Benefit Software Inc.

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FAQ TOPICS

A. Install/Move/Getting Started

B. Text/Printing/PDF

C. Data/Importing

D. Calculations/Formulas

E. Miscellaneous

A. Install/Move/Getting Started

B. Text/Printing/PDF

I have one section of text that will not preview or print in the statement. What causes this?

When I attempt to preview or print my statements, all I get is blank pages. What have I done wrong?

What if I only need to print one or a few statements out of my company? Can I do this?

Can I print my statements in booklet format?

I have all these strange characters like "~RCF_" printing on my benefit statements. Why?

Can I import text from my Microsoft® Word ® documents?

I have imported most of my text blocks, but I forgot one. I can't get it to import anywhere except at the bottom of the text and I want it to print near the top. What do I do?

Can I use graphics such as icons, signatures, and logos in my benefit statements?

When trying to insert a graphic into the text section, why am I getting a "JPEG Error"?

I entered a graphic/image into my statement and it appears to have lines through it and does not look good.

A line of my text refuses to print.

A line in my summary of benefits text block is not printing.

My pie chart includes two fields: employee gross income and employer total benefits. Why doesn't the employer total benefits "slice" show a percentage equaling the fringe benefit percentage?

I'm printing one-page statements, but I'm getting blank pages in between my statements. What can I do to correct this?

How do I create a print filter in Fringe Facts Communicator?

How do I personalize text in Fringe Facts Communicator?

How do I move all my summary of benefits list to accommodate a chart?

Can I print my statements in booklet format?

The text is in the correct order, but when I preview it is out of order.

How do I create a horizontal rule line?

Why do I have a field called Other in my chart?

How do I get my chart to show up on the right hand side of the page?

How do I create a vertical rule on the right hand side of the page?

When I am in the text section, it tells me to run "Consistency Check." What is consistency check and how do I run it?

When I create a PDF in Fringe Facts (by going to Statements, then clicking the "PDF" button), some of the images/title bars/charts are fuzzy. How can I create a higher quality PDF?

I am "printing to PDF" by going to Statements > Print > then choosing Adobe PDF as my printer. However, it is saving all the files individually when I want them to all save as one. How do I change this?

When "printing to PDF" by going to Statement > Print > then choosing Adobe PDF as my printer, it forces me to name each individual print file. How can I get to name them without asking me?

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C. Data/Importing

When trying to import, why do I get the error "Unable to process import file" or "unable to load import file"?

How do I import data from Microsoft Excel®, Access® or a similar program? Can I import from my payroll software?

The Fringe Facts Communicator field I need to assign to my import data isn't on the Available Fringe Facts Communicator Fields list. Why is it missing?

I just imported my data and everything imported except my dates. What happened?

Does Fringe Facts Communicator have a backup and restore utility? How do I use it?

How do I restore a backup in Fringe Facts Communicator?

How can I determine how many employees are included in a filter?

Can I export employee data?

How do I import employee data?

After importing my data, I realized that some data imported into the wrong fields. Why did this happen?

When trying to import, why do I keep getting a "Boolean" error?

I keep getting an error message that says "invalid key value" when I try to import.

In the user field section, how do I fill out the "Effect on Tax" section?

The dates are showing up in my Excel sheet as m/d/yyyy or mm/d/yyyy even though the format is set as mm/dd/yyyy. How can I get the dates to show up as mm/dd/yyyy?

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D. Calculations/Formulas

I performed calculations, but the employees' data is unchanged. What am I missing?

My Employer and Employee FICA tax appear to be computing incorrectly. How do I correct them?

I am getting some strange numbers after I run my calculations when using a Modality other than Annual. Why?

Why doesn’t the Fringe Benefit percentage match the slice percentage of benefits compared to income in a pie chart?

My total for employer benefits cost is not adding up properly on the benefit statements. What's wrong?

The employee’s FICA tax is too low. What is wrong?

How do I calculate data when importing?

I entered workers’ comp rates in the Rates section, but after I perform the formulas, my employees still don’t show WC costs. What is wrong?

I entered formulas to compute medical premiums via the Wizard, but the premiums aren’t being computed. Why not?

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E. Miscellaneous

I was working in a company last week, but now when I go into the program and look at my company listing, it is not there. I am sure I didn't delete it. What happened?

The chart I created in my summary report is not printing. Why?

I think I've lost almost all my employees! When I go into the Employee section, I can only find a couple of people. What happened?

How do I copy a company without the employees?

How do I assign all employees to a single benefit group?

I am trying to preview my statements, but I get a message that says "No employees were found to process." But I do have employees!

When I click the question mark icon to get help, the display doesn’t appear.

The bottom part of pop-up windows in Fringe Facts Communicator is being cut off. How do I fix this?

Will Fringe Facts Communicator work with a VPN or other remote connection program?

Will Fringe Facts Communicator work on a terminal server, such as Citrix?

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A. Install/Move/Getting Started

How do I log into Fringe Facts Communicator?

The default login is ADMIN and the default password is ADMIN. Once you have logged into the system, and registered your software, you may set up your own login and password by going to the Maintenance menu and choosing Users.

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How do I install Fringe Facts Communicator?

To install Fringe Facts Communicator, follow these steps. If you are installing an upgrade, backup your data prior to beginning the update installation.

Close all programs.
Insert the CD labeled Fringe Facts Communicator into your CD-ROM drive. If Autorun is enabled on your system, the installation will start automatically and you can skip steps 3 and 4.
From the Start menu, click on Run.
Type D:\ffsetup (if your CD-ROM drive is not drive D, substitute the correct drive letter for D).
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. The program will ask you to select a type of setup:

Full install. Click on this button to install the entire system on a standalone machine or network server (prior to installing on individual workstations). Note that after clicking on this button, the system will query you as to where you want to install the programs and the data. By default, the Fringe Facts Communicator programs are installed in C:\Program Files\Fringe Facts, and the database directory is set up in C:\Program Files\Fringe Facts\Data.
Workstation install. Select this button only if Fringe Facts Communicator has already been installed on your server. This adds Fringe Facts Communicator as a program option on the workstation, allowing access to the system that was installed on the server.

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How do I register my software?

You must first install the program. When you have completed the installation, start the program and log in. Go to Tools / Unlock System. Click on the Start to unlock my system button after reading the license agreement. Enter your Fringe Facts Communicator Registration number (found on the CD cover and in your Reference Guide) and the billing address Zip Code. Make sure you have an active Internet connection, then click on the Unlock button. If successful, the unlocking process will occur automatically. You'll receive a message that says, "Your system has been successfully unlocked. This system will print Benefit Statements for X number of employees, and X number of companies."

If the process was not successful, you'll receive a message with a status number. Record the status number and call for technical assistance (1-800-533-8801) between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Pacific time to unlock your system.

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Can I install Fringe Facts Communicator on a network?

Yes. However, currently only one user at a time can login to the software. A multi-user version is planned for a future release.

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Can I install Fringe Facts Communicator on a Citrix® server?

No, Fringe Facts Communicator cannot run on a terminal server (i.e., Citrix®).

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What is the best way to begin learning Fringe Facts Communicator?

All new users are strongly encouraged to work through the Tutorial that comes with the program. This exercise is designed to be completed in a couple of hours and offers hands-on experience that takes you through all the steps of producing basic benefit statements. You may also wish to try creating a company using the Fringe Facts Communicator Wizard feature. Read the document entitled "Waving the Magic Wand." It is an introduction to the wizard. The tutorial and "Waving the Magic Wand" are accessed by clicking on the Windows ‘Start’ button, clicking on ‘Program’ then clicking on the ‘Fringe Facts’ program group.

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What is the Wizard and what does it do?

The Wizard is a tool that guides you through the set-up process. Each of the Wizard's screens asks you for simple information. After entering the required data, you move to the next screen by clicking "Next". At the final step, you click on "Finish" to indicate you've completed the Wizard's questions.

