Sample HRIS System Documentation User Guides

Sample_Documents

DISCLAIMER: This is a sample template provided for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Organizations should consult their own legal and tax advisors and tailor this document to reflect their specific business needs, geographies, and applicable laws.

Document Header

Field	Value
Document Title	HRIS System Documentation & User Guides
Company	<Company Name>
Category	Communication & Administration
Document Owner	<Title, e.g., Director, Total Rewards>
System Name	<HRIS Platform Name>
Vendor	<Vendor Name>
Version	<vX.Y>
Effective Date	<Date>
Next Review Date	<Date> (annually or semi-annually)
Approvers	<CHRO Name>; <CIO Name>; <Head of Payroll>; <Head of Legal/Privacy>
Confidentiality	Internal - For authorized use by <Company Name> personnel and approved partners only
Geographic Applicability	<Country/Region List>
Related Policies	Information Security Policy; Data Privacy Policy; Records Retention Policy; Compensation Philosophy; Payroll Policy

Purpose and Objectives

Provide a comprehensive, practical reference for configuring, operating, and governing the HRIS for Total Rewards processes at <Company Name>
Establish standard procedures, controls, and responsibilities across Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, HR Operations, and IT
Document approved configuration, integrations, and calculation rules for merit, bonus, equity, and benefits
Improve audit readiness, data quality, privacy compliance, and employee experience
Enable efficient onboarding of new HRIS and Total Rewards administrators

Scope and Applicability

In Scope

HRIS core HR modules and Total Rewards modules: Compensation, Benefits, Payroll Interface, Time-Off, and Reporting
Configuration standards, workflows, calculation rules, and data governance
Integrations with payroll, benefits carriers, equity administration, and identity management
Roles and responsibilities across HR, Total Rewards, Payroll, IT, and external vendors
Change management, testing, release management, and incident response
Administrator and manager user guides for compensation and benefits actions

Out of Scope

Non-HRIS systems not integrated to HRIS (e.g., stand-alone ATS, legacy ERP modules) unless specified
Local country payroll engine rules inside third-party payroll vendors (documented by vendor)
Detailed legal analyses; consult Legal for country-specific mandates
Non-rewards HR programs (e.g., Learning, Talent Acquisition) unless integrated impacts are identified

Applicability

Applies to all HRIS administrators, Total Rewards professionals, HR Business Partners, Payroll, and IT stakeholders in <Country/Region List>
Employee- and manager-facing instructions in the Communication section apply to all employees with access to HRIS

System Overview

Vendor and Hosting

Vendor: <Vendor Name>
Hosting: <Cloud/On-Premises/Hybrid> in <Region/Cloud Provider>
Data residency: <Country/Region>
Support model: <Vendor Support Tier> with SLA of <Hours/Days> initial response

Modules Implemented

Core HR (Worker, Job, Org, Compensation Profile)
Compensation (Merit, Bonus, Equity, One-Time Payments)
Benefits Administration (Eligibility, Plans, Rates, Enrollment)
Time Off and Leave (Paid and Unpaid)
Payroll Interface (Outbound to <Payroll Vendor Name>)
Reporting and Analytics (Standard and Custom)
Security and Audit (Role-Based Access, MFA via <SSO Provider>)

Environments

Production: Authoritative source of record, restricted access
Preview/Test: Used for UAT, regression, and cycle testing
Development/Sandbox: Configuration design, proof-of-concept, training

Roles and Responsibilities

Role	Department	Key Responsibilities
HRIS Product Owner	HRIS	Owns HRIS roadmap and governance; chairs Change Advisory Board (CAB)
Compensation Lead	Total Rewards	Owns merit, bonus, equity design; approves calculation rules and cycles
Benefits Lead	Total Rewards	Owns benefit plan design, rates, eligibility, and vendor interfaces
Payroll Lead	Payroll	Validates payroll-impacting changes; approves pay codes and interfaces
HR Operations Manager	HR Operations	Oversees data quality, worker transactions, and case triage
IT Integration Analyst	IT	Designs, tests, and monitors integrations and SSO
Data Privacy Officer	Legal/Privacy	Reviews data processing, cross-border transfers, retention
Information Security Officer	Security	Reviews access controls, MFA, audit logs, incident response
Country HR Lead	HR	Ensures local compliance; maintains local calendars and rules
Vendor Success Manager	<Vendor Name>	Coordinates vendor tickets, releases, and roadmaps

