How To Fix HRPAYBR94120 - Employee locked. Update of &1 impossible

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: HRPAYBR94 - Reports log

• Message number: 120

• Message text: Employee locked. Update of &1 impossible

What causes this issue?

The employee is being maintained by another user or by another
transaction.

System Response

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

How to fix this error?

Maintenance will only be possible when the employee is no longer
locked.

Procedure for System Administrators

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message HRPAYBR94120 - Employee locked. Update of &1 impossible ?

  The SAP error message HRPAYBR94120, which states "Employee locked. Update of &1 impossible," typically occurs in the context of the SAP Human Capital Management (HCM) module, particularly in payroll processing. This error indicates that the employee record you are trying to update is locked, preventing any modifications or updates.
  Cause:
  
  
  Employee Lock Status: The employee record may be locked due to various reasons, such as:
  
  The employee is currently being processed in a payroll run.
  The employee's data is being edited by another user or process.
  The employee is marked as inactive or locked in the system.
  
  
  
  Authorization Issues: The user attempting to make the update may not have the necessary authorizations to modify the employee's data.
  
  
  Technical Issues: There may be a technical issue or inconsistency in the database that is causing the lock.
  
  
  Solution:
  
  
  Check Lock Status:
  
  Use transaction code SM12 to check for any locks on the employee record. You can search for locks by entering the user ID or the employee number.
  If you find a lock, you can either wait for the process to complete or, if appropriate, release the lock (ensure you have the necessary authorizations to do so).
  
  
  
  Verify Payroll Processing:
  
  Ensure that the employee is not currently being processed in a payroll run. If they are, you will need to wait until the payroll process is completed.
  
  
  
  Check User Authorizations:
  
  Verify that the user has the necessary authorizations to update the employee record. If not, contact your SAP security administrator to adjust the authorizations.
  
  
  
  Review Employee Status:
  
  Check if the employee is marked as inactive or locked in the system. If so, you may need to unlock or reactivate the employee record.
  
  
  
  Consult SAP Notes:
  
  Check the SAP Support Portal for any relevant SAP Notes that may address this specific error message or provide additional troubleshooting steps.
  
  
  
  Contact SAP Support:
  
  If the issue persists and you cannot determine the cause, consider reaching out to SAP Support for further assistance.
  
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  
  Transaction Codes: Familiarize yourself with relevant transaction codes such as:
  
  SM12: To check and manage locks.
  PA30: To view and edit employee master data.
  PA40: To perform actions related to employee data changes.
  
  
  
  Documentation: Review SAP documentation related to HCM and payroll processing for best practices and guidelines on managing employee records.
  
  
  User Training: Ensure that users involved in payroll processing are adequately trained on how to handle employee records and understand the implications of locks and authorizations.
  
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the HRPAYBR94120 error and successfully update the employee record.