HR Employee Self-Service (ESS)

Overview

UCT HR Employee Self-Service (ESS) provides UCT staff members with access to apply for/approve leave, view payslips & IRP5 tax certificates, change some personal details and apply for/approve PASS overtime or standby hours. Ad hoc staff, paid-on-claim staff or those paid by a temp agency will unfortunately not have access to the service due to the temporary nature of their role.

Logging in to HR Employee Self-Service (ESS)

Open a web browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge).
Log in to HR Employee Self-Service via https://sapfiori.uct.ac.za.
If not already logged in, the Sign in to your account page appears. If already logged in, the Home page immediately appears (see step 5).
- Enter your UCT staff number followed by @wf.uct.ac.za, e.g. 01234567@wf.uct.ac.za.
  Note: UCT staff number only, third party "T" accounts do not have access to HR Employee Self-Service.
- Click Next.
The Enter password page appears.
- In the Password field, enter your network password.
- Click Sign in.
- You will be prompted to verify your login either via Microsoft Authenticator or a code sent to your phone as an SMS.
The Home page appears.
- To view a payslip, click My Paystubs.
- To view an IRP5 tax certificate, click My Tax Certificate.
- For leave requests:
  - Either create leave requests, view leave requests or view leave balances by clicking My Leave Requests. View either the Employee Self-Service quick reference guide or for detailed instructions, the Employee Self-Service guide.
  - Or if you are manager, process leave requests by clicking My Inbox. View either the Employee Self-Service quick reference guide for managers or for detailed instructions, the Employee Self-Service guide for managers.
- To view or update your personal information, click My Personal Data, My Addresses, My Family Members or My Communication Data. View either the Employee Self-Service quick reference guide or for detailed instructions, the Employee Self-Service guide.

Instruction guides

Employee Self-Service quick reference guide	Employee Self-Service guide
Employee Self-Service quick reference guide for managers	Employee Self-Service guide for managers

Demonstration videos

Employee Self-Service leave: Learn about online leave, creating leave requests, checking leave balances and viewing leave history (10 minutes).

PASS overtime and standby hours: Learn how to apply for PASS overtime and standby hours on Employee Self-Service (6 minutes)

Employee Self-Service leave for managers: Learn to review & process leave requests, view a team member’s leave balances / leave history and create a leave request for a team member (9 minutes).

Frequently asked questions

General

No.	Question	Answer
1.	What is HR Employee Self-Service?	Employee Self-Service provides UCT staff members with web-based access to apply for leave, view payslips & IRP5 tax certificates, change some personal details and capture PASS overtime / standby hours. The service is available to T1 (≤ 2 years), T2 (2 - 5 years) and permanent staff.
2.	I can't log in to HR Employee Self-Service, what do I do?	If you are employed on an hourly paid / ad hoc / paid-on-claim basis or paid by a temp agency, then you will not have access to Employee Self-Service. Employee Self-Service will not be available during any SAP downtime (e.g. financial year end processing) and the ICTS monthly scheduled maintenance slots. Ensure that you have correctly entered your 8-digit UCT staff number and network password, third party accounts ("T" numbers) will not work. If your issue has not been resolved and you are still unable to log in, please contact the ICTS Helpdesk online, via email icts-helpdesk@uct.ac.za or on extension 4500.
3.	How do I save the HR Employee Self-Service web site as a favourite or bookmark in my web browser?	Ensure that you create the favourite or bookmark once successfully logged in to Employee Self-Service while viewing the Home page.
4.	Can I access HR Employee Self-Service from off campus?	Employee Self-Service is available off campus but will not be available during any SAP downtime (e.g. financial year end processing) and the ICTS monthly scheduled maintenance slots.
5.	Can I use HR Employee Self-Service on a mobile device?	Yes, Employee Self-Service is available on mobile devices via a web browser.
6.	Can I access HR Employee Self-Service after I leave UCT?	Unfortunately due to licence restrictions it will not be possible to access Employee Self-Service after you have left the employment of the University. Please save or download copies of any payslips or IRP5 tax certificates you may require before you leave.
7.	As a manager, how do I ensure new staff members are informed about and have access to HR Employee Self-Service?	All new T1 (≤ 2 years), T2 (2 - 5 years) and permanent staff members are automatically given access to Employee Self-Service. Managers can ensure that their staff members are aware of the HR Employee Self-Service page on the HR website.
8.	Why don't hourly paid / ad hoc / paid-on-claim staff have access to HR Employee Self-Service?	Due to the nature of the employment contract and the submission of hours after the completion of the work, these staff are often no longer on campus when the payslip is produced. Payslips are emailed to this group of staff

