Frequently Asked Questions

Read through the following question and click on the question to see the answer.

Acceptable Use Policy

When using FSST applications, users must comply with IBM guidelines, policies, and instructions.

  1. FSST applications may contain the following types of data:
    • IBM Confidential information.
    • Personal Information (Name, User ID, Email address, Address, etc).
  2. The following types of data are not allowed to be entered or uploaded to FSST applications:
    • Sensitive Personal Information (SPI)
    • E-Payment data

I am having a problem while using the application. How do I report a problem?

If you are experiencing problems using the application, please gather the following information and send it to "laborclm@us.ibm.com".

  1. Location.  (city/state/zip, work campus, etc.)
  2. Network provider.  (corporate, Comcast, AT&T, etc)
  3. Are you located inside a government/military location?
  4. Computer operating system.  (Mac OS X 10.6, Windows 7, etc)
  5. Operating system type.  (32-bit or 64-bit)
  6. Browser and version.  (IE 11.??, Firefox 38.??, Chrome 47.??, etc)
  7. Date and time of day with time zone.
  8. Provide screen snapshots and detailed text explanation of the problem.  (What did you click or enter?)
  9. Provide the browser page source HTML as text file.

I did not work any labor hours this week; I took a week of vacation. Do I need to submit a claim?

Yes, please submit a claim with zero hours. You can leave the project codes; as long as the claim total is zero. If you don't submit a claim each week, there will be a claim in draft status and your manager will get an email noting that you did not submit your claim for this week.

Where do I obtain the project code?

Ask your IBM project manager for the project code to enter on your claim.

Where can I find a user's guide?

Login to the site and click on the "Help" tab in navigator menu bar. A page will be displayed with a PDF file where you can download the users guide.

Why does PCLAIM terminate my session after a password change?

After a password update in the application, the address book used for authentication is updated with the new password. Since you are currently signed in with the old password, it is only valid for about 5 minutes until the security cache is refreshed. Once refreshed, the old password is no longer valid and your session is terminated. You must sign in with your new password.
Warning: Your sign in ID may be locked for 15 minutes. Your application session attempts count toward the invalid signin count. After three tries, your ID is locked.

What do the password rules mean to me?

Passwords rules:

  1. Be at least 15 positions in length.
  2. Contain a mix of alphabetic and non-alphabetic characters (numbers, punctuation or special characters).
  3. Not contain the userid as part of the password.
  4. Be changed at least once every 90 days.
  5. Have a minimum password age of the minimum interval not less than one day.
  6. Not be reused until after at least eight iterations.
  7. Be set to an expired state upon initial issuance or reset.
  8. Cannot contain parenthesis or square brackets.

This means . . .

  1. You should create a password of 15 characters (or longer) with some digits or special characters in the middle.
  2. You must change your password every 90 days. You will receive a reminder email weekly for 4 weeks prior to the scheduled expiration date (if your email address is valid in your profile).
  3. Your last eight passwords are stored in a secure password list and cannot be reused.
  4. You will be required to change your password when: (1) your ID is issued; or (2) you call the help desk for a password reset; or (3) you use the system password reset function on the web site.
  5. You can only change your password once a day.


For assistance, please contact the PCLAIM help desk by sending email to laborclm@us.ibm.com.
Help desk hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday, Eastern Time US.