,” the real reason might be something else:
- The feature isn’t configured.
- The user doesn’t have the right permissions.
- The required module isn’t available.
Knowing the difference can help your team use UKG Pro better. It might also show you ways to improve your current processes without adding extra tools or workarounds.
In our recent UKG Pro Mythbusters webinar, Covalence principal consultant Emily Nunn and UKG specialist Silvia Daboin talked about some of the most common myths they hear from customers.
Here are three UKG Pro myths worth busting, along with practical tips to help you better understand your system.
Myth #1: You Can’t Report on or Import Platform-Configured Fields
Verdict: Busted, with a few exceptions.
Platform-configured fields are custom fields you create in UKG Pro. You can build these fields, attach them to the appropriate package or class, and place them on the relevant page.
Since these fields are custom, it’s easy to think they only work on the pages where you add them. But you can also use them for reporting and data imports.
Reporting on platform-configured fields
You can report on platform-configured fields through People Analytics. Although these fields won’t appear in standard reports, you can add them to the BI reports you build.
This gives your team more ways to analyze the information you collect in UKG Pro
Importing data into platform-configured fields
You can also import data into certain platform-configured fields through supported web import processes.
These include several major import types, such as:
- Add employee
- Terminate
- Change status
- Change job
But support for these fields depends on the page and the import process. Not every page supports platform-configured fields, and some that do won’t let you import data into them.
For example, platform-configured fields on an employee’s private information page aren’t supported for import, even though you can update details like their address through these processes.
How to configure an import for platform-configured fields
- Open the import tool and navigate to the Configurations page.
- Click the PC Fields button in the top-right corner.
- Find the field name and its path. You’ll need both for your file mapping.
- In your file mapping, enter the field path, configuration token (the field name), and the source file column containing the value.
Tip: If you just created a field, wait a bit for it to show up. It might take a few hours or even until the next day to appear in the PC Fields list.
Remember: Before you decide a custom field can’t be reported on or imported, check your options and make sure your UKG Pro setup supports it.
Myth #2: UKG Pro Knows the Right Effective Date
Verdict: Busted.
UKG Pro uses effective dates during imports, but it does not know the reason for every change. You have to tell the system how the change should fit into the employee’s job history.
There are two main types of changes to understand:
- Top-of-stack changes: A new change that takes effect moving forward, such as a promotion starting now.
- Retroactive changes: A change that needs to be added to an earlier point in the employee’s history, such as a salary increase that should have started two months ago.
This difference is important because an employee might already have records with later dates. Depending on the rule you choose, UKG Pro will handle those records differently.
How to set the effective date
In the import tool, you control the date through the effective date mapping.
You generally have three options:
- Use the current date: UKG Pro uses the date the import runs.
- Use a fixed date: Enter one date, such as January 1, 2027, for every record in the import.
- Use a date from your file: Include an effective date in your source file when different employees need different dates.
Pick the option that fits your business needs. If you don’t, you might end up with records with the wrong dates.
How to handle retroactive changes
First, enable the appropriate setting.
Navigate to System Settings > Employee. Then, under Job History, select Allow retroactive job and salary changes.
Next, choose a job effective rule in the import tool.
Option 1: Latest only
This option prevents the change from being inserted further back in the employee’s history.
For example, suppose your import uses May 1, but the employee already has a record dated June 1. UKG Pro moves the change to June 1 and updates that latest record.
Option 2: Retroactive change
This option preserves the original effective date.
Using the same example, UKG Pro adds a new record dated May 1. It then carries the change forward through the later records.
This can help when you need to fix an employee’s history. Use it carefully, since carrying the change forward overwrites values in newer records and updates the employee’s current job and salary.
Important safeguards for retroactive imports
Before running a retroactive import, keep these limitations in mind:
- The retroactive date must be within two years of the current date.
- The date cannot be earlier than the employee’s most recent hire or rehire date.
Most importantly, test the import with one employee or a small group before using it for everyone.
Remember: UKG Pro can handle effective dates in different ways, but you need to pick the right rule. Knowing your options helps you manage employee records more accurately and avoid extra corrections.
Myth #3: Terminating an Employee Shuts Everything Off at Once
Verdict: Busted.
It’s easy to think that entering an employee’s termination right away ends all access and activity, but that is not always true. An employee’s status, web access, last day worked, and pay dates can all follow different settings and timelines. Knowing these differences helps you manage termination records more accurately.
UKG Pro web access depends on your settings.
To review the relevant options, navigate to System Settings > Employee and look at the web user status settings.
Depending on your configuration, you may see options such as:
- Suspended upon termination in all companies: Suspends the employee’s web access when they are terminated.
- Remove terminated web users after: Sets the number of days to wait before removing the web user account.
- You can also automatically reactivate the web user account when an employee is rehired.
Remember, suspending an account and removing it are not the same thing. Neither one deletes the employee’s main record. So, check your organization’s settings instead of assuming termination automatically removes all access.
Understand the difference between termination dates.
Several dates can affect how an employee’s termination is recorded. Although they may seem similar, each serves a different purpose.
- Termination date: The employee’s last active day. The employee is considered terminated starting the next day. If you enter a future date, UKG Pro waits and applies the termination the day after that date. UKG Pro processes a termination dated today or earlier right away.
- Last day worked: The last day the employee actually worked.
- Paid-through date: The date through which the employee is paid, which may differ from the termination date.
These dates can differ because each serves a specific purpose. Set each one based on your organization’s needs and what the employee record should show.
Remember: Don’t assume that termination ends all access or sets every pay date. Check your settings and make sure each date is right.
Keep Questioning Your UKG Pro Configuration
Next time someone says, “Pro can’t do that,” try asking a follow-up question.
Is it really a system limitation? Or is the feature just not set up, the user missing permissions, or the needed module not available?
Understanding your UKG Pro configuration can help you identify capabilities you may have overlooked, review existing processes, and make more informed decisions about additional tools.
UKG Pro will continue to evolve, so it’s worth revisiting what you know about the system.
As Emily said at the end of our webinar, keep questioning, keep testing, and keep busting myths.
Want to learn more? Watch the UKG Pro Mythbusters webinar on demand. You’ll see screenshots of the settings we covered here, plus a live Q&A with Emily Nunn and Silvia Daboin.
Do you have your own UKG Pro question? Contact the Covalence team. We’d be happy to help..