RACI Summary (Narrative)

HRIS Product Owner is accountable for end-to-end HRIS changes; Compensation and Benefits Leads are accountable for TR design decisions; IT Integration is responsible for technical integrations; Payroll is consulted on all pay-impacting items; Legal/Privacy and Security are consulted on risk; Country HR is informed on global changes with local impact.

Data Governance and Security

Data Classification

Public: No HRIS data classified as public
Internal: Non-sensitive metadata (plan names without rates)
Confidential: Employee PII, compensation amounts, benefits elections, SSNs/National IDs
Highly Confidential: Health-related data, disability data, union membership where applicable

Access Controls

Principle of least privilege enforced via role-based security groups
Separation of duties between configuration, approval, and payroll processing
MFA required for administrators and remote access
Quarterly access reviews and recertification

Role	Read	Create/Update	Approve	Export	Notes
TR Analyst (Comp)	Yes	Yes	No	Limited	Cannot approve own cycle
TR Manager (Comp)	Yes	Limited	Yes	Yes	Approves budgets and final awards
Benefits Analyst	Yes	Yes	No	Limited	Manages rates and eligibility
Payroll Interface Admin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Controls outbound payroll files
HRBP	Yes	Limited	Limited	No	Manager-facing support only
Auditor	Yes	No	No	Yes	Read-only log and report access

Privacy and Compliance

Data processing aligns with <Country/Region> privacy laws (e.g., <GDPR/PDPA/CCPA>) with legal basis documented for each processing purpose
Data minimization applied to all integrations and reports
Retention: Employee core data retained for <Years>; payroll data for <Years>; benefits data for <Years> or per local law, whichever is longer
Cross-border data transfers rely on <SCCs/BCRs/Local Agreements>
Data subject rights process documented with SLAs of <Days>

Audit and Logging

Configuration changes logged with timestamp, user, and before/after values
Report exports logged with purpose and approver for Highly Confidential data
Quarterly audit of compensation cycle changes and post-payroll reconciliation

Change and Release Management

Change Types

Standard Change: Pre-approved low-risk activity (e.g., new report view)
Normal Change: Requires CAB review (e.g., merit matrix update)
Emergency Change: Expedite to fix production issue impacting payroll deadlines

CAB Process

Submit change request with business case, impact, testing evidence, and rollback plan
Review in weekly CAB meeting chaired by HRIS Product Owner
Approve/Reject/Defer with documented rationale
Schedule into release calendar and communicate to stakeholders

Release Calendar

Monthly maintenance windows on <Day of Week> at <Time Zone>
Blackout periods during payroll cutoffs and open enrollment
Vendor releases reviewed in Preview environment <Weeks> before Production

Testing Standards

Unit, system, integration, regression, and UAT required for Normal changes
Test evidence stored for <Years> with named approver and date
Data masking used in non-production for Highly Confidential fields

Configuration Standards

Organization and Job Architecture

Legal entities align to statutory reporting in <Country>
Job framework: Families, functions, and levels <Job Level Structure>
Grade structures tied to compensation ranges with midpoints updated annually

Compensation Structures

Currencies by country with FX rates sourced from <Source> at <Frequency>
Salary ranges: Min, Mid, Max with range spread of <Percentage> based on market
Pay frequency aligned to payroll calendars (e.g., biweekly/semi-monthly)

Benefits Framework

Eligibility rules by employee type, location, hours worked
Plan types: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability, Retirement, Wellbeing
Rates and employer contributions effective dated per plan year