You've probably used a wizard to install software or set up a word processing template. While all users can appreciate the time-saving properties of a wizard, the Fringe Facts Communicator Wizard is especially helpful for new users. Company expectations often motivate new users to produce benefit statements quickly. When this is the case, the Wizard can set up the required structure, and the user can learn more details later.

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How do I start the Wizard?

In the Company Screen, click on New. Then click on the Create Using The Wizard button.

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How do I move Fringe Facts Communicator from one local machine to another?

From within the existing program, backup the data by clicking on Tools from the main Fringe Facts Communicator menu bar, then on Backup Data. Save the backup to any drive/folder you like. Be sure to back up all of your companies at once by clicking on the Select All button. Click on the traffic signal icon to backup the data. The user must not enter any data after you complete the backup until you have completed the installation on the new system.
You MUST lock over the Internet or have us lock the software manually before you remove the software from the existing computer and perform a new installation on the new computer. To lock over the internet, click on Tools, then on Lock System. Follow online instructions. If unable to lock online, call 800-533-8801 for assistance.
After the backup is done and the program has been locked, you may uninstall it from the old system. Do not delete the file ffbakup.bsi, ffbakup7.bsi or ffbakup8.bsi from your computer as that contains your data backup.
If you have a version 7.x or higher installation CD, use the CD to perform a FULL install. If your original CD was for a version prior to 7.x and you are current on your ESP (technical support contract), call 800-533-8801 and a technical support representative will direct you to the web site where you can obtain a new, full install program. If your ESP has lapsed and you no longer have an installation CD, you can order a CD by calling 800-533-1388 and asking for a replacement disk order form.
After completing the new installation, you will need to unlock (via the Internet) or have us unlock the system prior to restoring the data or you will only be able to restore 10 companies. To unlock via the Internet, click on Tools from the main Fringe Facts Communicator menubar, then on Unlock System.
Once the system is unlocked, you may go to Tools, Restore Data. Choose as your archive location the location where the ffbakup8.bsi, ffbakup7.bsi or ffbakup.bsi file resides. Select all of your companies and click on the traffic signal icon to restore the data. Do not attempt to unzip the file yourself and restore the data. It is encrypted with a password and can only be unzipped using the program.
If, after installing and unlocking your system, you are at version 7.2 or higher, click on Help on the menubar, then click on Check for Updates.

Please call us at 1-800-533-8801 if you have questions or need assistance with this process.

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Can I install a second copy of Fringe Facts Communicator on my laptop or on my home machine so that I can work with it when I am away from the office?

The Fringe Facts Communicator License Agreement specifies that you may only have one installation of the program unlocked for each license (registration number) that you own. Therefore, to run Fringe Facts Communicator from a second, stand-alone machine you would need to purchase an additional license. To inquire about an additional license, contact your sales representative at 800-533-1388 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Pacific time Monday through Friday.

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I forgot my login name and password! How can I get into Fringe Facts Communicator?

Enter the default login name of ADMIN and password of ADMIN. Then click on Maintenance | Users to check your name and password.

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Does Fringe Facts Communicator support the new Windows 7 operating system?

As a leading developer of business applications using Microsoft® Windows®, Benefit Software has a long history of supporting the latest version of the Windows operating system.

After extensive development and testing Benefit Software is pleased to announce that Fringe Facts Communicator is certified and can be installed on single (standalone) Windows 7 computers. At this time Fringe Facts Communicator can not be installed to a server (neither program nor data files) and run from a Windows 7 Workstation. A computer with a Windows 7 Operating System can not be added to an existing Networked installation of Fringe Facts Communicator. Our development team is rigorously testing solutions that will allow Fringe Facts Communicator to be installed and run within a Windows 7 network environment.

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How do I uninstall/repair my Fringe Facts Communicator software system?

If your system has already been registered (unlocked), you must lock your system online or call for technical support at 800-533-8801 prior to uninstalling Fringe Facts Communicator. To lock your system online, make sure you are connected to the Internet, then click on Tools>Lock System. Click on the Lock button. If successful, the lock process will occur automatically and you’ll receive a message stating, "Thank you. Your system has been successfully locked."
If the process was not successful, you’ll receive a message with a status number. Record the status number and call for technical assistance. As the screen message indicates, if you do not have Internet access, you’ll need to call technical support for manual locking.

To uninstall or repair Fringe Facts Communicator:
- From the Start menu, select Programs>Fringe Facts>Uninstall Fringe Facts.
- Choose from the three options:

Automatic: Default uninstall procedures. This is a complete uninstall of program files, folders, and registry entries.
Custom: This option provides a list of files so you may choose which files you’d like to remove.
Repair: Choose this option only under the direction of technical support staff.

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How do I run a Fringe Facts Communicator workstation install?

Once you have the FULL install of Fringe Facts Communicator on your server, you will need to run workstation installs for all of your client machines. (If you are running a workstation install for an already installed version of Fringe Facts Communicator, remember to get another user out of Fringe Facts before you begin.) Look in the folder that contains the Fringe Facts program for the file FFCWorkstation.exe. Double-click on this file.

All workstations using the program must be mapped identically, using a letter drive, not UNC mapping (i.e. r:\fringe facts).
When you get to the Destination Location menu, click on the browse button and browse back to the server for BOTH the Program Directory and Database Directory.
Click next and complete your workstation installation.
Once your installation is complete, launch Fringe Facts Communicator and logon using admin / admin. If you just needed to add a new workstation, the process is complete. If you are installing Fringe Facts Communicator for the first time, continue with steps 5-9.
When it asks if you want to Check for Updates, choose 'No' and proceed logging in. You won’t be able to Check for Updates until we have unlocked your system.
Go to Help -> About and note your current version number.
Go to Tools -> System Status and note your system status number. It should be 246. If it isn’t, please stop there and call Fringe Facts Communicator Technical Support @ (800) 533-8801.
If the system status is 246, we are going to unlock your system now. Go to Tools -> Unlock System. Click Start to Unlock my system. Type in your Registration Number, your Billing Zip Code and choose unlock. You may also call technical support to walk you thru a manual unlock. (Until the system has been unlocked the user will only be able to print five statements per company.)
Once you get the message that your system is unlocked, please go to Tools -> System Status. You should see your Registration Number at the top and your system status number should be zero. If it is zero, you are good to go. If not, call Fringe Facts Communicator Technical Support.

Fringe Facts Communicator is a single user system. However, you may install the software to as many workstations as you like. If two users are in the system at the same time you could experience data corruption.

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How do I move my data in Fringe Facts Communicator?

Should you or your IT specialist have the need to move yourFringe Facts Communicator data to another folder on your computer or to another computer that is accessible by your pc, you may do so without locking your Fringe Facts Communicator system first by using the Move Data option. Please note: this option does not allow you to move your program directory without first locking Fringe Facts Communicator.

Many users have installed their Fringe Facts Communicator data directory on their server; the option to move their data directory without locking will be especially handy during routine network maintenance or for server reorganization. To access this option, click on Tools > Move Data. The first option on this screen allows you to move your data to another location on your pc or to a location accessible by your pc. If you’ve selected this option, click on the Next button to proceed to this screen.

Browse for the drive and directory where the Fringe Facts data directory should be moved. Double-click to make your selection. If the directory should be moved to a new folder, browse to the location where the new folder should reside, then click on the New Folder button. For example, suppose you want to move the data to a new folder in the C:\My Data location. Browse to the My Data directory on the C: drive, then click on New Folder. Type the name of the new folder, then click on OK.

When you’ve completed the selection of the new directory location, click on Next to proceed to the confirmation screen. As the confirmation screen says, verify that no other programs are accessing either the old or new directories. Then click on the Finish button to move the data directory to the new location.

The second Move Data option, Move data files to a different computer, backs up your data files and causes your Fringe Facts Communicator system to be locked. The backup will be named FFBAKUP7.BSI, and you will select where the backup will reside. This option requires an active Internet connections or a call to technical support at 1-800-533-8801. Once your Fringe Facts Communicator system is locked, your program directory may be moved to another location, you can unlock the system at the new location, and the backed up data may be restored.

