University of California, Berkeley

HCM: Correct Personal Information (WFA)

Social Security Administration Requirements for Employee Data

The University, like all employers, must provide information to the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service about anyone paid a salary or wages. The information must be sent in a specific format defined by the Federal government. Format violations can result in fines.

Note: Since April 2009, HCM will un-capitalize any names after dashes (-) or parenthesis ('), we can not override that. Names entered in the previous version will continue to show as entered (with correct capitalization).

  • Names
    Names must be the same as that which is on file with the Social Security Administration, and may only contain certain characters.
  • Home Address
    Home Address cannot be the employer's address. This means that the Home Address in HCM Personal Data cannot be a Departmental or Office address. (University residential facilities, such as dorms or the International House, however, are acceptable.) Remember that Home address is a required entry, otherwise the record will not pass to PPS, so even if you are entering a dorm address please label it as Home.
  • Social Security Number
    The employee's Social Security Number in HCM must be the same as that which is on file with the Social Security Administration.

Mismatch Procedures

Your department may need to verify or correct information for employees whose Date of Birth, Name, Gender, or Social Security Number in HCM differ from that of the Social Security Administration's records. If differences are not corrected, fines may be levied.

Your department should first verify which system is correct: HCM or the Social Security Administration. If HCM holds the correct information (e.g., a name change due to marriage or divorce that was never reported to Social Security), it is then the employee's responsibility to correct the information with the Social Security Administration.

Since legal restrictions exist, contact central HR Records Management unit for guidance on how to appropriately and legally ask for an employee's Social Security Card or other document submitted as evidence of the employee's identity or eligibility to work in the United States.

In the case of incorrect Social Security numbers entered in HCM: Please verify if the correct number was reported on hiring paperwork (Form I-9) and if that paperwork is incorrect please contact Records Management in HR. It is also important that you contact Payroll 642-1336 and provide the full name, employee id number and (if known) the INCORRECT and CORRECT Social Security numbers so that they can correct their records for tax reporting purposes. Central Payroll may need to process a W-2C for past earnings. Do not update the HCM records until the central offices have moved the earnings from the incorrectly entered SSN.

Correcting Information in HCM

  • If Social Security Number is incorrect in HCM:
    For security reasons, HCM masks Social Security Number with Xs in Personal Information. If you have questions about what number is there, please contact HR-Records Management or the HCM helpdesk. Do not simply overwrite with the new number.

    HR Administrators may update the record by overwriting the Xs.

    1. Go to Workforce Administration > Personal Information > Modify a Person.
    2. On the Biographical Details tab page scroll down to the bottom of the page.
    3. Type the correct the Social Security Number and tab out.
    4. Type the correct Social Security Number again in the Confirm SSN field and tab out.
    5. Click Save.
    6. Inform Records Management and the Payroll department of the change. Provide the full name, employee id number and BOTH Social Security Numbers (old and corrected number). This is crucial so that information is updated to the proper federal departments and that pay and tax information is properly corrected for both ids.
  • If Name is incorrect:
    1. Go to Workforce Administration > Personal Information > Modify a Person. Look up the person you wish to work on.
    2. On the Biographical Details tab page, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the yellow "Correct History" button. Then scroll back up to the top of the page and click the "Edit Name" link to go to the sub-page that contains the name.
    3. Correct any spelling errors in the Name fields. Verify that First Name and Last Name are in the correct fields. (Remember that the new version of HCM will not allow you to capitalize the letters after the - or ' symbols.)
    4. Click the yellow OK button to return to the Biographical Details tab page. Then click SAVE to save the correction.
  • If Name is changing:
    1. Please note that name changes are NOT corrections. The historical record of the name should be kept.
    2. Go to Workforce Administration > Personal Information > Modify a Person. Look up the person you wish to work on.
    3. On the Biographical Details tab page, click the plus button add a new row of information in the Name section. Then click the "Edit Name" link to go to the sub-page that contains the name.
    4. Add the new name. (Remember that the new version of HCM will not allow you to capitalize the letters after the - or ' symbols.)
    5. Click the yellow OK button to return to the Biographical Details tab page. Then click SAVE to save the new name.