Remote Access Requirements for Most Employee Self-Service (ESS) Applications

Last year, the method for accessing a number of applications on the Employee Self-Service (ESS) web page 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.

When logging in to an application on ESS from the MCPS network, you will not notice any change. However, if you attempt to log in to an ESS application remotely, you may need to take another step before you can access many of the ESS applications.

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.