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How do I move Fringe Facts Communicator from a local drive to a network?

From within the existing program, backup the data using Tools > Backup Data to any drive you like. Be sure to back up all of your companies at once by using "Select All". Then click on the traffic signal icon to backup the data. The user must not enter any data after you complete the backup until you have completed the installation to the new system.
You MUST lock your Fringe Facts Communicator system online or have us "manually" lock the software before you remove the installation from the existing computer. To lock your system online, make sure you are connected to the Internet, then click on Tools > Lock System. Click on the Lock button. If successful, the lock process will occur automatically and you’ll receive a message stating, "Thank you. Your system has been successfully locked." If the process was not successful, you’ll receive a message with a status number. Record the status number and call for technical assistance.
After the backup is complete and the program has been locked, you may uninstall it from the old system. Do not delete the file FFBAKUP7.BSI from your computer as that is the name of your data backup.
Using your Fringe Facts Communicator CD, you will need to run a FULL INSTALL from a WORKSTATION to the server (NOT AT the server). All workstations using the program must be mapped (using a letter drive, not UNC mapping) to the same location, i.e. r:\fringe facts. Programs and data must both be on the server, with the data usually being in a folder inside the program folder. All workstations must be part of the same workgroup. After you have completed the full install, you will need to do a workstation install to the same mappings for each user who will be using the system.
Fringe Facts Communicator is a single-user system. However, you may install the software to as many workstations as you like, but the system will allow only single-user access at any given time. If two users are in the system at the same time you could experience data corruption.
After completing the new installation, you will need to perform an online unlock or have us manually unlock your system prior to restoring the data. Go to Tools > Unlock.
Once the system is unlocked, you may go to Tools > Restore Data. Choose as your archive location the location where the FFBAKUP7.BSI file resides. Select all of your companies and click on the traffic signal icon to restore the data. Do not attempt to unzip the file yourself -- it is encrypted with a password and can only be unzipped using the program.

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How do I setup Fringe Facts Communicator on a Peer-to-Peer Network?

On the computer that will act as the server (Computer #1), create a mapped drive to where you want to install Fringe Facts Communicator. It CANNOT reside in the Programs Folder and MUST use drive letter F:\ or higher (i.e. G:\Fringe Facts 7).
Then perform the installation from computer #1 to this location. (G:\Fringe Facts 7) for the program and (G:\Fringe Facts 7\Data 7) for the Database.
After the installation has completed, share out this folder so that BOTH computers AND end users have FULL Admin rights to it.
Now browse out thru that mapped drive to the Fringe Facts program directory. Find the file FFC7Workstation.exe and run it.
Set the Program Directory to (G:\Fringe Facts 7) directory. [Location from Step 1/2].
Set the Database Directory to (G:\Fringe Facts 7\Data 7) directory. [Location from Step 1/2].
Then complete the installation and reboot the computer.
Now move to Computer #2
Create a mapped drive using the SAME drive letter as computer #1 AND mapped to the SAME location as you did in Steps 1/2. Be sure you are mapping to computer #1. (The drive letters and mapping MUST be identical on both computers).
Now do Steps 4 thru 7.
If you have addition workstations to set up, continue on using Steps 9 & 10 for every workstation.

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Can I use remote access software/routers/servers with Fringe Facts Communicator?

We do not support any remote access software/routers/servers. While we do have clients who try to access Fringe Facts Communicator remotely, we do not offer any support for this environment.

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B. Text/Printing

I have one section of text that will not preview or print in the statement. What causes this?

There are several reasons why a section of text may not preview or print on a statement. The first item to check is whether or not there is an "if dot command" directly above the section of text. An "if dot command" will look like a line of text that begins with .if and then has a condition for the text. For example, the line above your section of text may say .if {Medical Coverage Code}="Single". This is telling the section of text to print only if that condition is met (only if the Medical Coverage Code is Single). If this is the case, you will need to go to the Employees section of Fringe Facts Communicator and make sure the condition is being met.

The second item to check is any merge codes that are in that section of text. If you double click the merge code, you will see towards the bottom there is a checkbox that says "print if blank" or "print if zero." If this box is unchecked and the field is blank or zero, then the section of text will not print. If you are sure the particular employee does have this benefit and it is assigned to the appropriate benefit group, you will then want to go to the Employees section and verify this benefit value is populated with either text or a dollar value. If you notice this benefit value is zero or blank and need to populate the benefit value, you may need to re-import your data, manually re-enter the data, or re-calculate your formulas to get a valid value to populate that benefit value (aka merge code or user defined field value). You will also want to check the Formulas section to make sure you do not have a formula that is setting this benefit value to zero. Once you get the correct value to appear in the Employees section, you can now go back to the Text section and preview the statement to see if the text is now appearing. In the text section, you can double click the merge code and check the box at the bottom to select "print if zero" or "print if blank" if you want that benefit value to appear even if it is zero or blank.

The third item to check is the assigned text blocks. In the Text section, go to Blocks > Assign. This will show you all text blocks you imported as well as any you created (if you are using text blocks at all). This window also shows which benefit groups the blocks of text are assigned to. For example, if you have a medical text block that is not showing up for a particular employee, you may find that the medical text block is only assigned for employees in the "sales" and "marketing" benefit group. If this particular employee belongs to the "part time" benefit group, then the text will not show up on their statement unless you either (1) assign the medical text block to the "part time" benefit group by going to Blocks > Assign or (2) changing the employee's benefit group from "part time" to "sales" or "marketing" by going to the Employee section and making the change on the employee tab.

The fourth and last item to check is for any missing "endif dot commands" in the Text section. If you have any "if dot commands" then they need to have an "endif dot command" at the end of conditional text section. For example, your text may have a line that says .if {Medical Coverage Code}="Single" and on the next line it says "Your medical coverage selection is single" and if that is the only text you want to have to meet that condition in order to print, then the next line after it will say ".endif". This tells the program that it is the end of the conditional text. Scroll to the very top of your text. Go through each line and for each "if dot command", verify that there is an "endif dot command" entered at the end of that text section.

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When I attempt to preview or print my statements, all I get is blank pages. What have I done wrong?

The most common cause of this is failure to assign any text blocks to your benefit group(s) or failure to assign benefit groups to the employee(s) that you have selected to print. Go into the Text area of the program, then select Blocks | Assign. Also, check to be sure that each employee has been assigned to a benefit group by going to the "Employees" section.

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What if I only need to print one or a few statements out of my company? Can I do this?

Absolutely! You may print single employee statements by previewing the statement from within the Employees window and then clicking on the Print button. To print a specific group of statements from the Text area, go to Document | Print Filter (or click the Print Filter icon on the Toolbar) and indicate your selection options. You may also set up custom print criteria that can be stored in the Criteria Library and accessed anytime. Remember, however, that if your unlock level is not for unlimited statements, you will only be able to print those statements with sequential record numbers within the range for which you are unlocked. For example, if you are unlocked for 100 statements, you would not be able to print a statement for an employee whose record number is 101.

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Can I print my statements in booklet format?

Yes, Fringe Facts Communicator has booklet printing capabilities. Go to Text | Format | Page Layout. You can choose your printing options from there.

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I have all these strange characters like "~RCF__" printing on my benefit statements. Why?

These are "placeholders" that are found in the Model Text Blocks. They should be deleted and replaced with the appropriate merge codes for the field data you want to print at those locations in the statement. Select Insert | Merge Codes from within the Text area and choose the appropriate merge code from the list and set the printing options as desired.

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Can I import text from my Microsoft® Word® documents?

Yes, by cutting and pasting from the Word document to your Fringe Facts Communicator Text page. You may want to create your own text block (by clicking on Blocks | Create My Own), then paste the text underneath the new block number. Don't forget to go to Blocks | Assign to assign your new text block.

