How to Configure Shift Rules

What This Feature Does

Shift Rules allow you to define rate multipliers based on when a shift starts. Instead of paying a flat rate for all shifts, you can configure different multiplier segments within a shift. For example, a night shift starting at 6 PM might pay the first 2 hours at 1.25x and remaining hours at 1.5x the base rate.

Shift rules are configured within Rule Groups inside a pay rate document.

Key Concepts

Rate Application Method

Each shift rule has a Rate Application Method that determines how the rule matches activities on a timesheet:

• Based on Shift Start Time (default): The rule matches once based on the earliest activity start time. If the shift starts within the defined window, the entire shift uses this rule's segments and multipliers.
• Based on Hours Worked Within Defined Time Range: The rule evaluates each activity individually. Any hours that fall within the defined time window receive the rule's rate, regardless of when the shift started. This is useful for time-of-day-based premiums where only the hours worked within a specific window should be affected.

Application Method

Each shift rule also has an Application Method that determines how the matched hours are coded into pay lines. This is separate from the Rate Application Method above (which controls matching) — Application Method controls output.

• Replacement (default): The current behaviour. The rule's segments replace the rate on the matched hours and produce a single combined line per segment. For example, a segment at 1.5x produces one line at 1.5x the base rate.

• Loading (additive parallel line): The rule produces two parallel lines per shift hour:

  1. The ordinary line — the matched hours at their segment rate (typically 1.0x base), coded to the normal/segment cost code.
  2. An additive loading line — the same hours paid at a percentage of the worker's base rate, coded to a separate loading cost code.

  Use Loading when an award requires the ordinary hours and the shift premium to be reported on separate, individually-coded payroll lines rather than combined into one multiplied rate.

When Loading is selected, two extra fields appear:

• Loading Rate (% of base): The loading line's rate as a percentage of the worker base rate. For example, 50 produces a loading line at 50% of base (so an ordinary line at 1.0x base plus a 0.5x loading line — 1.5x base in total, split across two coded lines).
• Loading Cost Code: The cost code applied to the additive loading line.

Note: With Loading, keep the segment rate at the ordinary level (typically a Regular Time segment at 1.0x). The premium is expressed through the Loading Rate, not the segment multiplier. The loading line is added to every hour the rule covers — including any hours that escalate into overtime. The loading is always a percentage of the base rate, so an overtime hour pays the overtime line (e.g. 1.5× base) plus a loading line at the same percentage of base; the overtime multiplier does not inflate the loading.

Example: An afternoon shift coded as 100 @ 1x base plus 140AC @ 50% of base is configured as a single shift rule with Application Method = Loading, a Regular Time segment at 1.0x (coded to 100), Loading Rate = 50, and Loading Cost Code = 140AC.

Shift Window

Each shift rule defines a shift window - the time range during which a shift must start for the rule to apply. For example, a shift window of 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM means the rule applies to any shift that begins between those times.

Segments

A shift rule contains one or more segments, each defining how a portion of the shift is paid. Segments are applied in order from the start of the shift.

Each segment has the following fields:

• Hour Bucket Type: How to identify which hours this segment applies to (see table below)
• Rate Type: Select the rate tier — Regular Time, Overtime, or Second Overtime. This sets the default multiplier for the segment.
• Multiplier: Rate multiplier applied to the base rate (e.g., 1.5 for time and a half). Can be customized after selecting the rate type.
• Fixed Rate Override: Use a specific dollar amount per hour instead of the multiplier calculation (e.g., $45.50). Leave empty to use the multiplier. When set, this takes highest precedence.
• Use Shift Rate from Tree: When enabled, uses the role-specific shift rate defined in the tree template instead of multipliers or fixed rates. This allows different classifications/roles to have different shift rates configured at the tree level.
• Cost Code: Optional cost code linked to this segment's pay line item for project costing.

Rate precedence: Fixed Rate Override > Tree Shift Rate > Multiplier.

Hour Bucket Types

Example: A night shift rule with two segments:

• Segment 1: First 2 hours at 1.25x multiplier
• Segment 2: Remaining hours at 1.5x multiplier

Priority

When multiple shift rules could match a timesheet, priority determines which rule applies. Lower numbers = higher priority.

How to Create a Shift Rule

1. Open a pay rate document from the Pay Rate Documents tab
2. Navigate to the Rule Groups section
3. In the shift rules area, click "Add Shift Rule"
4. Fill in the form fields described below
5. Click "Save" to create the shift rule Basic Details:

• Name: Descriptive name (e.g., "Night Shift Premium", "Early Morning Rate")
• Priority: Number determining evaluation order (lower = evaluated first)

Application Method:

• Choose Replacement (single combined line) or Loading (additive parallel line)
• If you choose Loading, set the Loading Rate (% of base) and the Loading Cost Code

Shift Window:

• Start Time: When the shift window opens (e.g., 6:00 PM)
• End Time: When the shift window closes (e.g., 6:00 AM)
• Shifts starting within this window will match this rule

Segments:

• Click "Add Segment" to define rate multiplier periods
• Duration: How many hours this segment covers (leave blank for "remaining hours")
• Multiplier: The rate multiplier for this segment (e.g., 1.5 for time-and-a-half)
• Cost Code: Optional cost code for this segment's pay line item

How to Edit a Shift Rule

1. In the shift rules section, find the rule you want to edit
2. Click the actions menu (three dots) on the right side of the row
3. Select "Edit"
4. Modify the shift window, segments, or priority as needed
5. Click "Save" to apply changes

How to Delete a Shift Rule

1. Click the actions menu on the rule row
2. Select "Delete"
3. Confirm the deletion

Understanding the Shift Rules Table

The shift rules section displays a table with:

• Name: The rule name
• Shift Window: Start and end times for matching
• Segments: Number of rate segments configured
• Priority: Evaluation order

Examples

Night Shift Premium

• Shift Window: 6:00 PM - 6:00 AM
• Segment 1: First 2 hours at 1.25x
• Segment 2: Remaining hours at 1.5x
• Workers starting shifts between 6 PM and 6 AM receive premium rates

Early Morning Rate

• Shift Window: 4:00 AM - 6:00 AM
• Segment 1: All hours at 1.3x
• Workers starting very early shifts receive a flat multiplier

Split Shift

• Shift Window: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
• Segment 1: First 4 hours at 1.0x (normal rate)
• Segment 2: Next 2 hours at 1.25x
• Segment 3: Remaining hours at 1.5x

Afternoon Loading (two parallel coded lines)

• Application Method: Loading
• Rate Application Method: Based on Shift Start Time
• Shift Window: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
• Days of Week: Monday–Friday
• Segment 1: Remaining hours at 1.0x (Regular Time), cost code 100
• Loading Rate: 50% of base
• Loading Cost Code: 140AC
• A 7.6-hour afternoon shift produces 100 × 7.6 hours at the base rate and 140AC × 7.6 hours at 50% of the base rate.

Tips

• Start with your award document: Most awards define specific shift windows and multipliers - configure rules to match
• Use priority wisely: If a worker's shift could match multiple rules, the highest-priority rule applies
• Link cost codes to segments: This ensures each multiplied rate component is tracked to the right cost code
• Test with real timesheets: After configuring, apply rates to a pay period and verify the calculations

What's Next

• Return to Rule Groups to configure other rule types
• Set up Allowance Rules for activity-based payments
• Configure Cost Code Linking to map rate outputs to project cost codes