Week 3

After attending the GRP training course last week, this week we started using the system and applying what we have learned during the training course. I started helping Thuraya using the GRP to enter some staff annual leaves in order to pay their leave salary. Applying what we have learned in the beginning was difficult because we were following the process step by step with Mr. Bilal and we are still confused about some of those steps and I tried to help her but we don’t know exactly what we have to do. Therefore, Thuraya called Mr. Bilal and told him to come and help her and explain what is required from them now. Mr. Bilal came and showed us the steps again and we followed with him, for me I think I will learn quickly but because I am sharing the computer with Thuraya and watching I am forgetting what he explained. Moreover, I noticed that Thuraya and Esam were forgetting the steps quickly so I advised them to write down what he explaining to them, but they ignored me and they were calling him many times during the day and as a result he was very upset.

Furthermore, during this week I helped Thruaya entering new account numbers for new staff in the GRP system and adding pension, annual tickets and residency fees compensation. In addition, Mr. Bilal taught Thuraya how to print out the GRP Payroll Differences Report to check the errors and check what changes happen in the staff salary, so I told her to give me the report and I will check it for her and she agreed. This week I was free most of the time beocuse I did not have many things to do. Mrs. Fatma from Personnel Affairs section requested me to help her because she has a lot of work. So, I spoke with Thuraya and she let me help her, Fatma is responsible for entering the leaves in the system and as she is very busy with another work. She gave me some stuff return from leave and told me to call their department and inform them to send us the request for leave by fax. The stuff was working in different department and stations belong to the DCD and I don’t have their numbers so I spoke to Thauray and she gave me a list of telephone numbers and I started calling them.

Week 2

As planned before I and Mrs. Laila the Head of Salaries and Allowance Section and the two other staff Thuraya and Esam attended a training course on GRP system for three days, the course is divided into three session and started from Tuesday to Thursday from 8:30 am to 12: 30 pm. The training course was not in the same building we had to go to the workshop which is in the opposite side. Mr. Bilal the trainers for GRP system in the beginning of the course explained to us step by step about the system and he gave each one of us a course booklet.

In addition, he explained that we need only to focus on how to do the payroll, but as I did not attend the basic sessions before with the HR staff he will do a revision for me to help me to understand it more. First thing we entered the system by username and password which he created for us, then he told us to create a new entry for a new staff by adding the name, gender, staff no, DOB and Nationality, Moreover, Mr. Bilal explained that when we choose a category for the employee civil or military and the program will automatically add the basic salary and allowances for each category, however we have to learn how to add other allowance for each of them such as: death, tickets, official leave, end of service, etc,… Second, we started with the military category and all allowances belong to this category and in the next day we learn about the civil category. Plus, he explained that if we added different allowance by mistake the system will not accept it and we applied the steps will him and entered different allowance for different category and we got an error message.

Furthermore, he showed us how to calculate the leave salary and it was very easy steps we just have to enter the start date and end date then click add icon and it will calculate the numbers leave days with the salary. He added that creating a new entry for each staff is the Personnel Affairs section responsibility and we have to do the process to pay the staff their monthly salary and allowances.

In my opinion, the system is very easy; however, it required accuracy and entering employee correct information. I hope we will start using the system from next week so we will not forget the step. Also I want to add that Mr. Bilal was very helpful and patient with me he knew that I am new to the system so he told me I didn’t understand any step he will explain it to me again he told me to remind him after the course will finish to give me a book on how to use the system. And I think leaning about GRP system is useful for me because I will help me in the current work and if I am planning to work in other government sector as they all are using the same system.

Work Placement - Week 1

In the first day 4th April 2010 I went to Dubai Civil Defence Department Head Quarter and I reached the place on time 7:30 am but because I did not find place to park my car I was late. I asked about Mrs. Thuraya the head of training section in the Dubai Civil Defence department the person who I should contact regarding my work placement. She was very nice to me and welcomed me and explained to me everything about my training and work placement in the department. She told me that I will be working in the Human Resources department for 2 months as they are very busy and they need somebody to help them as they are going to apply new online system. Moreover, she told me that my working time will be different from others as I will be working from 8:00am to 2:00pm and if I am sick or can’t come to the work I have to inform her so she can give me a permission.
Furthermore, after she explained to me the rules of the department Mrs. Thuraya took me to the Human Resource Department to meet Mrs. Laila the Head of Salaries and Allowance section who will be my supervisor during my work placement. Laila started to explain to me that they are three people working in the section and I will be working with them for couple of weeks and also in the other sections of HR department the Personnel affairs and Recruiting section to learn about the department and learn new skills. In addition, they are know will be using the GRP system (Oracle) for the Payroll but before they were doing it manually, also all HR department will attend the training courses on GRP for the next coming weeks and I will be attending the training with them. Later, Mrs. Laila introduced me to her staff Thuraya and Esam and she requested them to explain the working system in details for me. Mr. Esam showed me how they were doing the payroll manually before by excel sheet and counting the staff annual leave salary, deductions and the allowances.
In the first week I didn’t do a lot of work because they told me that they don’t want to teach me about the old system as they are going to use the new GRP system which all the Dubai government sectors had to use it. Plus it connected to Dubai ruler's court as everything regarding the government employees must be entered throughout this system. The first week was boring as we don’t have anything to do not only me but also the other two staff, so I started asking about the department to know more information about the system they working on. I learned that they have to type of employees, civil and military and both have different salaries and allowance. Both category getting basic salary and allowances but the differences are that the military category is getting job nature allowance and their working time is different not 5 days a week as the civil category.
I liked the place and the staff is nice to me and helpful. For the next week I wish it will be different because I want to learn new things and new skills not just setting in one place and doing nothing.