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I have imported most of my text blocks, but I forgot one. I can't get it to import anywhere except at the bottom of the text and I want it to print near the top. What do I do?

All new text blocks import at the bottom of the text area to keep you from importing one block into the middle of another. However, you set the order the blocks print based on the order in which the blocks are assigned. In the Text area, select Blocks | Assign. Indicate the Benefit Group(s) you wish to work with and then assign the blocks in the order you wish. You may move an assigned block by dragging and dropping it where you want it within the Benefit Group listing.

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Can I use graphics such as icons, signatures, and logos in my benefit statements?

Certainly. You may insert your graphics as pictures from Insert | Pictures | User's Choice or you may use the graphic dot command from Insert | Graphic Dot Command. The difference is that when you insert pictures, a copy of the graphic is embedded into your document, whereas the graphic dot command saves space by making a "pointer" to a graphic that is stored in another location. If you choose to embed the graphic, do not use files with the extensions of *.wmf and *.emf since these graphics formats can cause memory problems in Fringe Facts Communicator. Common formats that are acceptable include: *.jpg, *.gif, and *.bmp. If you choose the Graphic Dot Command option, make sure that the location where the graphic is stored will be available when you are ready to print your statements.

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When trying to insert a graphic into the text section, why am I getting a "JPEG Error"?

The picture format might be incorrect. Try changing the extension from .jpg to .bmp. If that does not work, try saving the image as another format.

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I entered a graphic/image into my statement and it appears to have lines through it and does not look good.

Open up the image with Microsoft picture viewer and then export it as a smaller size. Chances are the image is too large and therefore is not showing up correctly.

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A line of my text refuses to print.

Check to see if there is a dot or period at the beginning of that line. The system tries to interpret any line that begins with a period in column one as a dot command. If it doesn't recognize the command, it will not print that line.

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A line in my summary of benefits text block is not printing.

Check the employee's data to see if the value of the field being merged on that line is zero. It may be that the merge code is marked so as to cause the line to be skipped if the value for the field is zero. In the Text area, select View | Show Formatting Characters and point your mouse at the merge code. Look to see if the pop up information for the merge code ends in "zero suppress". If it does, double-click on the merge code to open the insert merge code box and check the box in the lower right corner "Print if Zero," then click on Insert Merge Code at the top of the box to complete the change. The merge code description will now end in "unconditional print" and the line of text will print even if the value of the field is zero.

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My pie chart includes two fields: employee gross income and employer total benefits. Why doesn't the employer total benefits "slice" show a percentage equaling the fringe benefit percentage?

The fringe benefit percentage is calculated by dividing the employer total benefits by gross income, whereas the percentage of each slice of a pie is computed by dividing the numeric value of the "slice" by the total value represented by the pie. For example, suppose an employee earns $30,000 per year, and the fringe benefit value for the same employee equals $10,000. The fringe benefit percentage would equal 33% ($10,000/$30,000). But in a pie comprised of gross income and employer total benefits, the employer total benefits "slice" would equal 25% ($10,000/$40,000), since the denominator equals the total value of the pie ($10,000 + $30,000).

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I'm printing one-page statements, but I'm getting blank pages in between my statements. What can I do to correct this?

In the text editor, click on View and make sure Show Formatting Characters is checked. Then go to the bottom of your text. Is there a return symbol (or more than one) on the line just below the end of your text? If so, remove it. It is forcing an extra page.

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How do I create a print filter in Fringe Facts Communicator?

Click on statements > click "Bring up the filter" > check the button for "Use Employee Criteria" then click on the icon to the right of that (it looks like library looks). On this screen, you can create your filter. Click on the "new" icon to begin. Enter a unique name for the filter, then enter the criteria by clicking on the Criteria Builder icon to the right of the first criteria line (123=). This is the same criteria builder that is used when building formulas. You create formulas here the same way you could in the formulas section.

If you’d rather not create your own formula, after going to "bring up the filter" you can select one of the other options, such as printing only the first employee in each benefit group. To select employees from a list, you can click on the button for "Select employees from list" then click on the icon to the right (looks like a magnifying glass over a piece of paper) and select the employees you want to print from the list.

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How do I personalize text in Fringe Facts Communicator?

There are three ways to create custom text for employees:

The first way is to utilize conditional merge codes. Most of the Fringe Facts Communicator model text blocks include merge codes. For example, a model letter might says, "…At 1CNAME], we realize that employees such as you who efficiently utilize their time…" The merge code 1CNAME] tells the system to locate the company name and print it at that location. To insert a merge code, go to the Text section, then Insert > Merge Codes. If you are inserting a numeric value, check the box at the bottom for "print if zero" if you want this line to print when the value is zero, and do not check this box if you do not want the line to print when the value is zero.
The second way to customize statements is to insert if conditions in the text. An if condition is a dot command. Dot commands are codes that begin in column one (on the left edge of the text). They send instructions to the printer. The if dot command allows you to print specific lines in a benefit statement only if certain conditions are met in the employee’s file. For example, .if {401(k) Contribution}>0 will instruct the system to print the following text only for those who have deferred salary to their 401(k) accounts. The system will help you create print conditions. Click on Insert>If Dot Command. The Formula Builder will appear. You need to supply the conditions. To end an if command, position your cursor on a blank line just below where the condition should end, then click Insert>Endif Dot Command.
The third way to personalize text is by assigning text blocks to benefit groups. Every employee in Fringe Facts must belong to a benefit group. Members of a benefit group are employees who receive the same type and level of fringe benefits. Examples of benefit groups are: managers, supervisors, technical staff, clerical workers, sales reps, part-time employees, etc. Go to the text section, then Blocks > Assign. Here you can drag and drop your text blocks to whichever benefit groups you want to have that text block print. You can also drag and drop these text blocks until you have them in the correct order you want them to print.

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How do I move all my summary of benefits list to accommodate a chart?

First, click on View (on the menu bar) and be sure that you have "Show Formatting Characters" turned on. If you do, you can see the arrows and return symbols that make up the formatting characters in our summary of benefits. The left-aligned tabs look like L’s on the ruler bar and the right-aligned tabs look like backwards L’s.

To move the position of the entire summary of benefits, highlight all of the text on the line below the headings and all the text below it until the end of the end of the merge code for the actual realized income. Now click on Format > Tabs. To move all of your tabs to the right by an equal distance (to move the summary of benefits to the right), click in the Move All radio button, and enter a positive value representing the distance to the right each tab should shift. The value entered represents inches. To move all tabs to the left, enter a negative number. Click on Apply to instruct the system to create new tab positions, and then click on Ok.

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How do I produce booklet statements?

If you wish produce a book fold statement, click in Text. Then click on Format > Page Layout. Check the Booklet Printing box. This causes two pages to print on each sheet of paper. The system will automatically assume Landscape orientation.

Suppose you print an 8-page booklet. Page 8 will appear to the left of and on the same page as page 1. Page 2 will be opposite page 7, page 3 opposite page 6, and page 4 opposite page 5.

Some printers have the ability to print on both sides of the paper without the paper being reversed. This is called duplex printing. Check your printer manual to see if your printer supports duplex printing. If your printer can print on both sides and you check 2-Sided, your booklets will print automatically. If your printer does not support duplex printing but you check 2-Sided, you will need to flip the completed front pages over so that the opposite sides will print.

Click on Pause after printing front sides if your printer does not support duplex printing. This causes the printer to wait until you have flipped the pages and clicked on OK before it resumes printing. Then indicate if you want the front sides or back sides to be printed in reverse order (so you don’t have to reshuffle the pages when the print job is finished).

Note that some printers "duplex" the backside of a 2-sided printout upside down. This is true, for example, of the Hewlett-Packard 8100 printer. If this is true of your printer, check the Flip back side 180 degrees box.

If headers or footers should be aligned at the outside of the page (for example, on odd numbered pages on the right), click either Alternate Headers or Alternate Footers.

