Requesting Deletion of an Employee Request System (ERS) Request

 

Who this is for / when to use it

Sometimes a request in the Employee Request System (ERS) needs to be removed — for example, it was submitted in error, it is a duplicate, the employee is no longer pursuing it, or it expired before it could be completed. How you remove it depends on where the request is in its workflow.

If HR is responsible for completing the request's current workflow step, HR staff who have the HR Triage role can delete it directly in ERS using the DELETE button. This is available for most — though not all — of the steps HR completes. If the request is at a step HR does not complete, it cannot be deleted in ERS, and JCB IT can remove it for you on request. This article covers both paths, how to request a deletion when one is needed, what to include, and what to expect.

Before you start

  • The ERS request ID, or enough detail to identify the exact request.
  • Whether HR is responsible for completing the request's current workflow step — this is what decides which path applies: HR staff with the HR Triage role can delete it in ERS for most, though not all, of those steps; otherwise it cannot be deleted in ERS and JCB IT removes it on request.
  • Whether you have the HR Triage role in ERS.
  • Keep in mind that deleting a request is a permanent, hard delete with no history kept, so it is meant for cases where the request genuinely should no longer exist.

Steps

  1. If HR completes this step, delete it in ERS. HR staff with the HR Triage role can remove the request directly in ERS using the DELETE button. This is available for most — though not all — of the steps HR is responsible for completing, and does not require a request to JCB IT. When HR deletes a request this way, ERS notifies the original requester.
  2. Otherwise, send a request to JCB IT at itrequests@business.cornell.edu. Use this when the request is at a step HR does not complete and so cannot be deleted in ERS. Include:
    • the ERS request ID (or enough detail to identify the exact request).
    • a brief reason for the deletion. Examples include submitted in error, a duplicate, no longer pursuing, expired, or cancelled after approval. The reason helps JCB IT decide whether any further inquiry or approval is needed.
  3. What to expect next. For requests JCB IT handles, IT will delete the identified request in ERS and confirm back to you once it has been removed. Deletion is a hard delete — the request is removed entirely, with no history kept, and it no longer appears in ERS reporting. A deletion done by IT does not send out any notification, so IT will confirm directly with you. Because it is permanent, IT may check the request ID with you before deleting if anything is unclear.

Common problems / if that didn't work

  • You do not see a DELETE button — the request is most likely at a workflow step HR does not complete, or you may not have the HR Triage role. In either case, send the request to JCB IT as described above.
  • You are not sure whether to decline the request instead of deleting it — usually you would not. Declining is done by the designated approver at that workflow state, and it counts toward the decline numbers in ERS reporting, so when a request simply should not have existed (a duplicate, or one submitted in error) removing it is generally preferred over declining it. Whether to delete rather than decline is HR's call, so if you are unsure which is right, ask HR at hr-ers-triage@cornell.edu for guidance before requesting a deletion.
  • You are not sure whether you can delete the request yourself — with the HR Triage role you can, for most of the steps HR is responsible for completing; outside those steps, send the request to JCB IT above. If you are the person who submitted the request, you can withdraw it while it is still a draft, but a submitted request cannot be deleted by the requester.
  • You need a deleted request back — deletion is a hard delete: the request is removed from the system entirely, with no history kept, and it no longer appears in ERS records or reporting. It cannot be recovered, so only request a deletion when the request should no longer exist.

Still stuck?

If you have questions about a request, or you are not sure which path applies, contact JCB IT at itrequests@business.cornell.edu with the ERS request ID and what you are trying to do.

Still need help? Contact the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business Helpdesk at itrequests@business.cornell.edu.

[edited via Jane by wwl54on 2026-10-08 15:38 UTC]

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