Overview

Effective dates let FTE Tree preserve history while planning future and retroactive changes. Instead of replacing a value everywhere, an effective-dated change says which value applies starting on a specific date.

Effective dates are used for position values, assignments, employees, job codes, departments, compensation settings, adjustments, pay ranges, and custom details where history matters. The selected effective date determines which values appear on detail pages. Reports use the values that apply during the report period.

Access needed

Activity Access needed
View effective-dated values View access for the related record
Create or update effective-dated values The update permission for the related record or setting
Approve proposed effective-dated changes Assigned approval task or approval management access
Access setup See Permissions and roles.

How effective dates work

An effective-dated value becomes active on its effective date and remains active until another approved value for the same detail starts later. Different records can change on different dates.

For example, a position can move departments on July 1, an employee assignment can start on July 15, and annual hours per FTE can change on January 1. FTE Tree evaluates the values that apply on each calculation date.

The selected date matters. A position that is active today may have a future approved FTE change, a historical department transfer, and a current assignment row. Review the date shown on the page before deciding whether a value is wrong.

Approved and proposed values

Approval status determines whether a value is official. Effective date determines when the value applies.

Approved values affect position views, department totals, and reports starting on their effective date. Proposed values do not change approved totals until they are submitted, approved, and applied. This lets users prepare changes, review the approved-versus-proposed impact, and request approval when the proposal is ready.

Current, future, and historical views

Use the effective date control on position details, employee records, department summaries, and org chart views to inspect a specific date. Selecting a future date can show future approved changes before they are active today. Selecting a historical date can show what the position looked like at that time.

Reports are period-based. They can split a reporting period when effective-dated values change inside the selected date range. This is why report period totals may differ from a single point-in-time annualized value shown on a detail page.

Reporting impact

Reports use the values that apply during the report period. If a position changes FTE halfway through a month, a period report may allocate part of the month at the old FTE and part at the new FTE. If an assignment starts after the first day of the period, assigned cost can begin later than position cost.

When comparing a report to a detail page, confirm whether you are comparing:

  • A point-in-time value.
  • A full-period allocation.
  • Approved values only.
  • Approved and proposed values side by side.
  • Position cost or assigned cost.

Activity history

Activity history records when users create, update, approve, or remove effective-dated values where history is available. Activity history focuses on the business change, who made it, and when it happened. Broader audit exports require the appropriate administrator or audit access.

Common examples

Change What the effective date controls
Position department transfer The date the position belongs to the new department for access, summaries, and reports.
Position FTE change The date the new FTE starts affecting cost, headcount, approvals, and reports.
Base wage rate change The date the new rate starts affecting annualized cost.
Funding source change The date the new cost allocation starts applying.
Employee assignment The date an employee starts or stops filling a position.
Job-code default wage The date a job-code wage can be used in calculations.
Annual hours per FTE The date a new annualization setting starts affecting cost.
Department parent change The date the department tree changes for summaries, access, and reports.

For calculation examples that show how effective periods affect FTE, cost, headcount, and report allocation, see Position cost math and examples.

Common mistakes

  • Updating the wrong effective date and expecting today's view to change.
  • Overwriting a historical value instead of adding a new effective-dated row.
  • Comparing a point-in-time value to a period report.
  • Forgetting that proposed values do not affect approved totals until approved and applied.
  • Changing a department or job code after reports have already been shared without rerunning the affected reports.

When in doubt, start with the record detail page, confirm the selected effective date, then use Activity history and reports to review how the value changed over time.