The electronic Employee Support System (eESS) was introduced in 2018 meaning a fundamental change to working practices, with the introduction of the Manager Self Service function.
All Line Managers (Band 6 or above) will have access to eESS Manager Self Service and will be responsible for approving/declining any requests submitted by employees. Line Managers will also be able to process payroll transactions for staff for changes in employment.
eESS Managers – Going on leave?
If you are going on leave and want to nominate a colleague to manage transactions in your absence you can set this up in Vacation Rules on your home screen (see SOP238 for further details). Please ensure you nominate a colleague in adherence with your Board’s policies and Standing Financial Instructions (e.g. in some Boards this may be a minimum of Band 7 and within the same business unit).
If you want to grant another user access to manage your Worklist in your absence (see SOP239 for further details). This functionality is used to give another eESS user access to your Worklist. The user can manage your Worklist on your behalf
Fixed Term Contract extensions – If an employee’s fixed term contract is to be extended, please contact the eESS Support Team via the HR Connect Portal for this to be updated on the employee’s record, confirming the new date the contract is to be extended to (together with the employee Name and eESS ID)
Change of Contract Details – If an employee’s contracted hours or contract type is changing, ie. fixed term to permanent, please contact the eESS Support Team via the HR Connect Portal for this to be updated on the employee’s record, confirming the date the contract is changing (together with the employee Name and eESS ID)
Managers should also contact Payroll Officer for any changes being put through that have an impact on salary ( i.e. increasing/decreasing hours/band/terminations/annex 21 etc.) to save any under/over-payments being made
The eESS Manager Self Service section below shows some other examples of what Managers can do (role dependent):
It is important that you complete the appropriate eESS transaction as soon as you become aware that a staff member is leaving (for example, when you are given notice of their plan to leave). This ensures the staff member is terminated on the correct date and that there are no salary overpayments.
In line with local arrangements there may be requirements to setup Proxy Users across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) for Manager Self Service.
A proxy user is someone who will transact self-service functions on behalf of:
a line manager; or
peer employees
via self-service-based access.
Please refer to the Proxy User Briefing document which outlines the process and details the governance rules associated with Proxy Users. The document can be found on the HR Connect Portal. Completed forms should be returned via the portal.
Full access to all Employee Self Service Standard Operating Procedures and is available via the eESS National Webiste
The eESS Self-Service module will be a fundamental change to working practices for employees.
eESS Employee Self Service
Employees will now have access to view and update the following information:
Please note – All Personal Sensitive Information is held securely within eESS. Any updates or changes to this type of information is held in confidence, and will not be notified to your manager, HR or anyone else using the system.
Equality and diversity information – age, gender, religion etc – Please check/update. You can do so by following Change Personal Information – NHS Scotland eESS. This enables us to continuously improve as an equal opportunities employer. It ensures the right resources, facilities and support are available for you. Further information can be found at Employee Equality Data – NHSGGC
Your details will be resent to you so please ensure you have sufficient space in your mailbox to receive new emails. Please keep these details safe for future use.
Alternatively, access eESS via your ‘favourites’ menu on your Internet Explorer toolbar (just as you would access SSTS). Select favourites then GGC Shortcuts then Admin then eESS
How do I access eESS if I do not have a GGC email account?
For those staff who don’t have e-mail accounts, there will be no immediate change for you – your manager will be able to assist with the transactions on your behalf as they currently do. Considerations are ongoing with regards to future access for all staff.
For non NHS managers who manage NHS staff and will need access to eESS, please contact the eESS Support Team via the HR Connect Portal
What do I do if I have forgotten my user ID or password?
Passwords on eESS are reset via a link sent by email. Click on the log-in assistance button on the log-in page and follow the instructions given.
What is a Proxy User?
In line with local arrangements there may be requirements to setup Proxy Users across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde for Manager Self Service. A proxy user is someone who will transact self-service functions on behalf of:
A line manager
Peer employees
Via self-service-based access.
Proxy for Manager Self Service must be specifically requested via the HR Connect Portal. The Proxy User Briefing document (which can be found within the portal) outlines the process for doing this and details the governance rules associated with Proxy Users.
How can I set up a Proxy User?
If you want to nominate a Proxy User to input transactions on your behalf, please complete the form at the end of the Proxy User Briefing document (which can be found within the portal) and return this via the HR Connect Portal
My annual leave entitlement is incorrect, how can this be amended?