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The text is in the correct order, but when I preview it is out of order.

The layout of the text is determined by the order that you "assign" the blocks, not where they are on the text screen. Go to Text, click on Blocks > Assign Blocks. You will see a list of the text blocks you have included in the text as well as the benefit groups that the blocks are assigned to. If you wish to change the order, drag and drop the blocks within the benefit group window until they are in the order you want them to print. Save your changes and preview again.

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How do I create a horizontal rule line?

A rule is a horizontal line, such as is used for separating articles in a newsletter. By creating a title bar, you can create a rule of any color. There are two ways to produce a rule. The first is to indicate the title bar is to be the full width of the page (from margin to margin), and to set the font size to 1 or 2. Don’t type any text in the text box. Then click on the .tb button. If desired, you can insert a series of such title bars of varying colors for special effects.

To obtain an even narrower rule, create a title bar as described above (full width, 1 point font size, with desired color and no text). Then choose Save As File. You might want to give it a name that closely describes the color to make it more readily identifiable, such as RuleAqua.Emf.

Once the bar is created and saved, put your cursor in the text where you would like the line to appear. Insert the image by going to Insert > Graphic Dot Command. Click on Select a Graphic and open the image. Then set the absolute pixel height (not inches) to a value as small as 1. Click on the .GRAPHIC button at the top of the screen. You will not see the line in the text, but it will show up in preview. The result will be a very slender dividing line.

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Why do I have a field called Other in my chart?

Any amount in a field that represents less than 1% of the total amount of the chart is too small to display on its own and will be lumped into the field "Other" and shown there. If there is a wedge called Other, it will be shown as 1% or larger of the total amount. Other may be made up of several fields that are too small to display on their own or items that you have chosen to lump together as Other by checking the Other box next to the field name in Chart Maintenance.

In version 8 and beyond, you may rename the "other" field if you wish. For example, if you find that "other" is consistently representing a dental premium, you can rename "other" to "dental." The "other" field is renamed in the second tab within Chart Maintenance.

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How do I get my chart to show up on the right hand side of the page?

Go to Text, double click on the .chart command. Where it says "Chart Positioning" set the horizontal to 4 and the vertical to 0.45. Do not check the box for "center of chart is at horizontal value." Hit Save and then hit the X to close this screen. When you preview your statement, your chart should be on the right hand side and you can make minor changes to the horizontal/vertical positions to get it in the exact place you want it.

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How do I create a vertical rule on the right hand side of the page?

To get a vertical rule, you will use the .box command. If you want it to appear as a vertical line down the whole right side of a page, you will go to the top of that page (on the first line) and go to Insert > Box > Start Box(es). Under Box #, you can type in 1 or whatever number you like. Then on the cell under "Left" type in however many inches you want it to appear from the left side of the page. For example, 7.5 will take you to the right side of the page. Under "Right" you will choose how many inches from the left side of the page, you want the right side of the box to appear. So to make a thin line, you will type in 7.6. Under thick, that is how thick you want the box, for example, you can try 1 to start. Then you can choose the frame and interior color. For a solid line, make both of these the same color. After entering these numbers, click the .box button. Then click the X to close this box. Now you will go to the end of the page (if you want it to go throughout the whole page) and go to Insert > Box > Close Box(es). You will check the box number you just created and hit the .cbox button.

Please note: Both the .box command and the .cbox command need to be within the same text block. But you can do multiple box commands on one page. If these are not within the same text block, you will get an error message that says it can’t find a .box command or something similar.

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When I am in the text section, it tells me to run "Consistency Check." What is consistency check and how do I run it?

Consistency check will check your text section for errors. To run consistency check, go to the Text section, then click Document > Consistency Check. This will bring up an "error check" window that will list all errors that were found. In the Error column is a number and the legend for the number is at the bottom of the window. This will give you an idea of what the error is. If you highlight the line number of an error, then click the "Go to Line ___" button at the bottom, it will take you to that error so you can correct it.

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When I create a PDF in Fringe Facts (by going to Statements, then clicking the "PDF" button), some of the images/title bars/charts are fuzzy. How can I create a higher quality PDF?

The first option would be to go to Statements, then click the Print icon. On the list of printers, check to see if you have Adobe PDF available. If so, choose "Adobe PDF" as your printer and click OK. It will then ask for a location to Save the file (PDF). Choose a location and click Save. If you do not have an Adobe PDF Driver available, you may need to contact your IT department to see what they would recommend and if you can add/download one.

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I am "printing to PDF" by going to Statements > Print > then choosing Adobe PDF as my printer. However, it is saving all the files individually when I want them to all save as one. How do I change this?

If you are at the current version of Fringe Facts, you can go to File > Preferences. Then click "Set Preferences" in the Text Editor section. You will see an option about half way down the page on the left that says "combine separate statements into one." If this box is checked, then the program will create one PDF instead of an individual PDF for each employee. If this box is unchecked, then the program will create an individual PDF for each employee.

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When "printing to PDF" by going to Statement > Print > then choosing Adobe PDF as my printer, it forces me to name each individual print file. How can I get to name them without asking me?

If you are at the current version of Fringe Facts, you can go to File > Preferences. Then click "Set Preferences" in the Text Editor section. You will see an option about half way down the page on the left that says "Automatically name individual print files." If this box is checked, then the program will automatically name your individual print files. The file name will be the Social Security Number of the employee if that is available. If you used Employee ID’s instead of Social Security Numbers then the Employee ID will be the file name.

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C. Data/Importing

When trying to import, why do I get the error "Unable to process import file" or "unable to load import file"?

Look at the file name and see if it ends with .xlsx. If it does, you will need to open the file, go to File > Save As and use the drop down menu next to Save As Type and select "Microsoft Office Excel Workbook (*.xls)" Save it as this type and then try importing again and make sure you select the file that ends with .xls.

How do I import data from Microsoft Excel®, Access® or a similar program? Can I import from my payroll software?

Fringe Facts Communicator supports four import file formats: 1) Excel, 2) ASCII Delimited, 3) ASCII Fixed Length, and 4) dBase III. Most spreadsheet and database programs can easily export data into at least one of these formats. The two most popular formats are Excel and ASCII Delimited. See question "How do I import employee data" for more details on importing.

For instructions on using Excel to import from an ASCII Delimited or CSV file, see the instructions for the ASCII Delimited file type in the Training and Reference Guide

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The Fringe Facts field I need to assign to my import data isn't on the Available Fringe Facts Fields list. Why is it missing?

Look over the fields that have already been assigned. Has the field already been matched to an import field? Once a field has been assigned, it will no longer appear in the Available list. Also, if the field is not already there, you will need to create it in the User Fields window.

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I just imported my data and everything imported except my dates. What happened?

There are a few reasons your date might not have imported. Following these steps will make sure your date format is correct.

Go to Start > Control Panel > Regional and Language Options > To the right of the "English" drop down menu, you will see a "Customize" button, click this button > go to the Date tab > half way down the page you see "short date format" and you will want to select mm/dd/yyyy from the drop down list.
Open your import file in Excel, highlight the columns containing your dates and right click on the column. Choose Format | Cells and click on Custom. Make a new custom format of mm/dd/yyyy and click on Ok. This will save your dates in the correct format, even though Excel may be displaying them differently. Re-save your spreadsheet.
In Fringe Facts, set the correct date format in the assign fields section. After going to Tools > Import and clicking on the book icon (to assign import field), make sure you have the correct date format next to the fields that are importing dates.
On the import file screen, make sure that your date format is the same here as well.
Try re-importing the data. If it still does not work, try saving the Excel sheet as a ASCII comma-delimited file and import again.

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Does Fringe Facts Communicator have a backup and restore utility? How do I use it?