Personal information

No.	Question	Answer
1.	The My Personal Data page only displays my information; how do I change it?	To change any of the information on this page, please complete the HR101 (Personal Details) form and submit to Human Resources.
2.	Why can’t I delete my private e-mail address?	HR requires a private e-mail address to send your last IRP5 tax certificate should you leave UCT.
3.	I have added/removed a spouse, why hasn’t my Marital status in the My Personal Data section changed?	The marital status must be changed by HR. Please complete the HR101 (Personal Details) form and submit to Human Resources.
4.	I have added/removed a family member (spouse, partner, child), will they be updated on my medical aid or as a beneficiary of the UCTRF (UCT Retirement Fund)?	Additions, changes or removals of family members on Employee Self-Service are not passed on. Please ensure that you notify Discovery Health or the UCT Retirement Fund of any changes.
5.	Why can’t I delete my emergency contact?	Human Resources requires staff members to list an emergency contact, therefore this information can only be updated with a new emergency contact.

Payslips and IRP5 certificates

No.	Question	Answer
1.	When will my payslip be available for viewing on HR Employee Self-Service?	Your payslip will be available two calendar days before pay day. Pay day is normally the 25th of the month, unless the 25th falls on a weekend or public holiday, then the previous working day is pay day.
2.	How many payslips and IRP5 tax certificates do I have access to on HR Employee Self-Service?	Employee Self-Service provides access to your payslips on a rolling 4-year period determined by the current month. E.g. If the current payslip is August 2023, you will be able to view payslips as far back as September 2019. IRP5 tax certificates (issued by UCT) are available for the last 5 years.
3.	How do I download / print a payslip or IRP5 tax certificate?	Instructions for downloading or printing are included in the Employee Self-Service guide: Viewing a paystub (payslip) Viewing an IRP5 tax certificate
4.	How does the Human Resources department communicate pay-related messages?	Some messages may be communicated via your payslip, please regularly check the Messages section on your payslip for messages sent only to you or for those of a more general nature sent to larger groups of staff.
5.	My payslip for the current month has changed since I looked at it on pay day, my net pay has increased but I haven't yet received an additional payment in my bank account.	Occasionally the Human Resources department runs a second pay run due to special circumstances, e.g. tax year end, increased volume of payments in an area of the university. Your monthly salary is paid as usual on pay day. The second pay run may result in an additional payment to you which will only reflect in your bank account on the last day of the month or soon after. At the time of the second pay run (before month end) your ESS payslip is updated to reflect your full monthly payment, including the additional payment.

Leave (employees)