Payroll Calendars and Cutoffs

Payroll cycles: <Biweekly/Semimonthly/Monthly>
HRIS transaction cutoff: <Days> before payroll run
Retro processing allowed with limits of <Amount> or <Months>

Workflow and Approvals

Salary change approvals: Manager then HRBP then TR Manager for high-impact
Benefit life-event approvals: Employee attestation then Benefits Analyst
Equity grants: Compensation Lead and CFO approval required for awards above <Amount>

Integrations Inventory

Integration	Direction	Frequency	Data Elements	Owner	Notes
Payroll Outbound to <Payroll Vendor Name>	Outbound	Each payroll	Earnings, deductions, tax, cost centers	Payroll Interface Admin	Encrypted SFTP with PGP
Benefits Carrier Feeds	Outbound	Weekly/Daily	Demographic, eligibility, elections	Benefits Analyst	ANSI 834 or vendor-specific
Equity Admin System <Vendor>	Bidirectional	Monthly/Ad hoc	Award grants, exercises, tax	Compensation Lead	Reconciled to GL monthly
SSO via <IdP>	Inbound	Real-time	Authentication, MFA	IT Integration	SAML/OIDC enforced
Finance GL Posting	Outbound	Monthly	Accruals, bonus liability	Payroll Lead	Journal integration validated by Finance
Background Check Vendor	Outbound	Onboarding	Candidate PII, status	HR Operations	Restricted access and retention

Compensation Administration

Annual Compensation Cycle Overview

Cycle types: Merit, Bonus, Equity
Cycle timing: Merit effective <Date>; Bonus payout <Date>; Equity grant <Date>
Budgeting: Merit budget <Percentage> of salary; Bonus pool <Percentage> of eligible payroll
Eligibility snapshot date: <Date> at <Time Zone>
Proration rules for mid-year hires/leaves and LOAs

Merit Configuration

Parameter	Example Setting
Merit Budget	<3.0%> of eligible base pay
Guidelines Matrix	By performance rating and compa-ratio
Floor/Ceiling	Minimum <1.0%>, maximum <6.0%> unless exception
Rounding	Round to nearest <1> unit of local currency
Effective Date	<Date>

Sample Merit Matrix (Illustrative)

Rating	Compa-Ratio <80%	80-95%	95-105%	105-120%	>120%
Exceeds	6.0%	5.0%	4.0%	3.0%	0-2.0%
Meets	4.5%	3.5%	3.0%	2.0%	0-1.0%
Partially Meets	2.0%	1.5%	1.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Does Not Meet	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%

Merit Proration Rules

Hire between <Date> and <Date>: prorate based on days in role; minimum award <Percentage>
Leave of absence ><Days>: prorate based on paid days only unless protected leave in <Country>
Promotions within cycle: previous base used for merit; increase applied post-promotion if policy allows

Bonus Configuration

Parameter	Example Setting
Eligibility	Active on <Date>; minimum service <Months>
Bonus Target	By job level (e.g., L5: 10%, L6: 15%, L7: 20%)
Funding	Company performance factor <0.8-1.2>
Individual Multiplier	Performance factor <0.0-1.5>
Proration	Based on eligible days and FTE
Payout Currency	Local payroll currency

Bonus Formula

Eligible Earnings = Base Salary x Eligible Days/Total Days x FTE
Target Bonus = Eligible Earnings x Target %
Company Funded Bonus = Target Bonus x Company Factor
Individual Final Bonus = Company Funded Bonus x Individual Factor
Caps and floors applied per plan rules

Equity Configuration

Award types: RSU, PSU, Options
Grant timing: <Date> with vesting over <Years> in <Intervals>
Eligibility: Job level >= <Level> and country legal eligibility
Local tax rules configured by <Country>
New hire equity proration by quarter

Off-Cycle Adjustments and Exceptions

Off-cycle rationale codes: Retention, Market, Internal Equity, Scope Change
Approval: TR Manager and HRIS Product Owner for increases ><Percentage> or ><Amount>
Exception tracking with unique case ID, attachment of approvals, and post-payroll reconciliation

