Fact sheet: Matrix teams and position overrides

HR Links has features that give supervisors access to the appropriate staff while they’re on a temporary promotion or a detail. This fact sheet covers two of those features —Position Overrides and Matrix Teams.

Position overrides

Position overrides are an HR Links feature that automatically grants the supervisor of a detailed employee (the “detail supervisor”) access to manage the detailed employee in HR Links. This feature functions similar to a matrix team. (See more on matrix teams)

For the duration of the detail, both the detail supervisor and the “reports to” supervisor can “manage” the detailed employee. This means that both can:

• See the detailed employee in their My Team tile
• Approve the detailed employee’s timesheets and absence requests
• Create a new performance plan for the detailed employee (the detailed employee’s existing plan can be transferred to the detail supervisor by submitting a HR & Pay Connect request)
• Approve a telework agreement submitted by the detailed employee

A position override is also automatically established when an employee is detailed to a supervisory position. An employee who is detailed to a supervisory position will gain access to the staff they’ll supervise once the detail personnel action has been processed and the “direct reports” process runs in HR Links. This process runs four times daily (at 7:35 a.m., 11:35 a.m., 3:35 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. ET).

The detail supervisor will lose access to the staff in HR Links when the detail ends and a “termination of detail” personnel action has been processed.

Important note: Supervisor detailed to another supervisory position
If a supervisor is detailed to another supervisory position, the position override will only grant access to the team they will be leading during the detail. The supervisor will lose access to their “normal” team while on the detail. If the supervisor needs to retain access to the team they normally supervise, a matrix team must be requested.

Position Overrides for Temporary Promotions

Employees are often temporarily promoted to supervisory positions while the supervisor of record is on a detail. When this happens, a “clone” of a supervisory position is created and “tied” to the original supervisory position. This arrangement automatically gives the temporary supervisor the ability to manage the employees in HR Links. This is best illustrated by example.

If a supervisory position needs to be cloned for this purpose, your organization’s Personnel Action Request (PAR) Initiator should first submit a “Create New Position” request. In the request, the Initiator should indicate the position number to clone and the Not-To-Exceed date of the temporary promotion. After the new position has been created, the PAR Initiator can submit the temporary promotion request.

Exceptions to establishing a position override

An automatic position override may not be needed if an employee is:

1. Being detailed to another federal agency
2. Remaining in his/her current position while performing special duties that warrant a detail in order to document those special duties.

For these types of details, the PAR Initiator should use the generic detail position number “GSA1DET” as the detail position number on the PAR.

Matrix teams

Matrix teams are an HR Links feature that grants another supervisor (in addition to the employee’s “reports to” supervisor) the ability to manage an employee in HR Links for a temporary period of time.

Both the “reports to” supervisor and the matrix team manager can “manage” the employee(s) on the matrix team. This means that both can:

• See their employees in their My Team tile
• Approve timesheets and absence requests
• Create new performance plans (The matrix team manager cannot access an employee’s existing performance plan. To request that a plan be transferred, submit a HR & Pay Connect request.)
• Approve “Initiate SF-52” requests that are initiated in Manager Self-Service
• Receive email notifications about transactions they can approve (leave requests, timesheets, “reviewer” approval for level 5 performance ratings, etc.)
• Receive other HR Links email notifications (emails about probationary periods and upcoming Within Grade Increases, career ladder promotions, and Not-To-Exceed dates)

Matrix teams should rarely be needed because:

• Position overrides give supervisors access to the appropriate staff members in HR Links.
• A second-level supervisor can approve timesheets if the first level supervisor is unavailable.
• A supervisor who is out of the office can delegate supervisory tasks to another supervisor during their absence.

To request a matrix team, contact your “Reports to” coordinator. Your coordinator will to determine if a matrix team is the correct solution. If approved, HR will set up the team in HR Links.

A matrix team takes effect after HR establishes the team and the next “direct reports” process runs in HR Links. This process runs four times daily (at 7:35 a.m., 11:35 a.m., 3:35 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. ET). Example: If a matrix team is entered in HR Links at 10 a.m. ET, it will be effective in HR Links at 11:35 a.m. If it’s entered at 1 p.m., it will be effective at 3:35 p.m.