Work an HR case

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 9 minutes to read
  • After initial creation of an HR case, the next steps are to change the state, provide additional information, and ensure that any outstanding tasks are completed.

    Before you begin

    Role required: sn_hr_core.case_writer

    HR case creation and completion require different information depending on the Center of Excellence (COE) and HR service selected. The HR service an employee is requesting determines the type of HR case.

    Procedure

    After employee verification, click Create Case.
    The following fields appear:
    Table 1. Create case form
    Field Description
    Number An HR case number is assigned and is a unique identifier, cannot be changed, and has an HRC prefix.
    Parent Populates the parent case when the displayed case is a child.

    For example, a Request onboarding case has multiple child cases and tasks under it.

    Skills The required skills of the person assigned to this category of HR case. Skills can auto-populate based on the HR case template associated with the HR service.
    Company Company account to which the remote case is associated.
    Remote case Option indicating that the HR case is created due to a provider task from a consumer instance.
    Note:
    This option appears only when the HR Multi Instance Integration for Provider (sn_hr_mii_provider) plugin is installed.
    State The state of the case. The state can auto-populate based on the HR case or task template associated with the HR service.
    • Draft: The default state for a case when it is first opened.
      Note:
      Can only be changed to Ready, Closed Complete, Closed Incomplete, Cancelled, or Suspended.
    • Ready: The case is ready to be worked on.
    • Awaiting Approval: Requires approval before it can move to the next state.
      Note:
      Can only be changed to Ready, Closed Complete, Closed Incomplete, Cancelled, or Suspended.
    • Work in Progress: The case is assigned and being worked on.
    • Closed Complete
    • Closed Incomplete
    • Cancelled
    • Awaiting Acceptance: The Opened for person must accept the HR case before it can proceed. For example, a Request for Onboarding case was opened for a hiring manager. The hiring manager must accept the case before it can move to the next state.
    • Suspended: Use to temporarily prevent violation of a service level agreement (SLA). Refer to Suspend and resume an HR case.
      Note:
      The State cannot be edited in List view.
    Priority The precedence of the case, based on the HR service.

    The priority automatically overrides the template and changes to 2 - High for users flagged as VIP. Configured in HR Properties (sys_property).

    Source From where the case originated. Sources are:
    • Not selected
    • Self Service
    • Phone
    • Chat / Connect / Live Feed
    • In Person
    • Email
    • Other
    • Virtual Agent
      Note:
      Cases created through email or self-service are automatically moved to Ready state and assigned to a group or user.
    Opened by The user who created the case.
    Assignment group The group the record is assigned to. If the group is not set automatically, assign an HR group to provide a selection of HR users in the Assigned to field. Assignment groups are restricted to those groups with a type of human_resources.

    To change the Assignment group, the Assigned to agent must be a member of the new group and the State must be Ready.

    Note:
    To automatically assign a group to an HR case, see Assignment and matching rules in HR and Configure an HR case template.
    Assigned to The user assigned to work on this case. When a group is automatically assigned, a user from the group is automatically assigned when the case is created. If the user is not auto-assigned, click the Lookup using list icon to select a user who is a member of the selected assignment group.

    To change the Assigned to HR agent, the agent must be a member of the Assignment group and the State must be Ready.

    If Assigned to is left blank, some features are not available from the Employee Center ticket page. For example, the Ask a Question link to chat directly about an HR case cannot assign an agent. Comments or work notes do not appear on a case until an agent is assigned.

    Collaborators Add collaborators or other HR agents to the case.

    Only HR agents can be added as collaborators. This action permits the original agent to still track the case. Or, an HR agent can add another HR agent as a collaborator to request help. Adding a collaborator populates the case on the collaborations list.

    Other factors related to adding collaborators:

    • Collaborators can remove themselves from the case. To remove yourself, highlight your name in the Collaborators list and click the X.
    • Collaborators are not required to be part of the assignment group.
    • Assigned to person can add or remove collaborators.
    • Collaborators cannot add or remove collaborators.
    • Notifications are sent to collaborators when added to the HR case.

    Adding collaborators can alleviate the amount of emails requesting help on an HR case by consolidating communication.

    Collaborators and the COE for the HR case can conflict. The basic rules are:
    Note:
    Agents must have the ER case writer [sn_hr_er.case_writer] role in order to be a collaborator.
    Case support team Employees assigned to answer questions about onboarding a new hire. Only appears for Lifecycle Events cases.

    You can add users or define a group that can support the Subject person for a Lifecycle Event case. The Subject person can communicate with the case support team while the case progresses.

    Watch list The list of users who receive notifications regarding this case.

    Anyone in the company can be added to the Watch list. For example, an employee requests a travel visa. Add the manager of the employee to ensure that updates are communicated.

    Click the Edit Watch List icon to add users. Click the Add me icon to include yourself.
    Min ETTR Indicates the minimum estimated resolution time in days for case completion. Estimate is based on the historical data taken for resolving similar HR cases.
    Note:
    Available after activating Predictive Intelligence ETTR capability
    Max ETTR Indicates the maximum estimated resolution time in days for case completion. Estimate is based on the historical data time taken for resolving similar HR cases.
    Note:
    Available after activating Predictive Intelligence ETTR capability
    Short description Populates from the HR service. After the case is created, you can modify the description.
    Description You can add a longer, detailed description after the HR case is created. Use the Rich Text Format (RTF) tools to format your text.

