Symptom
- Eligibility rule using the "not equal to" operator does not work as expected when the compared user data field is blank (null) for some users.
Environment
- SAP SuccessFactors Compensation
- SAP SuccessFactors Variable Pay
- SAP SuccesssFactors HXM Suite
Reproducing the Issue
- Configure two non-EC eligibility rules in a compensation template
- In one rule, use a user data field that is blank for some users with the condition operator "not equal to" a specific value.
- Launch compensation worksheets and review eligible users.
- Observe that users with blank (null) values are not evaluated as "not equal to" the specified value, and combined rules may not yield the expected eligibility.
Cause
- By design, when using the "not equal to" operator in non-EC eligibility rules, the system compares only existing values and does not consider null (blank) values.
- For non-EC eligibility, the system evaluates all rules and includes a user if they match at least one rule when the starting point is "No employees are eligible."
Resolution
- Ensure the user data field used in "not equal to" conditions is populated for the population being evaluated; do not rely on blanks/nulls for exclusion or inclusion.
- If the intent is to include only certain users, consider switching to "equal to" with an explicit include value and populate that value accordingly.
- If the intent is to exclude a subset (for example, an exclusion flag), populate an explicit value for all users (such as "exclude" or "include") and use "equal to" or "not equal to" against that explicit value.
- Review the template’s eligibility starting point and rule group logic; remember that users are included if they match at least one non-EC rule when the starting point is "No employees are eligible."
- Test the configuration with a simplified set of rules and a small user sample where the relevant fields are fully populated (no blanks) to validate expected outcomes.
- Relauch or regenerate worksheets after changes to eligibility rules to apply the updated logic.
See Also
- refer to: SAP Note 67739
- refer to: SAP Note 560499
Keywords
compensation eligibility, eligibility rule groups, not equal to operator, null values, blank values, non-EC eligibility, user data file, udf, template eligibility, rule precedence, include if any rule matches, exclusion flag, worksheet eligibility, expected behavior, by design , KBA , LOD-SF-CMP-ADM , Admin Tools, Settings, Permissions , Problem
Product
SAP SuccessFactors Compensation all versions
SAP Knowledge Base Article - Public