If you’re annual leave entitlements is incorrect then please discuss this with your line manager who should arrange to update SSTS and then this will feed through to eESS.
Are New Start Engagement Forms still to be completed?
Yes, these should still be completed to engage a new start on to eESS and Payroll systems. Digital forms can be completed and submitted via the HR Connect Portal or paper copies can be sent to eESS Support Team, Admin Building, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, 1055 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 0XH
Are Notifications of Change and Termination Forms still to be completed?
No, any changes or terminations should now be processed under manager self service.
(A notification of change letter still requires to be sent from the manager to employee)
Remember you can access step by steps guides and video tutorials on the eESS National website
Previous service
The eESS Support Team is aware that some employee’s previous service is not recorded on eESS. A process is currently being developed for this to be accurately recorded. Employees can detail any previous NHS service through ‘Previous NHS/ Reckonable Service’ via Employee Self Service SOP on the eESS National website
If you notice that you have staff wrongly assigned to you please contact the eESS Team via the HR Connect Portal as soon as possible, confirming the correct line manager if known (Name, eESS ID or payroll number required).
If you are contacting the eESS Team to advise that there are staff missing from your hierarchy then please confirm the employees name and eESS ID or payroll number.
Terminations/assignment terminations
If a manager tries to terminate an employee who has more than one post they will receive an error message asking them to contact HR. Where an employee has more than one post the eESS Support Team will check whether the post being terminated is set as the primary role, and is so will change this and confirm to the manager once this has been completed.
In order for the manager to progress with a termination for an employee has more than one assignment they should follow the relevant Standard Operating Procedure:
Please note that for Terminating an assignment there is two steps to this process as detailed in the above Standard Operating Procedure. If only one of the steps is completed this will not progress to Payroll and thus the termination will not be actioned.
To change an employee to a different department the cost code needs to be updated in ‘Change Job and Terms’, above the department heading there is red bold text advising the user that the cost code also needs to be updated in ‘Change Cost Centre’ and it is detailed within the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). However, managers have only been updating either ‘Change Job and Terms’ or ‘Change Cost Centre’ rather than updating both. Please ensure that both ‘Change Job and Terms’ or ‘Change Cost Centre’ are updated which are separate functions under Manager Self Service.
If you are trying to complete a transaction to move an employee from one department to another or to change their banding and the ‘position’ field defaults to blank and you cannot choose any options it is likely that a new position requires to be created. This can be done by the eESS Team. Therefore, please contact the eESS Team providing the following information:
Cost code (if changing), job title, job family (i.e. nursing, admin etc) band (if changing) and location (if changing).
Once the new position has been set up the eESS Team will confirm the new details for the manager to enter the transaction on ‘Change Job and Terms’ via Manager Self Service.
Change job and terms: Use of temporary notes
A number of managers had advised that they had made changes on an employee’s eESS record, which their manager (Manager 2) had approved and therefore belief that an employee’s information has been changed and will be processed by Payroll. However, the ‘Temporary Change Notes’ does not form part of the Payroll Interface and therefore these notes are not received by Payroll. The only way to make a change on eESS that will progress to Payroll is to make amendments to the employee’s eESS record by following the appropriate Standard Operating Procedure.
Medical and dental
It was apparent that managers are unclear when completing transactions under Medical and Dental particularly relating to updating EPA details. As a result, NHSGGC had requested to the eESS National Team that the Standard Operating Procedure was revised and made more user friendly.
If an employee’s fixed term contact is to be extended then please contact eESS Support Team via the HR Connect Portal for this to be updated on the employee’s record confirming the new date the contract is to be extended to. When you are contacting eESS Support Team please provide the employees name and eESS ID
Change of contractual status
If an employee’s contractual status is changing, i.e. from fixed term to permanent, then please contact eESS Support Team via the HR Connect Portal for this to be updated on the employee’s record confirming the date from this changing. When you are contacting eESS Support Team please provide the employees name and eESS ID.
How to delegate worklist notifications
If you are going on leave and want to nominate a colleague to manage transactions in your absence you can set this up in Vacation Rules on your home screen. This needs to be a colleague who reports directly to someone who is a Band 7 or above, in order to meet Standing Financial Instructions (SFI). For further information please refer to NHSGGC : Manager Self Service
If a manager is off sick, the eESS Support Team will need to temporarily amend the hierarchy in the manager’s absence. Once the manager has resumed to work, then the eESS Support Team can be contacted to change to remove the temporary hierarchy changes.