Compensation Cycle Process Flow

Pre-cycle setup: update budgets, eligibility, guidelines, and proxies
Manager planning: managers review and propose awards within budget
Calibrations: HRBP and TR consolidate and adjust
Approvals: TR Manager finalizes; CFO approves aggregate pool
Export and payroll: send approved awards to payroll and equity systems
Employee communication: letters generated and delivered
Post-cycle control: variance analysis and audit log review

Benefits Administration

Plan Year Setup

Plan year: <Date> to <Date>
Open Enrollment: <Date Range> with blackout after cutoff
Life Events: Marriage, Birth/Adoption, Loss/Gain of Coverage, Employment Status Change
Rates effective as of <Date> with employer contribution <Percentage> per plan tier

Eligibility Rules

Medical: Regular employees scheduled >=<Hours> per week in <Country>
Retirement: Eligibility after <Days> of service; employer match up to <Percentage> of pay
International variations configured per <Country> statutory requirements

Enrollment Configuration

Default coverage: Waive medical unless elected
Evidence of Insurability required for life coverage above <Amount>
Dependent verification required within <Days> of enrollment
Auto-enrollment into retirement at <Percentage> deferral with opt-out allowed

Carrier Interfaces and Reconciliation

Outbound files scheduled nightly during OE; weekly otherwise
Return files processed and exceptions reviewed within <Days>
Premium reconciliation: HRIS elections vs carrier invoice variance threshold <Percentage>

Benefits Payroll Deductions

Deduction codes mapped to payroll <Code List>
Pre-tax vs post-tax setup by plan and country
Retro deductions capped at <Amount> per pay period

Time Off and Leave

Accrual schedules by country and employment class
Carryover limits of <Days> with expiration on <Date>
Leave types: Parental, Medical, Military, Personal; paid status drives proration for benefits and bonus

Reporting and Analytics

Standard Reports

Compensation Cycle Summary by org and budget utilization
Merit and Bonus Distribution by protected class where permitted by law
Benefits Enrollment Status, OE completion, EOI pending
Payroll Interface Control Report and variance analysis
Data Quality Dashboards: missing fields, duplicate IDs, invalid dates
Audit Reports: access changes, configuration changes, export logs

Ad Hoc Reporting Standards

Highly Confidential fields require Data Privacy Officer approval before export
Use anonymized views for analytics unless named data is necessary
Retain extracts for no longer than <Days> in secured repository

KPIs and Metrics

Cycle completion rate on time ><Percentage>
Budget variance within <Percentage>
OE completion rate ><Percentage> by <Date>
Interface success rate ><Percentage> with error remediation within <Hours>

Testing and Validation

Test Plan Components

Scope, objectives, and entry/exit criteria
Test scenarios and scripts with expected results
Data preparation and masking approach
Defect triage process and severity definitions
Sign-off from Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, and HRIS

UAT Scripts (Illustrative)

Merit award within guideline and budget, multi-currency rounding
Bonus calculation with proration and company factor
Equity grant with vesting schedule and tax withholding in <Country>
Life event adding dependent with EOI and payroll deduction change
Payroll interface including retro changes and off-cycle payments

Validation and Reconciliation

Parallel run for first cycle after major changes
Compare HRIS calculations to independent spreadsheet model
Three-way reconcile: HRIS, payroll, and GL postings

Incident and Service Management

Severity and SLAs

Severity	Description	Initial Response	Workaround Target	Resolution Target
Sev 1	Payroll-impacting outage/data corruption	<1 hour>	<4 hours>	<24 hours>
Sev 2	Critical cycle processing degraded	<2 hours>	<8 hours>	<48 hours>
Sev 3	Functional defect with workaround	<8 business hours>	<2 days>	<10 business days>
Sev 4	Minor issue or enhancement	<2 business days>	N/A	Release window

