This document provides a comprehensive data dictionary for key reporting fields utilized by Human Resources Information Systems, with a specific focus on the UAB Demographics Dashboard.
Keep in mind, no data in this set may be shared with anyone outside of UAB without approval from the Data Steward.
Friendly reminder - Goodhart's law: "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure".
Restricted/PII | Cannot be shared without approval. Typically used only for federal, state, and/or legal mandates. All other business uses require approval from the Data Steward. |
Sensitive Data | Cannot be used without legitimate business need/justification. |
UAB Data | UAB internal use only. |
| Field/Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Alternative Work Options | UAB provides managers with two Alternative Work Schedules (AWS) to offer employees — a 10- month assignment or a reduced schedule of at least 32 hours per week. In addition to providing some stretch within the budget, these options increase flexibility in scheduling for both the managers and employees. MORE INFO: Alternative Schedules |
| Average Employee Age | The mean age of all employees within a specific organization or department, calculated by summing the ages of all employees and dividing by the total number of employees. This metric provides insights into the overall age distribution and workforce demographics. (Total Number of Employees ÷ Sum of All Employee Ages) |
| Average Years of Service | Calculated difference between ADJUSTED SERVICE DATE and close of business date in years, rounded to tenths. |
| Contingent Employee | Contingent (Irregular) Employee assignments with (04). MORE INFO: Assignment Category Determination- HR Policy 411 |
| Race, Ethnicity, Gender | The employee’s protected demographic information. This information is primarily used for federal/state/legal mandates. For business use, it must be used in aggregate and with permission from Human Resources. |
| Employment Category | Employment categories are assigned to an assignment based on HR Policy 411. These categories drive an employee's available benefit offerings and are restricted based on the type of assignment, work status (part time, full time, etc.). MORE INFO: Assignment Category Determination- HR Policy 411 |
| Full Time Employee | Full-Time Employee assignments with (01, 02, 12, 21) MORE INFO: Assignment Category Determination- HR Policy 411 |
| FLSA | Indicates whether an employee assignment is exempt or non-exempt per U.S. Department of Labor; at UAB, the FLSA code should match the payroll type. MORE INFO: UAB & The U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act. |
| Generations | Silent Generation: Born approximately between 1928 and 1945 Baby Boomers: Born approximately between 1946 and 1964 Generation X: Born approximately between 1965 and 1980 Millennials (or Generation Y): Born approximately between 1981 and 1996 Generation Z: Born approximately between 1997 and 2012 |
| Headcount by Length of Service | The count of employees categorized based on their length of service within the organization. This metric breaks down the employee population into groups or ranges reflecting how long they have been employed. It helps in understanding workforce tenure distribution and planning for succession, retention, and employee development. |
| Job Leadership Category (Job Role) | Indicates the level of leadership or requirements for a position based on job responsibilities and job grade. This field is used in performance evaluations, functional roles, and reporting. Not available for all employees/job. Available only from 2020 to present. MORE INFO: Compensation, Job Roles page |
| Job Leadership Structure | Management Ratio: Includes: Ratio of Functional Director and above and Direct Supervisor to total headcount. Formula = (A÷B) A = Count of (Functional Director + Org Leader) B = Total Headcount (FT & PT) Supervisor Ratio: Includes: Ratio of Supervisors to the total number of employees Formula = (Supervisor count ÷ Total Headcount FT & PT) Avg. number supervised: = Average number of direct reports per supervisor |
| Org | The HR organizational unit 9-digit code and name for which the position is associated. This drives the org-level security of the position for any HR-related activities such as Hire, Workflow Approval Maintenance, performance evaluations, etc. |
| Operational Org | An expansion of the Reporting orgs in which the departments within the School of Medicine and Office of the Provost are identified separately. |
| Part-Time Regular Employee | Part-Time Employee assignments with (03,17). MORE INFO: Assignment Category Determination- HR Policy 411 |
| Reporting Org | The highest-level HR Organizational unit roll up for a given Org. Generally, this code represents the VP- or School-level org that the departments/units roll up to in the HR hierarchy. |
| Reporting Year | Uses UAB Fiscal Year, Oct. 1 – Sept. 30. |
| Salary Bracket | Salary in various groupings for analysis. They are generally divided into buckets based on various thresholds and data averages. |
| Workforce Group | Every employee is assigned to either the A, C, or Faculty workgroup based on their area of work. Workforce groups dictate requirements and responsibilities in operations, policies, procedures, compliance, and other HR and Institutional policies. MORE INFO: HR's Workforce Group page |
| Weather Group | Students, faculty, and staff are assigned to groups based on operational requirements and responsibilities for efficient communication during potential business closure or modified operation plans due to a weather event. MORE INFO: Weather Groups |
Learn more about HR's Data Request and Use Guidelines.