Remote Access Requirements for Most ESS Applications Have Changed

As of Monday, Jan. 9, the method for accessing a number of applications on the Employee Self-Service (ESS) webpage has changed for employees logging in to ESS remotely. The change was made to better safeguard employees’ personal information. A login is considered remote when the person logging in is not located in an MCPS office or school.

The affected applications are—

• My profile.
• My leave balances.
• My direct deposit.
• My address change.
• My salary information.
• My salary history.
• My W-4.
• My current benefits.
• Benefits enrollment for new employees.
• Benefits enrollment/changes due to a qualifying life event.

If you are logging in to one of the above ESS applications from the MCPS network, you will not notice any change. However, if you attempt to log in to one of them remotely, you may need to take another step before you can access the application.

To access ESS remotely, you will first need to securely log in to the MCPS network via Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), Virtual Private Network (VPN) or Terminal Services Gateway (TSGateway). For employees who already log in to the MCPS network remotely through one of these programs for telework, you are already performing this additional step. For those not teleworking or using VPN/TSGateway regularly, WVD is the recommended method.

All methods used to log in to the MCPS network remotely require multifactor authentication (MFA). Contact the MCPS Help Desk if you need assistance with MFA registration. Instructions for using these platforms can be found in the MCPS Remote Access Support Guide.