Triage Process

User logs ticket with business impact, screenshots, and data examples
HR Operations triages and assigns to HRIS or Benefits/Comp desks
HRIS engages vendor or IT Integration as needed
Incident communication sent to impacted stakeholders with ETAs
Post-incident review for Sev 1-2 with root cause and actions

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

RPO: <Hours>; RTO: <Hours> as per vendor contract
Daily backups with weekly full backup, encrypted at rest and in transit
DR tests performed <Annually/Semi-Annually> with evidence stored
Manual payroll fallback process documented with minimum data set

Vendor and Contract Management

Contract terms: uptime <Percentage> monthly, support SLAs, data protection
Security exhibits: penetration tests, SOC 2/ISO certifications
Change of control and data return/destruction clauses
Quarterly business reviews with <Vendor Name>

Implementation and Timeline Guidelines

Phase Approach

Discover: Current state, requirements, data dictionary, country variations
Design: Configuration workbooks for comp, benefits, security, integrations
Build: Iterative configuration in sandbox, integration development
Test: SIT, UAT, payroll parallel, OE preview
Deploy: Cutover, data validation, hypercare
Stabilize: Post-go-live enhancements and lessons learned

Cutover Checklist (Illustrative)

Freeze configuration branches and code repositories
Take final data snapshot and run validation reports
Complete access provisioning and role testing
Lock down payroll calendars and cutoff dates
Communicate go-live support channels and office hours

Review and Approval Process

Draft updates initiated by module leads with redlines
Cross-functional review by HRIS, TR, Payroll, IT, Legal/Privacy, Security
CAB approval recorded with version control and effective date
Publish to internal wiki and notify stakeholders
Archive superseded versions per Records Retention Policy

Administrator and Power User Guides

Compensation Admin Quick Steps

Set cycle parameters: eligibility date, budgets, guidelines, effective dates
Load or validate budgets by org and currency
Launch cycle and notify managers and HRBPs
Monitor submissions; run in-cycle validation reports
Lock down and route for approvals; manage exceptions via case IDs
Generate award letters and coordinate payroll and equity exports
Post-cycle analytics: budget variance, distribution, and pay equity checks

Benefits Admin Quick Steps

Confirm plan rates, tiers, and employer contributions
Validate eligibility and life event windows
Launch OE with communications and blackout dates
Monitor enrollment completion and EOI status
Reconcile carrier files and resolve exceptions
Confirm payroll deductions and effective dates
Archive OE artifacts and update plan documents

Payroll Interface Admin Quick Steps

Validate mapping of earning and deduction codes
Run pre-interface control report and resolve errors
Transmit files via secure channel; confirm receipt
Reconcile payroll results and correct retro items
File and store reconciliation artifacts

Reporting Power Tips

Use parameterized prompts by org, country, and cycle
Schedule reports for off-peak hours
Apply filters to limit PII exposure and export only when necessary
Share reusable datasets rather than flat files

Glossary

HRIS: Human Resources Information System
TR: Total Rewards (Compensation, Benefits, and related programs)
CAB: Change Advisory Board
UAT: User Acceptance Testing
RPO/RTO: Recovery Point Objective/Recovery Time Objective
PII/PHI: Personally Identifiable Information/Protected Health Information
Compa-Ratio: Employee pay divided by range midpoint
OE: Open Enrollment
GL: General Ledger
IdP: Identity Provider for Single Sign-On
EOI: Evidence of Insurability

Legal and Compliance Notes

Compensation and benefits policies must align with employment law in <Country> and any applicable collective agreements
Market data usage must comply with competition law; avoid anti-competitive practices
Equity awards are subject to securities and tax regulations; consult Legal and Tax for cross-border grants
Accessibility standards: employee-facing content should align to <WCAG Level> commitments

Communication Section: Employee and Manager Guide

Welcome to <HRIS Platform Name> for Total Rewards

This guide explains how you will view pay information, complete compensation tasks, and enroll in benefits. It is written for all employees and managers at <Company Name>. If you need help at any point, contact <Support Channel/Email/Portal>.