    Rich text formatting also appears for a case or task description on the Employee Center.

    The following embedded lists appear:
    Special Handling Notes List
    Shows notes of messages specific to an HR case or conditions. For more information, see Add special handling notes for an HR Service Delivery case.
    Knowledge results
    Shows knowledge results based on the short description of the HR case. There are two tabs. One showing articles that you have access to, and one showing articles that the Opened for employee can access. Click Attach to make the article visible to the person that the HR case was opened for in the Additional comments section. See Attach knowledge articles to an HR case for more information.
    Tasks
    Appears when there are tasks associated with the case. Click a task to view or update it.
    Note:
    When you close the parent case, all child tasks are assigned the Closed Incomplete state.
    Fulfillment Instructions
    View information on how to complete the case. This information is defined in the HR Service configuration.
    A checklist outlining the exact steps to complete appears when configured by the HR service. See Configure an HR service.
    Comments and Work Notes
    You can add comments or work notes to the case to provide details about the case. Work notes are not visible to the Subject person.
    Note:
    Translate the text in your preferred language using the Translate option. For configuring the dynamic translation framework, see Dynamic translation.
    If your company uses templated snippets and depending on the conditions defined, the Responses button appears in the form header:
    1. Click the Responses button.
    2. Select a response template.
    3. Click Copy to clipboard.
      Note:
      This button copies all text in the message field. To copy partial text, highlight the text, and use the copy command. You can also edit the text after pasting it.
    4. You can paste the text into the Work Notes, Comments, or any text field.
    Parental Leave Details
    Appears for Parental Leave of Absence Request cases. Provides details about the leave request.
    Table 2. Parental Leave Details
    Field Description
    Leave subtype Identifies the role of the Subject person for parental leave of absence or the type of parental leave. Select:
    • Birthing parent
    • Partner of birthing parent
    • Adoption
    • Surrogacy
    • Foster placement
    Leave status Indicates the status of the parental leave. Select:
    • Requested
    • Approved
    • On Leave
    • Rejected
    • Completed
    • Cancelled
    Child arrival date The date the child is expected to arrive.
    Note:
    Use this field for Adoption or Foster placement.
    First day of leave The date the employee is requesting to start parental leave.
    Estimated last day of leave The estimated date the employee is expected to end parental leave.
    Due date The birth date of the child.
    Note:
    Use this field when Birthing parent, Partner of birthing parent, or Surrogacy is selected from Leave subtype.

    The following sections appear dependent on the type of task or case:

    Reimbursement
    Appears when a Tuition Reimbursement Request case is selected. Complete the fields related to the school or program name, justification, refund amount, and course dates.
    Activities
    Shows a list of all changes or updates to the HR case with the most current at the top.
    Related Links
    The following appear dependent on the type of case and roles associated with the user:
    • Add Task: Click to add a task to the case. Refer to add a task.
    • Show SLA Timeline: The SLA in timeline format that shows elapsed time.
    • Show Workflow: The workflow that is associated with the case.
    • Escalate Case: Click to escalate the case and provide a reason.
    • Activity Set Execution: Populates for Lifecycle event cases. Click to view the Activity Set Contexts and each activity set.
    • Repair SLAs: Click to repair any service level agreements associated with the case.
    • Assign to Me: Appears when Assignment group is empty or if you belong to the Assignment group. Click to assign the HR case to you. A button also appears in the header form.

    The related lists appear dependent on type of case or task:

    Emergency Contacts
    List of emergency contacts for the Subject person
    Cases for Subject Person
    List of cases associated with the Subject person.
    Cases Opened for User
    List of cases associated with the Opened for person.
    Attached Knowledge
    List of knowledge articles attached to the HR service type.
    Approvers
    Lists employees that can approve changed information or the case, state of approval, comments, and associated dates.
    Note:
    To reject an approval, users should have the HR case writer [sn_hr_core_case.writer] role.
    Requested Item
    List items like laptops, software, or furniture requested for the Subject person.
    Requested Items
    List of items requested for the case. Requested items are created from tasks, but do not appear under HR Tasks.
    Similar Cases
    List of related cases by type of request.
    KB Articles Read by User
    List of Knowledge Base articles read by the Subject person.
    Direct Deposit for Subject Person
    List of direct deposit information for the
    Health Benefits for Subject Person
    List of health benefits the subject person is enrolled. This tab only appears for health benefit cases.
    Retirement Benefits for Subject Person
    List of retirement benefits the subject person is enrolled. This tab only appears for retirement benefit cases.
    HR Cases
    All HR cases for the Subject person.
    Child Cases
    Lists child cases associated with this case. Click New to create a child case under the case you are working on.
    Note:
    When you close the parent case, all child cases are cancelled.
    Beneficiaries
    Only appears for Total Rewards cases with an HR service type of Beneficiaries Add/Modify or Inquiry.

    List of beneficiaries for Opened for and Subject person.