It is important to ensure that no transactions are actioned until the hierarchy has been temporarily changed. If an employee/ manager 1 has already submitted the change job terms /termination transaction above (so it is sitting with the manager 1 or 2 who is off sick) they will need to delete it from the system. The eESS Team will then amend the hierarchy and the employee/ manager 1 can re-submit the transaction.
Manager Self Service LearnPro Module. Access LearnPro using the following link: LearnPro Login Page
Login to LearnPro using your Username and Password, then search for “eEES” under the Specialist Subjects tab.
eESS is a single, national NHS Scotland approach to HR systems providing a high quality, standardised HR function.
All NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde staff will have an employee record on the system which interfaces with Payroll and the Scottish Standard Time System (SSTS) to provide real time workforce information and reports. Key features of the system will include:
Employee Self Service – Employees can view their employment record, make changes to personal data (eg. address), and request training.
Manager Self Service – Managers can approve requests and process changes (such as change of hours) through to payroll and will also be able to use manager self-service for improved workforce record keeping and reporting.
Core HR – see below
Oracle Learning Management System (OLM) – see below
Core
eESS Core is the control centre for HR Staff and Line Managers to capture workforce information in relation to employee personal records.
The Core Employee Record captures:
Changes to Contract
Eligibility to Work
Essential workers
Exit Interviews
Mentorship for AHP and NMC
Occupational Health Passport
Other non-NHS employment
Previous NHS employment
Qualifications and registrations
Supplementary roles
Terms and Conditions
HR users will have access to run and generate standard and non-standard reports to support workforce monitoring and planning.
By allowing staff eESS access, employees can view and update information, and ensure that HR and the Board holds accurate and the most up-to-date information.
Oracle Learning Management (OLM)
The Oracle Learning Management (OLM) component of eESS will enable improved access to and monitoring of all the activities associated with the learning and development of staff. This will include the administration of courses and the recording of learning undertaken by every employee, including e-Learning.
Courses can be linked to defined competencies, including national competence frameworks, so that current employee competencies and progress towards those competencies can be updated and monitored.
Benefits
Enables NHSGGC to manage all aspects of the delivery and maintenance of a learning service including the ability to access national courses which are centrally maintained.
OLM supports a blended approach to learning with NHSGGC able to offer a single point of access for all classroom courses and e-Learning across the Board through a unified catalogue.
Maintains information on:
Courses (any educational or development activity designed to enhance an employee’s competencies, qualifications or experience)
Classes (a single occurrence of a course on a particular date)
Resources (such as trainers, equipment or venues)
Employees can directly enrol to courses, subject to manager approval.
The LearnPro interface will automatically update learning records when an e-Learning course is completed.
Employee competencies can be associated with courses. Once a member of staff has completed the course, his or her employee record can be updated with the new competency automatically.
Monitoring of compliance with mandatory training. For example, a skill may require a refresher course every 12 months; OLM will enable you to report on those employees who are due for refresher learning.
A wide range of reports enables learning and development to be monitored at a local and national level.
Automatic system generated e-mail delivered to staff upon:
Full access to all Standard Operating Procedures and e-Learning videos is available on the eESS National Team website.
Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE)
OBIEE is the integrated Reporting Tool that allows organisations to build and develop a range of reports and dashboards that meets statutory and local reporting requirements. It will support workforce planning and align to requirements for Staff Governance reporting and analysis.
How to contact the eESS Team. Get in touch with the eESS Team via the HR Connect Self-Service Portal which launched on 6th June 2022. (Add the link to your Favourites for easy access). Alternatively you can access the HRConnect portal via NHSGGC Favourites\Admin\HR Self Service Portal.
For urgent enquiries, or to speak to a member of the team, you can call us on 0141 278 2700 option 5. Press 1 for the eESS Support Team and Press 2 for the eESS Technical Team. The phone lines are open between 9.00am and 3.00pm, Monday to Friday.
The eESS Support Team are available to assist with Login Assistance/Password resets, Support with payroll transactions (Staff Transfers/Terminations etc), Input of Staff Engagement Forms (SEFs), Contract Amendments and Set up of Additional Responsibilities
The eESS Technical Team are available with Pending Report (failed payroll transactions), Hierarchy updates, Proxy User set up and end-dating, Set up of New Positions, Set up of New Cost Centres and organisational structures
The first time you call the eESS Team, please provide some key details in relation to your role and the area where you work.
