Common HRIS Import Error Messages

This article shows a number of common errors that appear during HRIS imports and outlines ways to fix the underlying issues.

OVERVIEW

Import errors in HRIS are triggered by discrepancies in your data that will cause your import file submission to be unsuccessful. This article explains what each common error message you might encounter means, and how to resolve it to ensure a successful and timely import. 



If you have an error during your importing process that does not appear here, please reach out to Service via the Help Community. If possible, please include a screenshot of the error message you are receiving.

 

GENERAL ERRORS

Error: The provided email must be valid

For any email addresses that are in an invalid format, download the error file to see which employee had the error and correct their email address.

Error: Token is expired by 3h43m5s

The system timed out while importing this employee’s data - try importing the .CSV file again. If the problem persists, please submit a case in the Help Community.

Error: This address was not found. Please confirm the address and try again or This exact address was not found. Did you mean: [Suggested Address]? Use this address

Check the employee’s address to make sure it is spelled correctly and not abbreviated. If the address is still not found, you can download the error file to see the suggested address by the system.

Error: Couldn't find Ethnicity

Check the employee’s ethnicity in the .CSV file, if the ethnicity of the employee is not Hispanic or Latino then (Not Hispanic or Latino) should be included at the end of the ethnicity. Example: White (Not Hispanic or Latino). After updating, try reimporting CSV again.  



Available Options:

(Hispanic or Latino / White (Not Hispanic or Latino) / Black or African American (Not Hispanic or Latino) / Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (Not Hispanic or Latino) / Asian / American Indian or Alaskan Native (Not Hispanic or Latino) / Two or More Races (Not Hispanic or Latino) / Prefer Not to Disclose).

Error: Unable to find Office Locations with case insensitive name [NAME]. Available Office Locations: [None], [LOCATION]

Check to see if the employee’s office location is correct. If it’s incorrect, make adjustments and re-import the .CSV file.



If the office location is correct in the file, add the Office Location to the Company Site (via Company > Settings > Org Units), then re. Note: Do not add any addresses (example of an acceptable Office Location: San Francisco). 

TIP:

All employees labeled “Remote” should be changed to “None” on the import sheet.

Error: Unable to find [CUSTOM FIELD NAME] with case insensitive name [CUSTOM ENTRY]

Check the spelling of the employee’s custom entry in the Custom Field provided. If the spelling of the custom entry is incorrect, make the necessary adjustments and re-import .CSV. If it is spelled correctly, check to make sure the custom entry is included in the current custom profile list. If it is missing, add the custom entry to the current custom profile list.

Error: Couldn't find EmployeeType with [EMPLOYEE TYPES] 

Check to see if the spelling of employee’s Employee Type (Common Employee Types: Full Time / Part Time / Contractor / Intern / Seasonal) is correct. If it is incorrect, make the necessary adjustments and re-import the .CSV file. If the Employee Type is not in the system, submit a case in the Help Community to add a new one.

Error: [DEPARTURE DATE] Must be after start date

The employee’s departure date must be after Employee’s start date. Review, correct, and re-upload the .CSV accordingly.

 

REPORTS TO ERRORS

Error: Loop was detected. [EMPLOYEE NAME] can't report to someone who reports to him/her

An employee’s direct report cannot be imported as their new manager. Review, correct, and re-upload the .CSV accordingly.

 

SALARY ERRORS

Error: End date cannot be earlier than start date

The employee’s salary end date cannot be on or before the start date. 

TIP:

If it’s a new Salary Import, remove end dates and sort by Start Date in ascending order to review for discrepancies.

Error: [SALARY] must be greater than 0 if the rate is hourly

An employee’s salary cannot be equal to 0. Remove $0 per hour salary from the .CSV file and re-import.

ERROR: range [START DATE - END DATE] is invalid because it overlaps with an existing salary or range [DATE] - N/A is invalid because it overlaps with an existing salary

The employee’s salary either already exists in the system or multiple dates that were provided had overlapped. Correct the .CSV file so the dates do not start and end on the same day.



If this is a secondary import (salaries already exist in the system), you'll either need to update the existing salary records to match the new ones being imported or utilize the Salary ID field in your import. 

TIP:

If it’s a new Salary Import, remove end dates and sort by Start Date in ascending order to review for discrepancies.

ERROR: [SALARY] is not a number

Check the format of the employee’s salary to ensure it is a number (without commas or dollar signs and includes two decimal places). If it is not formatted as a number, select the column with Salaries > right click Format Cells > select Number > ensure two decimal places are entered > then save and re-import the .CSV again.  

 

TIME OFF REQUEST ERRORS

Error: End date must come after start date

The data could not be imported due to overlapping dates. Double-check to make sure the end date is after the start date in the .CSV file. 

Error: You cannot request time off before your start date

The Time Off Request should be before the employee’s start date listed in the employee profile. Review the time off request dates and start date and correct and re-import the .CSV file.

Error: A time off request for [PLAN TYPE] already exists for those days. You can update the usage of the existing request.

This is a duplicate Time Off Request. Review the time off requests and correct the overlap, then re-import the .CSV file.

Error: Plan type is not in the list to select from

The tIme off accrual or request for the plan was not imported because the plan was not created. Create and assign the time off plan to the respective employees and attempt the import again.

Error: Duplicate key value violates unique constraint...

Re-try the import again. If it fails, remove the lines from the original import and import the lines mentioned in the error separately.

Error: Undefined method `id' for [CLASS]

Employees were unable to be imported for the plan because the emails did not match any emails in the system. Review and correct the email addresses.

Error: You are not authorized to request time off

Employees were unable to be imported for the plan because they do not have access or ability to request time off.

 

OTHER ERRORS

Error: Profile does not exist or Couldn't find user by email [EMAIL]

The import was not successful because there was no profile with the listed email address that matched. Review and confirm the employee’s email and profile, or create an HRIS profile (if applicable.) Re-import the file once the email address has been corrected.

Error: Invalid argument for string field...

The pay groups were unable to be imported because they have not been created yet.