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How to Configure Rule Groups

Guide to setting up rule groups within pay rate documents for overtime, shift rules, allowances, and more

What This Feature Does

Rule Groups are collections of payroll rules configured within a pay rate document. They control how rates are calculated beyond the base classification rate, including overtime thresholds, shift-based multipliers, activity allowances, minimum engagement guarantees, consecutive shift penalties, and shift spacing rules.

Each pay rate document can contain one or more rule groups, and each rule group can include any combination of seven rule types.

Rule Types Overview

Rule TypePurposeExample
Shift RulesApply rate multipliers based on when a shift startsNight shifts pay 1.5x base rate
Allowance RulesAdd payments for specific activities or conditions$25/day travel allowance for site work
Custom Activity RulesCode activities (matched by name pattern) to a multiplier or a rate-tree tierCode travel as Overtime ("Overtime A")
RDO RulesAccrue Rostered Day Off entitlements based on hours workedAccrue 0.8h RDO once 36 hours are worked in the week
Minimum Engagement RulesGuarantee minimum paid hours per shiftMinimum 4 hours even if shift is shorter
Consecutive Shift RulesAdjust rates after working multiple days in a rowAfter 5 consecutive days, pay at 1.5x
Shift Spacing RulesAdjust rates when rest periods between shifts are too shortLess than 10 hours between shifts triggers penalty rate
Break RulesAutomatically insert or extend breaks based on hours worked30-minute unpaid break after 5 hours worked

In addition to these rule types, role-based documents can use Higher Duty Settings — a per-rule-group setting that re-codes a worker's whole day to a higher duty role when a daily hours threshold is met.

Accessing Rule Groups

  1. Navigate to Pay Rates in the left sidebar under "Project Management"
  2. Click the Pay Rate Documents tab
  3. Open a pay rate document by clicking on the Rates Data icon
  4. In the document editor, click the Rule Groups tab

How Rule Groups Apply to Timesheets

When "Apply Pay Rates" is clicked for a pay period:

  1. The system matches each timesheet to a pay rate document (via tree template matching)
  2. If Higher Duty Settings are enabled, the day is evaluated first: when a higher duty role meets its daily hours threshold, every timesheet that day is re-coded against the higher duty role's rate tree node before rates are calculated
  3. The base classification rate is determined (Regular, Overtime, Second Overtime)
  4. The following rule types within the rule group are evaluated:
    • Break rules check hours worked and insert/extend breaks (unpaid or paid)
    • Shift rules check the shift start time and apply segment multipliers
    • Allowance rules check activity conditions and add allowance payments
    • Custom activity rules code matched activities to a multiplier or a rate-tree tier (rate + cost code)
    • RDO rules check hours worked against the threshold and accrue Rostered Day Off entitlements
    • Minimum engagement rules check if actual hours meet the minimum threshold
    • Consecutive shift rules check the worker's recent shift history
    • Shift spacing rules check the gap between consecutive shifts
  5. Each rule that matches generates a pay line item linked to a cost code

Best Practices

  • Name rule groups clearly: Use names that reflect the award or agreement they represent
  • Set priorities: When multiple shift rules could match, priority determines which applies first
  • Link cost codes: Every rule output should map to a cost code for accurate project costing
  • Test with sample timesheets: After configuring rules, apply rates to a test period and review results
  • Keep rules specific: Avoid overly broad conditions that match more timesheets than intended

What's Next