No.	Question	Answer
See also: Leave (managers).
1.	Which leave types can be applied for using Employee Self-Service?	Annual leave (full and half day) Sick leave (full pay and half pay) Family responsibility leave Parental leave (partner) Parental leave (primary) PASS study and examination leave (full and half day) Time off in lieu of overtime Special leave (maximum 15 days) Unpaid leave Unpaid parental leave (T1) Injury On Duty AWOL (Absence without leave) See: Full instructions for Creating a leave request in the Employee Self-Service guide or for a reminder, see the Employee Self-Service quick reference guide. The leave types listed below should be applied for using the appropriate HR form: Study & research leave (including contact leave and leave encashment) Special leave (includes special leave with pay over 15 days, special leave without pay / with rights and special leave without pay / without rights) Unpaid sick leave Strike (paid and unpaid) Long leave
2.	Which types of leave can I see balances (accruals) for on Employee Self-Service?	PASS staff will see balances for their compulsory annual leave, accumulative annual leave and study and examination leave (where applicable). Academic staff will see the balances for annual leave and study & research and contact leave (the HR141 form should continue to be used to apply for study & research leave). All staff will see family responsibility and sick leave balances. See: Full instructions for Viewing leave balances in the Employee Self-Service guide or for a reminder, see the Employee Self-Service quick reference guide.
3.	How do I check my leave balances?	Click My Leave Requests. See: Full instructions for Viewing leave balances in the Employee Self-Service guide or for a reminder, see the Employee Self-Service quick reference guide.
4.	Is my leave balance reduced when I submit the leave application or when the leave is approved?	Your leave balance is immediately reduced on Employee Self-Service when you submit the leave application. Your leave balance on SAP HR is only reduced when your manager approves the leave request. If you later delete the request or your manager doesn’t approve it, the days will be added back to your leave balance.
5.	How do I apply for annual leave in advance if the leave hasn’t yet accrued but will accrue by the time the leave starts?	Discuss your leave plans with your manager to get approval in principle for the full period. Apply for the leave on ESS now using as much leave as you currently have available, and then submit the remainder when you have earned it.
6.	Can I apply for leave retrospectively / in the past?	Yes, you can submit a leave request for a date in the past but as with any leave request it will be subject to manager approval.
7.	Which leave types require an attachment?	Attachments are required for the following leave applications: Sick leave: 3 days or more requires the attachment of a medical certificate. Family responsibility leave for illness: A medical certificate must be attached when applying for day 3, 4 or 5 of your entitlement (T1 staff for day 3 of your entitlement). Check your current usage of family responsibility leave by clicking My Leave Requests. Family responsibility leave in the case of death: A death certificate must be attached for any days taken from your 5 day entitlement (3 day entitlement for T1 staff). Study and examination leave: Requires the attachment of original or certified copy of the examination timetable, or a letter from the institution outlining the examination process and/or dates, or an original letter from the lecturer/supervisor supporting leave in the case of written submission. Parental leave (primary and partner): Attachment required in the form of a marriage certificate, declaration or affidavit, birth registration papers or adoption papers. Special leave: Attach relevant documentation e.g. international conference registration. See: Full instructions for Creating a leave request in the Employee Self-Service guide or for a reminder, see the Employee Self-Service quick reference guide. Explore the HR website for further information on leave for academic and PASS staff.
8	How do I apply for annual leave on 24 December?	As 24 December is a half working day, apply for a half day annual leave. If 24 December is part of a larger annual leave request, ESS will automatically deduct a half day annual leave for that day.
9.	At times when submitting a leave application for the current month or a past date, I get an error message “System locked, as payroll is being finalised for current month”. How do I submit this leave request?	At certain times of the month the system is locked for payroll finalisation. Leave applications for the current month or a past date cannot be submitted until the system is unlocked. Leave applications for dates in the following month onwards will not be affected when the system is locked and can be submitted. See: Employee Self-Service error messages in the Employee Self-Service guide.
10.	How can I view my previous leave taken / approved?	Click My Leave Requests to display your leave requests for the current year. See: Full instructions for Viewing, changing or deleting leave requests in the Employee Self-Service guide or for a reminder, see the Employee Self-Service quick reference guide.
11.	How do I view my colleague’s absence days before I save my leave request in order to check our leave dates don’t clash?	Click My Team Calendar to view team member absences in the current week. See: Using the team calendar in the Employee Self-Service guide.
12.	How do I know when my leave request has been processed by my manager?	You will receive an email from HR Online Leave informing you that your leave request has been processed. The email will indicate the status of your leave request/s (e.g. approved) as well as an indication of the leave type and leave dates.

Leave (managers)

No.	Question	Answer
See also: Leave (employees).
1.	How do I know when I have leave requests to process?	You will receive an email from HR Online Leave. The email identifies the staff member applying for the leave as well as the leave type and leave dates they are requesting. Leave requests that aren’t processed within 10 calendar days will be escalated to your manager. See: Full instructions for Reviewing and processing a leave request in the Employee Self-Service guide for managers or for a reminder, see the Employee Self-Service quick reference guide for managers.
2.	How are my unit / team’s leave requests processed when I am away from the office or on leave?	You can access Employee Self-Service from off campus. If you can’t access ESS while you are away, you should choose another manager to act as a substitute for you. Leave requests that aren’t processed within 10 calendar days will be escalated to your manager. See: Adding a planned manager substitution in the Employee Self-Service guide for managers. For a reminder of key procedures, see the Employee Self-Service quick reference guide for managers.
3.	One of my team members is unable to create their own leave request on Employee Self-Service, what can I do to assist?	As their manager, you can create a leave request on their behalf and process it via your ESS Inbox. The staff member will receive email confirmation when you process the leave request. See: Full instructions for Creating a leave request on behalf of a team member in the Employee Self-Service guide for managers or for a reminder, see the Employee Self-Service quick reference guide for managers.
4.	How do I view a team member’s leave balances and previous leave requests?	Click My Leave Requests and switch to the team member using the Act on behalf of another employee option on the bottom right of the page.
5.	At times when processing a leave application for the current month or a past date, I get an error message “System locked, as payroll is being finalised for current month”. How do I process this leave request?	At certain times of the month the system is locked for payroll finalisation. Leave applications for the current month or a past date cannot be processed until the system is unlocked. Leave applications for dates in the following month onwards will not be affected when the system is locked and can be processed.

Page last updated: 19 August 2024