Yes. You may backup to and restore your data from any disk drive that is accessible from your computer and to which your computer can write directly, including a CDRW or writeable DVD drive. From the Tools menu, select Backup Data and then indicate the drive and folder for your backup. You will then be presented with a list of companies and you may select to backup any or all of them. Be aware that the backup process compresses your data into a file called ffbakup7.bsi. If you need to move to another computer, you will need your files backed up through the tools menu. Simply copying the data directory will not make the data available to you on a new installation.

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How do I restore a backup in Fringe Facts Communicator?

Log in to Fringe Facts Communicator, go to Tools > Restore Data. Choose as your archive location the place where you saved your backup file. Click on OK (you won't see the file name when you choose the location).

Check the boxes for the company or companies you wish to restore. Then click on the traffic signal icon to begin the restoration. If you are told the file already exists and asked if you want to Overwrite or Create A New Company, choose create a new company. Then give it a slightly different name or description.

Answer Yes to the "do you want to open this company" question that appears after it is restored. It doesn’t look like any thing has happened, but it has made this the active company so you can now maneuver around in this company as usual.

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How can I determine how many employees are included in a filter?

Create your filter (i.e., employees by name from A-C).
Go to Summary Reports.
Select the filter you created in step 1.
Choose a "New" report and select a field that "ALL" employees would have (i.e., Employee Realized Income).
In the Column information (at the bottom of the window), check the "Participants" box.
Save this report.
Preview the report. Choose Totals, and what type of Employee you want (Active, Inactive, or Both), then OK.
The report displays the number of participants, which equals the number of employees in this filter.

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Can I export employee data?

You may export data from Fringe Facts Communicator into a delimited format file or to a Microsoft® Excel® worksheet. To export data, click on Tools from the menu bar, and then click on Export Data.

Export Name : Enter a unique name that describes the data related to these settings and export fields. For example, you might indicate your export name is Tooley Brothers’ Employees or Tooley Company Statutory Data. Export File Type : Select an export file type of delimited or Excel.

Limit Excel Column Count : Versions of Excel prior to 2007 have a column limit of 255. If this box is checked, if the number of your exported fields exceeds 255, the resulting export file will be limited to the first 255 fields.

Export File Name : Enter the export file name, drive and directory where you would like the file to reside. An example of a drive, directory (folder), and file name is: f:\my files\tooley.exp

Date Format : Click the down arrow to view the list of date formats; ‘mm’ stands for month (i.e., 12 for December), ‘dd’ for day, ‘yy’ for year, ‘yyyy’ represents century and year (i.e., 1956), and ‘nnn’ stands for a three letter month (i.e. Feb or Aug).

Quoted Strings : Indicate if each string field within your export file should be encapsulated by quotation marks. To determine which fields are string fields, see Appendix E.

Delimiter : Select a delimiter via the pull down menu. Alternatively, click in the box and press , then type in your symbol of choice (i.e., | or ^). v : Click in the Use Employee Filter button to set the order of the employees in the exported file or to select a subset of employees to export. Click on the Filter tool to enter the sort and/or selection criteria.

Include Header Row : If you check the Include Header Row box, the Fringe Facts field names will comprise the first row in your Excel worksheet or delimited export file.

Remove Quotes from Strings : This field removes quotation marks from within a field. For example, your Fringe Facts data may show an employee address as 123 "Main" Street. Setting this field to yes will cause the address to be exported without the quotation marks.

Add Quotes to All Fields : Click in this box to encapsulate all fields with quotation marks.

Quote Strings That Contain Delimiter : Some strings may contain the delimiter you have selected. For example, suppose you select Comma as the delimiter, and the Beneficiary field contains: John, Julie, Sally. If you check this box, this field data will be exported as: "John, Julie, Sally".

Assigning Export Fields : After completing the export definition, select which fields you would like to export. Click on the library symbol.

Highlight the Fringe Facts fields you want to export in the Available Fields column, and then click the left arrow button (or double-click on the field). Then click OK.

To export your data, click on the Export (green light signal) button. Your Fringe Facts data from this company will be exported in a matter of seconds.

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How do I import employee data?

The first worksheet in a Microsoft® Excel® file may be imported into Fringe Facts Communicator. Make sure the file is not password-protected or in use by another application prior to attempting importation. (Be sure you have closed it before you try to assign fields or import the data.) If you have more than one worksheet, save them each as a separate file if you need to import them.

Next go into Fringe Facts.
Then, go to Tools>Import Data.

Import Name : Enter here a unique name that describes the company data related to these settings and import fields

Import File Type : Select your source file type (delimited, fixed, dBase, or Excel) from the drop-down list.

Import File Name : Click on the purple file folder icon and browse to the drive and directory of the source file. When you find the right file, double-click on it to add it the path.

Date Format : Click on the down arrow to view the list of available date formats. It is important to indicate the exact format used in the source file. It is recommended that if possible your dates be formatted as mm/dd/yyyy.

Skip First Line : Some programs create a header row in the files they export. If your Excel file includes a header row, indicate that the first line in the file should NOT be skipped. This will let you look at the header row when you assign your fields later. After you have assigned the fields, you may change the Yes to No to prevent the header row from being imported. If you forget, you will just need to delete the new employee named something like FirstName LastName which is created from the header row.

Key Field : When you first import, your key field is either the Employee Social Security number field or the Employee ID #. You must have a unique identifier for each employee in one or the other of these fields.

New Employee Records : Indicate whether you want to add new employee records or reject them (you would reject them if you only want to update the information you already have).

Existing Employee Records : Indicate here whether data for employees who already have records in Fringe Facts should be rejected for importation. One example of when it would be wise to reject existing employee data would be when the data in Fringe Facts is actually more current than the data in the source file.

Create Benefit Groups : If your source file includes employees who are members of benefit groups you have not yet added to the Company Information window, the import module will add the new benefit groups automatically if you answer the Create Benefit Groups query Yes.

Create Rate Codes : This section is only necessary if you have decided to use the Rate section. If you are not displaying FICA, etc. or are getting the numbers from the employer, you may ignore this section.

Remove Quotes from Strings : A source file may have fields with inappropriate quotation marks. For example, a street address may appear as 123 "Main" Street. In such a case, if you answer this field as Yes, the field will be imported without the quotation marks.

Assign Import Fields

After completing the import definition, you may begin mapping your source data to your Fringe Facts fields. Click on the Assign Fields button (this is the small bookshelf icon).

If the import program can find your Excel file in the drive and directory you entered, it will display the fields for the header row or first employee in the file. All you need to do is put your cursor in the field where you want to add the assign the fields and find the right Fringe Facts field in the field list. Double-click on it or click on Assign, then repeat for the rest of the fields. If you assign the wrong field, you may unassign the field by right-clicking and choosing unassign. When you have completed the field assignments, click on OK.

Test the Import

Once your import definition and field assignments are complete, you may perform a test import. The program will locate your source file on the drive and directory you have indicated, and you may print or preview an audit trail for the first 5 employees. The audit trail report will tell you if problems were encountered and what changes were made to pre-existing employee data.

Import Your Data

When the box about the audit trail shows up, click on Preview. Check to see things are importing the way you want. Close the Audit trail. After reviewing the audit trail, uncheck the test button and click on the Import button (the Traffic Signal icon). The data from your source file will be transferred to Fringe Facts in a matter of seconds. You may verify the data by going to the Employee section and reviewing the records or printing a Summary Report to see what is stored in each employee’s file.

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After importing my data, I realized that some data imported into the wrong fields. Why did this happen?

You may have forgotten to assign fields before importing. After going to Tools > Import Data and filling out all necessary information, you will need to click on the books icon (to assign import fields).

If the import program can find your Excel® file in the drive and directory you entered, it will display the fields for the header row or first employee in the file. All you need to do is put your cursor in the field where you want to add the assign the fields and find the right Fringe Facts field in the field list. Double-click on it or click on Assign, then repeat for the rest of the fields. If you assign the wrong field, you may unassign the field by right-clicking and choosing unassign. When you have completed the field assignments, click OK. If you do not see the field available in the Fringe Facts list, you may need to create one by going to "User Fields."

