Award | Pay Groups

i) Award pay group information

This is the first section of the award pay group. It contains information relating to the award and its inherited settings (employment type values).

ii) Standard days

The standard days section lists of each day of the week. Default or standard days can be selected and the standard daily hours value can be set here. The settings made here can be overridden for users individually once they are assigned to an award pay group.

iii) Payroll categories

Payroll categories are the building blocks of the EE (Easy Employer) award interpreter. They consist of all the bits and pieces that make up an employee’s standard pay. These objects are used to specify the correct codes in the system so they can be applied when a transaction is interpreted. A list of the payroll categories that apply to an award pay group are listed in this section. The award contains all payroll categories that could be used across all award pay groups, each award pay group needs to have specific selections made. It is important to understand each heading/column in payroll categories. descriptions of each heading are below.

• Category name - This is the name of the payroll category. As the payroll categories section is ordered alphabetically based on this column, best practice is to start the name of the payroll category with the first letter that appears in the Type column. This makes it easier to locate and update payroll categories in the future.
• Payroll code - This is the code that will be sent to the payroll application when exporting a pay run. If the payroll application requires matching codes (pre-existing codes) these should match the existing codes in the payroll application.
• Type - This represents the payroll categories function in the system. Types available for selection include; normal, loading, public holiday, overtime, leave, leave loading, entitlement, allowance, unpaid, addition and placeholder.
• Multiplier - The multiplier is used to determine penalty rates. it represents the times (x) value that will be used against the user's hourly rate.
• Rate - The rate column is used to set the value of an allowance. How a rate will be used/paid is dependant on the allowance configuration (in the Award triggers section).
• Standard - Used to determine if a payroll category should contribute to a users standard hours.
• Add to overtime - Used to determine if a payroll category should add to overtime.
• Convert to overtime - Used to determine specific payroll categories that should be excluded from triggering overtime.
• OTE - Used to determine if a payroll category should be included in "ordinary time earnings". This field only applies to certain payroll applications.
• PAYG - Used to signify if a payroll category should be included in "pay as you go" calculations. This column is more relevant when applying allowances, as all other categories are included in PAYG calculations.
• Apply prefix - Used to determine if the "payroll category prefix" (set at role level on the organisation structure) should replace the payroll category code when a shift is interpreted.
• Skip export - Used to determine if a a code should be included in the payroll export.
• Cost code - An optional code to be exported along with the ‘group export code’ when
  exporting to cost centres within the payroll application. The cost centre export code convention
  is ‘(group export code) (pay category cost code)’.
• Job code - This is used to categorise costs with this payroll category against ‘jobs’ within the
  externally integrated application. Setting this code will override any shift-specific code set for
  this payroll category.
• Cost centre code - This code is used to split costs with this payroll category against ‘cost
  centres’ within the externally integrated payroll application. Setting this code will override any
  shift-specific code set for this payroll category.
• Billing code - Only used if integrating directly with MYOB timesheet for billing purposes.

iv) Prioritise weekly codes

The “Prioritise weekly codes” section in award pay groups dictates the order that codes will be used whenever weekly/fortnightly overtime is applied. Codes that exist in the same priority section are prioritised as the week falls.

For example, if the pay period is Monday to Sunday, “as the week falls” means as the week progresses from Monday to Sunday. In this section priority group 1 will be paid first followed by group 2 and then group 3. The hierarchy in this section uses an increasing priority order. Codes are prioritised with the lower numbered sections being paid first and then moving through to the higher numbered sections.

When the pay group setting “Prioritise codes over fortnight” has been set to “Yes”, and the pay group is also set to average over two weeks, the codes are prioritised across the two-week period instead of a single week.

v) Weekly rates

Weekly rates work in conjunction with the interpretation periods. These define different parts of a day that may require different rates to be paid. Once defined the by the interpretation periods the weekly rates section is used to assign payroll codes to these periods. This enables organisations to set different multipliers to trigger for shifts that occur during different parts of a day.

Multiple tabs can exist in this section. Each tab is linked to an interpretation period.

vi) Public holiday worked shifts

When a user works on a public holiday an additional rate multiplier may need to be triggered. The public holiday multiplier for users assigned the an award pay group is set in this section.

vii) Public holiday rates - Public holiday shifts

This section is used to configure how employees that need to be paid for a non-worked public holiday are to be paid. If shifts should be automatically generated and how this should occur needs to be selected. This section also needs to be linked to a payroll category.

viii) Role overrides

Role overrides are used to pay users a different rate than their normal or default rate when working in a specific role. This can be used to pay a users a lower or higher rate for a defined role that is typically not their default.

ix) Overtime periods

Overtime periods need to be defined in an award pay group. This ensures employees are paid correctly when they meet certain requirements. Overtime triggers can be set to daily or weekly. Pre-defined triggers are available including; maximum weekly hours, specific number of hours and exceeding broken shift maximum length. When the requirements have been met, the defined rate for the overtime trigger will be paid. Configurations for overtime rates vary between organisations and awards.

x) Break types

A list of available break types in the award will appear in this section. Only break types that have a tick in the box will be available for users of this award pay group to use. 

xi) Broken shifts

The broken shifts section is used to define a broken shifts and how to interpret them. Each section needs to be defined to make broken shifts function correctly.

xii) Award triggers

Additional triggers may be required for some awards. The award triggers section can be used to configure allowances and some other requirements of awards. These will need to be linked to an outcome (an interpretation period or payroll code) to function correctly. Assistance may be required when configuring this section for the first time.

xiii) Entitlements

A list of the entitlements that are available for users that have been assigned to an award pay group.

xiv) Leave types

A list of leave types available to users assigned to an award pay group. If a leave type is missing from this section, users assigned to the award pay group will not be able to select that leave type on the leave submission page.

xv) Interpretation periods

Interpretation periods are used to trigger shift working conditions (e.g. night shift penalties) or apply a manual work rule to a shift. Interpretation periods can also be used to pay a single employee from multiple awards in a single payroll period. Finally, Interpretation periods can be used to to pay an employee as permanent in certain roles, and as casual in other roles.

Select the award (click Organisation > Awards > Award Name), locate the Base award pay groups section and click Add.

A new page will be displayed. Complete each section of the page. Almost all of the selections made on this page can be updated later, with the exception of the Employment type. Once set, the employment type cannot be changed. Click Create to finish.

The new base award pay group will appear on the list. If additional configuration is needed, open the award pay group and complete any section as required.

Select the award (click Organisation > Awards > Award Name), locate the Positions section, and click the position name you want to add the award pay group to.

In the Edit position page, click Add on the Award pay groups section.

A new page will be displayed. Complete each section of the page. Almost all of the selections made on this page can be updated later, with the exception of the Employment type. Once set, the employment type cannot be changed. Click Create to finish.

The award pay group specific for the selected position will appear on the list. If additional configuration is needed, open the award pay group and complete any section as required.