Core Portal FAQ's

To add an Approver (1 or 2) or a time-sheet administrator to a department, please send an email to CorePortalemail@ul.ie along with the department and name of the individual you wish to be added. Please copy the relevant line manager on this mail.

Please use the same method when removing an approver or time-sheet administrator.

In order to be able to approve hours through Core Portal the Head of your Department must submit a written request to HR (coreportalemail@ul.ie) stating what people need to be set up as an approver. There can be multiple 1st approvers in a given department.

Ensure the correct Department/Division is selected; this can be changed from the drop-down menu on the right of the listed department (See below).

Choose the relevant Department from the list below or search using the text box provided.

Ensure you select the correct ‘Lecturer/Course Leader’ or ‘Head of Department’ from the drop-down menu; as selecting the wrong approvers will mean the timesheet will be sent to the incorrect people and will have to be rejected. If you cannot find your relevant approver contact your department as regards the correct course of action.

Ensure that you have ticked the declaration at the bottom of the timesheet page.

Core Portal - Temporary Casual Student SetUp

It is important to select the correct item from the ‘nature of work’ heading on the timesheet as this will dictate what salary the head of department will assign to you. If you are not sure what to select; check with your approvers.

1. Using a PC on the UL Network logon to the Core Portal site.
2. Select the Other Products option from the menu bar at the top of the page. Select the option Hourly Timesheets, clicking this link the ‘Hourly Timesheet’ screen will be displayed; select ‘Create a new Timesheet’.
3. When the timesheet appears, ensure the correct Department/Division is selected. Click the ‘Department’ icon to change the Department/Division if it is incorrect.
4. The ‘Lecturer/Course Leader’ and ‘Head of Department’ fields will automatically populate according to the Department/Division selected. Ensure these are the correct approvers for you; these fields can be modified if choices are available on the dropdown fields.
5. To enter an Hourly Based Claim enter the following details: select the ‘Nature of Work’, ‘Module Code’ (Where relevant- this is an optional field), ‘Date’, ‘Time from’ and ‘Time To’. The ‘Hours' field is automatically populated once all fields are entered.
   
   Note: 24hr format is required for entering time e.g. for 7am 0700 for 7pm 1900.
6. To enter a Unit Based Claim enter the following details: select Nature of Work. Enter module code, Date, Select Description, and enter Number of items.
7. Tick the declaration and if necessary enter a comment for your approvers. At this stage, you may save the timesheet for later or submit it to your approvers. An e-mail will be sent to the Approver notifying that a timesheet is waiting for their approval.

Higher Education Payroll Shared Services Project (HEPSS): UL is one of four higher education bodies taking part in this Shared Service proof of concept model for Payroll and Expenses as part of the Public Sector Reform Plan. The other three are Trinity College Dublin, Waterford Institute of Technology and Marino Institute of Education.  

Payroll will be processed by the Education Shared Business Services Centre (ESBS) instead of your institution. You will not need to do anything and there will be no change to your pay dates. A start date has still to be agreed for this process . Follow this link for more information about HEPSS.

UL has implemented a new Annual Leave Procedure, which you can view and download here. The procedure applies to all staff who are entitled to benefit from annual leave under the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997.  

Annual leave can only be requested and approved by all staff through the CoreHR link. If you are accessing CoreHR remotely, you need to be logged into Remote Access on Forticlient.

When an employee is absent because of sickness, he/she must notify by telephone the Dean/Head of Department/Manager before or within one hour after 09h00 am on the first day of absence.

A medical certificate must be sent to the Dean/HOD/Manager on or before the third day of absence.  The Dean/HOD/Manager must forward all medical certificates to the Human Resources Division attached to the sick leave form.  If the illness persists additional medical certificates must be submitted on a regular and timely basis.  Please read the Sick Leave Scheme for further information.

Sick leave must be recorded by the Dean/HOD/Manager on a sick leave form and forwarded to HR straight away.  Please note that a delay in doing so will affect an employee’s salary.

An employee who is eligible for social welfare payment must claim the relevant benefit.  Social welfare claim forms are generally available from GP’s.  The employee must complete the form and submit it directly to the Department of Social and Family affairs.

In compliance with Social Welfare and Revenue regulations (as specified in Revenue’s Employer’s Guide to PAYE), the University will deduct from the employee’s salary the amount of social welfare benefit due to the employee from the Department of Social and Family Affairs for that payment period and will directly apply the relevant tax and PRSI exemptions to the payment.  The employee will, therefore, benefit immediately from their illness-related tax and PRSI entitlements.

Please email any HR CORE queries to: coreportalemail@ul.ie