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When trying to import, why do I keep getting a "Boolean" error?

There are a few different reasons as to why this error might appear. One of the reasons may be the date format that is trying to import. To fix this, click on the Windows Start button, Settings > Control Panel > Regional & Language Options. In the regional Options tab, click on the Customize button. Here again, there are 4 tabs. Click on the Date tab. Set the short date format to mm/dd/yyyy (unless it is already set to that format). Then click on Apply. Open the Excel spreadsheet, highlight the column with dates. Click on Format > Cells, under category choose "custom." In the "Type" box, type in mm/dd/yyyy. Click on Ok. Repeat with any other columns with dates. Save the Excel spreadsheet changes and try importing again.

If the error message is still appearing, open the spreadsheet and save it as a comma-delimited type (.csv). Then change the file type in Fringe Facts (after going to Tools > Import) and make sure the delimiter is also set to Comma. Try importing again.

There are a few other reasons why you might get this error. Sometimes it appears when Fringe Facts is looking for numeric data but you have alpha data, or vice versa. If there is a header row on the data, then on the import screen, you will want to select "yes" for "skip first line" (after going to tools > import data). Before importing, be sure to click the "books" icon to assign import fields. Make sure the importing fields are matching the Fringe Facts fields. Assign and unassign as necessary. Another way to make sure Fringe Facts is expecting the data you are importing, you can go to User Fields. Go through the list of User Defined Fields an check to be sure the ones you are importing are either marked as Numeric, Text, Date or True/False in the Field Type. Then make sure your data matches those categories. After this is done, you are ready to try importing again.

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I keep getting an error message that says "invalid key value" when I try to import.

This error is telling you that the key value you’ve selected (either SSN or Employee ID) isn’t assigned in your import field assignments. After going to Tools > Import, you will see a box that says "Key Field" and you can select either SSN or Employee ID. Here’s an example of why this error might occur, suppose you set your Key Field to SSN, but you don’t have any Social Security numbers in your Excel spreadsheet, so you didn’t assign any field to Employee Social Security Number. Or suppose you DO have SSNs in your spreadsheet, but you assigned them to a user-created field called "Social Security Numbers." That would be invalid, too, because SSNs HAVE to be assigned to the field called "Employee Social Security Number." If you set your key field to Employee ID, then your employee ID numbers HAVE to be assigned to the field called Employee ID.

To assign fields before import, click on the "books" icon.

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In the user field section, how do I fill out the "Effect on Tax" section?

When adding a new user field, you will notice a section for "Effect on Tax" with the options of "Add," "Subtract," and "None." If the field you are adding, needs to be added to the income when determining the FICA, Workers’ Compensation, State Unemployment, Federal Unemployment or State Disability tax then you will need to choose Add in the appropriate row. If you need to subtract the user field from the income when determining the tax, you will need to choose Subtract in the appropriate row. If the user field you added does not have an effect on the income for purposes of the FICA, Workers’ Compensation, State Unemployment, Federal Unemployment or State Disability tax then you can choose none.

The question being asked in this section is "Should the system add (or subtract) the dollar value of the field you created to the "employee gross income" field in order to develop the taxable income for this tax." You would answer ADD if the field stores a bonus, commission, incentive, award, etc that isn’t already included in the gross income field. You would answer Subtract if the field stores an amount that is included in the gross income but is not part of the taxable income for that particular statutory tax.

Technical support cannot answer your specific questions on how to fill out this section; those questions should be brought to the payroll department of your company.

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The dates are showing up in my Excel sheet as m/d/yyyy or mm/d/yyyy even though the format is set as mm/dd/yyyy. How can I get the dates to show up as mm/dd/yyyy?

Highlight all dates and go to Format > Cells. Choose mm/dd/yyyy. Go to File > Save As and choose .csv. Close Excel and go to the folder or location where you saved the .csv file. Open it back up in Excel and go to File > Save As and this time save it as an Excel file and rename it so that you can tell it apart from the original. Close Excel then go to the location where you saved the new Excel file and re-open it. It should now appear with the correct date format and you should be able to re-import it into Fringe Facts without a problem.

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D. Calculations/Formulas

I performed calculations, but the employees' data is unchanged. What am I missing?

When you performed calculations, did you check the Update Records box? If not, the results are not stored. Perform the calculations again with the box checked.

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My Employer and Employee FICA tax appear to be computing incorrectly. How do I correct them?

Did the employees receive bonuses, commissions, or overtime amounts that should be added to the gross income when computing the FICA tax? Note that in the User Fields there is an effect on tax section. Make sure that such fields are marked to be added to the gross income when computing the FICA tax (unless the gross income you've entered already includes these amounts).

The other possibility is that you entered the wrong FICA rate or maximum OASDI earnings in the Rates section. Note that Fringe Facts expects you to enter the combined Social Security and Medicare rates in the Rate 1 field. The combined rate is 7.65%, not 6.2%.

After you make the changes, don't forget to recalculate with the Update Records option selected.

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I am getting some strange numbers after I run my calculations when using a Modality other than Annual. Why?

The modality for any of the User Fields should only be changed from Annual if you are planning to manually enter the values. Since any Modality other than Annual automatically applies a "hidden" calculation to the value to annualize it, if you use those fields in calculations, an incorrect value will result. Stated differently, all calculated fields must be set to a modality of Annual.

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Why doesn’t the Fringe Benefit percentage match the slice percentage of benefits compared to income in a pie chart?

The {Fringe Benefit Percentage} calculation in Fringe Facts is:

{Employer Total Benefits} / {Employee Gross Income} * 100 is:

This means that the fringe benefit percent represents how much the benefits are of the Employee Gross Income.is:

However, when you create a pie chart with {Employee Gross Income} as one slice and {Employer Total Benefits} as the other, the total of the pie represents {Actual Realized Income}, which is the total of the two slices (Income + Benefits=Actual Realized Income).is:

Thus, in the pie, {Employer Total Benefits} would be a percentage of {Actual Realized Income} (which includes itself in addition to salary), not of {Employee Gross Income} alone, as in the {Fringe Benefits Percentage} calculation above.is:

Because the greatest value of a chart is in its visual impact, we recommend that if some in your company will be confused by the difference between the fringe benefit percentage and the benefit slice percentage, that you change the chart label type from Name & percent to either Name [only] or Name & $Value.

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My total for employer benefits cost is not adding up properly on the benefit statements. What's wrong?

The Employer Total Benefits amount is comprised of all of the employer-paid statutory costs (FICA/MEDICARE, FUTA, SUTA, SDI and WORKERS' COMP COST), plus the values for all fields marked as Employer Paid in the User Fields. If your total is too low, something is listed on your Summary of Benefits that is NOT marked as Employer Paid. If the number is too high, then something is marked as employer-paid that should be marked NO.

The Employee Total Benefits is made up of the employee-paid statutory costs and the User Fields marked as Employee Paid. Same rules for too high and too low apply as above.

Nothing should be marked Employee Paid or Employer Paid unless you will be listing it in the Summary of Benefits, no matter who pays it.

Here are some benefits that are commonly marked as employer or employee-paid that should not be so marked:

Life insurance benefit (face amount, death benefit)
Long term disability benefit
Short term disability benefit
Vacation days, holidays, sick days
Vacation pay, holiday pay, sick pay
401(k) account balance

To correct the problem, go to User Fields and print the User Fields by clicking on the print icon. Then compare the Employer Paid and the Employee Paid fields to what you have listed on the Summary of Benefits. Change any User Fields that need changed and then RECALCULATE your formulas in order to correct your totals. (Make sure to check the Update Records box prior to re-performing calculations.)

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The employee’s FICA tax is too low. What is wrong?

You may perform calculations during the Fringe Facts import process.

For example, let’s say that your spreadsheet includes the bi-weekly employer and employee medical premiums. Please note that this formula will only work in Import Calcualtions and not in regular calculations/formulas.

