Employee Self Service FAQ

  1. What is Employee Self Service?

Employee Self Service (ESS) is a web based program that allows employees to view attendance balances, submit leave requests, track the approval process for leave requests, view payroll information, view W2 information, and view demographic information.

  1. Who has access to Employee Self Service?

All benefit eligible employees have access to ESS. This means, if you are eligible for leave time, you will have an ESS account.

  1. Do substitutes have an ESS account?

No, substitutes do not have leave time, and therefore do not have an ESS account.

  1. How do I access my ESS account?

First, you will be assigned a Hudson City School District email account. Once you set up your email account, you will receive an “invite” from WinCap Web. This link will allow you to set up your ESS account. Once you set up your ESS account, you won’t have to use your email again for ESS. You will go directly to the WinCap Web portal.

  1. Where is the WinCap Web portal?

The WinCap Web portal is at www.wincapweb.com. It can be accessed on any device that can connect to the internet, including Chrome Books, laptops, desktops, and smartphones.

  1. What is my log in and password for ESS?

Your login for ESS is your Hudson City School District email address. Your password is created by you after you click on the link invite from ESS. The password has to be at least 8 characters long, and include a number and a symbol.

  1. Once I have my ESS account, what do I do?

Once you have created your ESS account, log in and your account is ready to be used.

  1. What will I see when I login?

You will see eight links that you can click on. The first link is “My attendance Balances” and the last link is “My Employee Demographics.”

  1. What do I do if I want to see how much leave time I have available?

Click on “My Attendance Balances.” This will show you how much time you have available. Please make sure you remember that any time that you have taken off that hasn’t been taken yet, or approved yet, may not show up in your available attendance balance. It is important that you do not take time that you do not have available, so keep track! Time that you have requested, that has not been approved, will be listed in a separate column labeled “requested.” Time in the “requested” category has not been deducted from your available leave balance. It won’t be deducted until it has been approved.

  1. What do I do if I want to see what days I have taken off recently?

Click on “My Leave Requests.” This will show you a list of days that you have taken off; and a list of days that you have pending. It will also show you, for those days that are pending, where in the approval process they are.

  1. What if I want to request a day off?
  • Click on “My Leave Requests”. You will see a purple tab on the right hand side that says “Add Leave Request”.  Click on that.
  • You will see a drop down that says “Attendance Code.” Click on that.
  • Select the type of leave day you want to take.
  • Under “Requested Date,” click on the box. A calendar will pop up. Find the day you want to take off and click on it.
  • Under “Units,” insert the number 1 if you want to take a full day; or insert .5 if you want to take a half day.
  • If you entered .5 for a half day, under “Employee Comments” indicate morning (am) or afternoon (pm).
  • Click on “Submit.”
  • On the upper right hand corner, click “log out.”

This video will walk you through this process.

Congratulations!  You just successfully submitted a leave request!

  1. What happens if I request a day off and I realize that I don’t need it after all?

Prior to your day being approved, you can cancel your day off. Just log in to ESS, go to the “My Leave Request” tab, and under “Action,” click on the X.

  1. What happens if I request a day off and need to cancel it after it has been approved?

You will need to contact your Supervisor, and notify them that you need to change your already approved leave day. They will submit the change to the Human Resources Office for correction. This will be done by each building on the weekly attendance verification report. Your Supervisor will indicate the change and sign off on it as accurate. Once received by Human Resources, the change will be made in WinCap.

  1. What happens if I am out for a long time, do I have to submit my request every day?

No, you will not have to log in every day to ESS to submit your time. If you know when you will be out ahead of time, you can request an extended leave under the “Quick Add Date Range” tab under the “Add a Leave Request” tab  Remember, under “Units Per Day,” you still need to put 1. For example, if you are taking a full week off (5 days) you should not put the number 5 in that Units Per Day section. If you do, you are really submitting for 25 days. The Units Per Day is still 1 (1 unit for each day off).

  1. What if I wake up sick and need to take the day off?

Follow your building or department procedures and call in the normal way you would! If you need to call your Sub Caller, call them right away so a substitute can be secured for you! Then, when you are feeling better, you can log into WinCap Web and submit your leave day.

  1. How long will I have to submit my leave day?

You will have 48 hours to submit your leave day, once you get back to work. It is critical that you submit your leave day within 48 hours so you don’t get docked a day’s pay!!!

  1. Who is responsible for making sure I submit my leave day within 48 hours?

You are responsible!

  1. Can someone else submit my leave request for me?

No, each employee is responsible for submitting their own leave requests. Your supervisor should not be doing this for you, nor should other employees be doing this for you.

  1. What happens if I am out for more than 5 consecutive sick days, does someone notify Human Resources that I am out if I can’t submit my time in ESS?

If an employee is out for more than 5 consecutive sick days, their Supervisor will be contacting Human Resources. This will ensure that leave time can be adjusted internally, so we don’t over or under pay the employee. Please note that it is the employees responsibility to notify their supervisor of all absences, including leaves that equal or exceed 5 consecutive days.

  1. What happens if I need to request a leave time attached to a holiday or recess?

If your Collective Bargaining Agreement or Contract requires an additional approval from either the Superintendent of Schools or School Business Administrator, you will need to select a special leave day code which is under the “Attendance Code” drop down. The code will reference recess or holiday (SH or PH). Selecting this code will ensure the correct individuals will consider your leave request. Please also put the reason in the “note” section. If you don’t select this code, then you will not be able to get the approval required under your Contract. You will also have to submit the appropriate documentation directly to the Superintendent /School Business Administrator. Your day will not be approved/disapproved until such time as your documentation is received and reviewed.

  1. Who should I contact with any problems?

You should contact your Supervisor first, and if you still have questions, contact Melissa Noblin, Personnel Clerk, at noblinm@hudsoncsd.org or 518-828-4360 (ext. 2108).

 

May 2023