Your First Login

Go to <HRIS URL>
Sign in with your <Company Name> credentials through <SSO Provider>. If prompted, complete MFA.
Review your personal profile. Confirm your home address, emergency contacts, and tax information are correct. Update anything that is out of date.

Viewing Your Pay and Total Rewards

Pay: Select My Pay to see your payslips, tax withholdings, and year-to-date totals
Total Rewards Summary: View base pay, bonus target, and any equity awards in one place
Benefits: See your current plans, dependents, and employer contributions

Annual Compensation Cycle (Managers and Employees)

For employees:

When compensation is finalized, you will receive a message to view your new salary and any bonus or equity awards effective <Date>. Your letter will outline changes and when they take effect. If you have questions, speak with your manager or HR.

For managers:

Before the cycle opens, you will receive your team’s budget and guidance. The HRIS will show recommended ranges based on performance and current pay.
During the cycle window, review each team member. You can propose increases and awards within your budget. The system will flag items outside guidelines.
Submit your recommendations for approval. You will see status updates as HR reviews and approves.
After approvals, communicate with your team. The system provides letters you can personalize before sharing.

Tips:

Use the guideline matrix to ensure fairness and internal equity
Keep notes about achievements to support your recommendations
Watch for system messages if budget adjustments are required

Bonus Awards

Bonus awards are based on company results and individual performance during the plan year ending <Date>
Your letter will show how your award was calculated. If you joined mid-year or took leave, your award may be prorated according to policy
Payouts happen on <Date> in your regular payroll

Equity Awards

If you receive an equity grant, you will be notified when it is ready for your review. Follow the link to accept your grant in <Equity Vendor>.
Equity has long-term value and vests over time. Your vesting schedule and tax information will be displayed before you accept.
Some countries have additional steps. The system will guide you if you are in <Country>.

Benefits Enrollment and Life Events

Open Enrollment:

You will receive an email and HRIS message when Open Enrollment starts on <Date>.
Review your current beneficiaries and dependents. Make any updates.
Compare plans. The system shows your per-paycheck cost and <Company Name> contributions.
Submit your selections by <Date>. You will get a confirmation in HRIS and by email.

Life Events:

If you have a qualified life event, start it within <Days> in HRIS under Benefits. The system will ask for the event date and any required documents.
Your new coverage will begin according to plan rules, typically on the first of the month after the event.

Deductions:

Benefit deductions begin according to your payroll schedule. Review your payslip after your enrollment to confirm the amounts.

Time Off and Leaves

Request time off through the Time Off menu. Your balance updates automatically.
For longer leaves (parental, medical), start a Leave of Absence request. The system will guide you through documentation and how your pay and benefits may be affected.

Security and Privacy Tips

Use MFA and do not share passwords
Only download or share documents when necessary
If you see something incorrect, report it via <Support Channel>. We will correct errors promptly and notify you of changes

Getting Help

HR Help Desk: <Email/Portal> available <Hours>
Emergencies near payroll cutoff: call <Phone>
Accessibility: If you require accommodations to use the HRIS, contact <Accessibility Contact>

Important Dates for This Year

Open Enrollment: <Date Range>
Compensation Letters Available: <Date>
Bonus Payout: <Date>
Equity Grant Acceptances Due: <Date>

Final Notes

The HRIS is the source of truth for your Total Rewards. Review your information regularly and reach out if you need assistance. Thank you for keeping your profile accurate and helping us ensure fair, timely pay and benefits for all at <Company Name>.

Document Information:

Document Type: HRIS System Documentation & User Guides
Category: Communication & Administration
Generated: August 28, 2025
Status: Sample Template
Next Review: <Insert Review Date>

Usage Instructions:

Replace all text in angle brackets < > with your company-specific information
Review all sections for applicability to your organization
Customize content to reflect your company's policies and local regulations
Have legal and HR leadership review before implementation
Update document header with your company's version control information
At bottom of the document you find a short example on how the content could be communicated to end-users, for instance employees.

This sample document is provided for reference only and should be customized to meet your organization's specific needs and local legal requirements.