After setting up your import and assigning your fields, click on the icon that says "123=" and looks like 4 squares together in one larger square.

Here we can annualize values prior to the import. In the example below, we are using bi-weekly amounts, so we will multiply them by 26 here (and only here) to get the annual amount. Under Name, you would want to select EE Medical and under type choose "=" then under Formula, you will click the same "123=" icon to create the formula. Your formula in this example would look like this {EE Medical}*26. So your whole line in "import calculations" will say EE Medical = {EE Medical}*26.

Again, you will never want to use this calculation in the formulas section, it can only be used during import.

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How do I calculate data when importing?

The modality for any of the User Fields should only be changed from Annual if you are planning to manually enter the values. Since any Modality other than Annual automatically applies a "hidden" calculation to the value to annualize it, if you use those fields in calculations, an incorrect value will result. Stated differently, all calculated fields must be set to a modality of Annual.

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I entered workers’ comp rates in the Rates section, but after I perform the formulas, my employees still don’t show WC costs. What is wrong?

It’s possible that a WC Code was not entered/imported for each employee. To find out if this is the case, go to Employees, then on the first tab "Employee" there is a field for "Workers’ Comp Code." If there is nothing in this section, then you will need to either (1) manually enter the Workers’ Comp Code for each employee, (2) import a Workers’ Comp Code for each employer, or (3) create a formula so that a Workers’ Comp Code will be generated for each employee. Creating a formula can be the fastest and easiest way if you only have a few different Workers’ Comp Codes that are based on criteria that is readily available. If you have various Workers’ Comp Codes that is not based on criteria that is available, then you may want to import the Workers’ Comp Codes (don’t forget to include a column in your import spreadsheet that contains either the SSN or employee ID number!).

If there is a code entered when you go to the Employees tab, then it is possible that the codes are not matching up. Check the codes in the rates tab and compare them to the codes in the employees tab. If one of the codes is all lower-case and the other is upper-case or a combination of the two, then it may not be update correctly. If all the codes were imported the same way for each employee, then it might be easiest to just change the code name on the rates tab. If the codes were imported differently for each employee, then you may want to create a formula to fix this. If you want to change the codes so that all of them are in all caps, you will create a formula that looks like this: "Employee Workers’ Comp Code" under Name, "=" under Type, and then "UPPER({Employee Workers’ Comp Code})". This will take all of the information in the Employee Workers’ Comp Code fields and make it all capitals for each employee.

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I entered formulas to compute medical premiums via the Wizard, but the premiums aren’t being computed. Why not?

You’ll first want to make sure you imported or entered a medical plan for each employee. If you are not sure, you can go to "Employees" then look under the "Employee" tab to see if a medical plan is listed. Since you set up the companies through the wizard, you will also need to have a Medical Coverage Code for each employee. This field is found in the "fields" tab of the Employee section. If you do not have one or both of these fields, then you can import in this data or manually enter it. If you do have these fields and the premium still isn’t calculating, see steps below.

You will want to check and make sure you entered all medical plans in the same format. For example, you cannot have "hmo" and "HMO" and "Hmo" because Fringe Facts will not recognize these as being the same. If this is the case, then you can create a formula to make them all the same. Go to the formula section and create a formula that looks like this: "Medical Plan" under Name, "=" under Type, "UPPER({Medical Plan})" under Formula. You can also use Lower to make it all lower case or Title to make it title case (it will capitalize the first letter in each word). This is also true for the Medical Coverage Code. If one is entered as "emp + 1" and another as "employee +1" then Fringe Facts will not recognize these as being the same.

Lastly, you will want to be sure you ran calculations to get the medical premium calculated. You can click on the formulas button, then the "gears" icon to run calculations. Make sure the "update records" box is checked otherwise nothing will update.

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E. Miscellaneous

I was working in a company last week, but now when I go into the program and look at my company listing, it is not there. I am sure I didn't delete it. What happened?

Your data path may be set incorrectly. Click on Tools from the main menu bar, then click on Set Data Directory. Select the correct data path. In a typical installation on a standalone machine, the path is: C:\program files\fringe facts\data, but your situation may vary.

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The chart I created in my summary report is not printing. Why?

When you create a summary report pie chart, it may be used with any of your summary reports. In order for it to print on a particular report, you must select the chart name in the main Summary Report Maintenance window to link the chart with the report.

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I think I've lost almost all my employees! When I go into the Employee section, I can only find a couple of people. What happened?

Look at the status bar at the bottom part of your screen. Does it say Employee Data Entry Filter: ON? If so, go into the Employee Data Entry Filter and click in the View All Employees box.

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How do I copy a company without the employees?

Go to the company window. Click on the "Copy Company" icon, it looks like a paper with a down arrow pointing to it.
Uncheck "employees"
Click on OK. We strongly recommend that you start each year with no employees in the company and import fresh data.

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How do I assign all employees to a single benefit group?

Go into the Company window and create a benefit group called All Employees.
Go to the Formulas window. Create a new formula on row 1 of the formulas. If you have existing formulas, you'll need to insert a blank line on row 1. Click on the Name column in row 1, then press your Ins key (on your number keypad).
In row 1, select Employee Benefit Group under the Name column.
Now, again on row 1, click on the Formula column. Then click on the Formula Builder icon at the top of this window (we also call it the 123= button).
At the right of the Formula Builder window is a list of fields. Click on the field called Employee Benefit Group, then click on the Field Data button (located at the bottom of the Fields list).
Double-click on the benefit group called All Employees. This will cause the formula, above, to read, "All Employees". Now click on OK.
You've created the necessary formula! The formula should read: Employee Benefit Group = "All Employees." Now perform calculations, making sure to check the Update Records box, and all your employees will be placed in the All Employees group.

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I am trying to preview my statements, but I get a message that says "No employees were found to process." But I do have employees!

You will first want to make sure that each employee has a benefit group assignment. Without being assigned to a benefit group, you will not be able to preview or print their statements. If you want to assign all employees to the same benefit group, see question titled "how do I assign all employees to a single benefit group" also in this section.

Another problem could be if there is a filter in place. If you click on the "statements" button, you can then click on "bring up the filter." If you want to see all employees, you will want to make sure the radio button next to "Print All Employees" is selected. If you are in the text section, you can access the filter by clicking on the icon that looks like a rainbow passing through a white bar. This will bring up the same menu. Make sure "Print All Employees" is selected if you want to view all employees.

The last place you will need to check is the Employees section. Towards the top right there is a check box that says "active." Statements will only preview/print for employees that are marked as active. If all employees are marked as inactive when they should be marked as active, you can set all of the employees to active by creating a formula. Go to the Formulas section and under Name, use the drop down menu to select Employee is Active then click the formula builder icon (it looks like 123=). Click the button that says .T. and click OK. Your formula should say Employee is Active = .T. Perform calculations by clicking the icon that looks like gears and make sure the update records box is checked.

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When I click the question mark icon to get help, the display doesn’t appear.

Here is how to fix this problem:

Go to File > Preferences
Set "Help Format" to "HTMLHelp" and click OK
Go to File > Preferences
Set "Help Format" to "HLP" and click OK

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The bottom part of pop-up windows in Fringe Facts Communicator is being cut off. How do I fix this?

Click Windows Start Button > Click Settings > Click Control Panel > Click Display > Click Settings Tab > Click Advanced > Make sure the display is set to 96DPI. Restart your computer if needed and try again.

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Will Fringe Facts Communicator work with a VPN or other remote connection program?

No, Fringe Facts Communicator is not supported using a VPN or other remote connection program. You should not attempt to use a VPN or other remote connection program as data may become corrupted or other problems may occur.

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Will Fringe Facts Communicator work on a terminal server, such as Citrix?

No, Fringe Facts is not supported when it is installed on a terminal server or Citrix. You should not attempt to use Fringe Facts Communicator on a terminal server or with Citrix as your data may become corrupted or other problems may occur.

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