Who this is for
This guide is written for Owner and Admin.
Before you begin
- Pay Levels must be switched on first. An Owner or Admin switches it on in Account settings > Automation & Capacity Controls > Pay Levels and automatic interpretation, by choosing Enable. See Enable Pay Levels. Until it is on, the Pay Levels page says Pay Levels are not enabled for this organisation.
- You are signed in to BondiByte on a computer.
- The rate line you want to change has no published Pay Rule of its own, for example a line on a level you created yourself, or on a copy whose rules are still drafts. A line that has a published rule is locked, and the base weekday line is locked once its level has any published rule. See Rates that are locked in the notes below.
- You have the new rate from your own industrial instrument or pay agreement.
Steps
The screenshots show a demonstration organisation with made-up names. Your own screens show your organisation's details. Select a screenshot to open it full size.
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Go to Administration > Pay Levels and find the level
1 In the left menu, under Administration, choose Pay Levels. The Staff Pay Levels page opens.
2 Find the card of the level whose rate you want to change. Tick Show inactive above the list if you cannot see it.
Choose Pay Levels under Administration (1), then find the level whose rate you want to change (2). -
Choose Edit line on the rate line
1 In the level's table, find the line you want to change, such as the base weekday line, and choose Edit line. The line opens for editing.
Choose Edit line (1) on the line you want to change. -
Change the rate, then choose Save
1 In the Rate box, type the new rate in dollars, for example
12.50. It cannot be negative.2 Check Start date. It may already hold a date, such as the start of the starter pay table or the date a copy was made. Leave it as it is unless the line should start on a different date.
3 Check End date. Leave it empty unless the line should stop on a date. It cannot be earlier than Start date.
4 Choose Save.
5 Choose Cancel instead to leave the line as it was.
Fields in step 3 Field What it means Name Required. The name of the rate line, shown in the table. It can be changed on any line, even a locked one. Unit Required. What the rate is paid per, such as Hour, Day, Unit or Kilometre. You type it in. Rate Required, and never negative. The dollar amount for one unit. It is the box under the Rate column. Active Ticked while the line is in use. Untick it to switch the line off. The table shows Yes or No. Code Required. The code that identifies the line. It is in the row of details under the line. Start date and End date Optional dates for the line. End date cannot be earlier than Start date. Notes Optional. Notes about the line, shown under its name in the table. Notes can be changed on any line, even a locked one. Important: Type the rate your organisation has worked out from its own industrial instrument or pay agreement. BondiByte does not check the rate you enter against an Award or agreement.
Note: If the line is already used on approved timesheets, a window asks Change a referenced catalogue rate? and explains that approved earnings stay as they are. Choose Change catalogue rate to go ahead, or Cancel to stop.
Note: If your organisation has connected Xero Payroll, you may also see a Payroll rate choice in the details row. It is covered in the Xero Payroll guide.
Type the new rate (1), check the start date (2) and end date (3), then choose Save (4), or Cancel (5) to leave the line as it was. -
Check the new rate
1 A message confirms Pay line item updated.
2 The table shows the new Rate for the line.
3 If you changed the base weekday line, the grey figure on the level's card shows the new base hourly rate too.
The confirmation message (1), the new rate in the table (2) and the new base hourly rate on the card (3). -
Or change the base hourly rate from the level
The base hourly rate of a level is the rate of its base weekday line, so you can change it from the level instead. Choose Edit pay level on the level's card; the Edit pay level window opens.
1 In Base hourly rate, type the new rate.
2 Choose Save changes. A message confirms Pay level updated.
3 Choose Cancel instead to close the window without saving.
Tip: The same window changes the level's code, name, group and sort order, and has the Active tick box.
Type the new base hourly rate (1), then choose Save changes (2), or Cancel (3) to close the window without saving.
What happens next
The new rate applies to the rate line from now on. Timesheets that were already approved keep the earnings they were approved with.
To start a different level from this one, copy it. See Clone a Pay Level.
For a rate that changes on a particular date, or a rate that is locked, use Pay Rules and preview on the level. See Rates that are locked in the notes below.
Important notes
Important: BondiByte applies the Pay Levels and Pay Rules that your organisation configures. It is not a complete Award interpreter. Your organisation is responsible for checking every rate it enters against its industrial instrument.
Warning: Rates that are locked. A rate line is locked when it has its own published Pay Rule. The base weekday line, and the Base hourly rate in Edit pay level, are also locked once the level has any published Pay Rule or has interpretation turned on. On a locked line, the rate, unit, code, dates and active setting cannot be changed on this page. Saving a change shows this message: This item or its base pay level has published or enabled Pay Rules. Publish a new dated version or record a retirement in Pay Rules; legacy rate, unit, code, dates and activation cannot be changed. Nothing is saved.
Note: Lines that have no rule of their own can still be edited. In the starter setup, for example, Travel Kilometre Reimbursement and On-Call Allowance have no rule. The name and notes of any line can always be edited.
Note: To change a locked rate, choose Pay Rules and preview on the level and choose New version next to the rule. The window explains that published versions are preserved, that new effective dates supersede the same item from that date, and that end dates are exclusive.
Good practice
- Record the source and the date of each rate in the line's Notes box, for example the name of the pay agreement and the day you checked it. Notes can be edited at any time, even on a locked line.
- Correct a rate before its rule is published whenever you can. After that, publish a new dated version in Pay Rules and preview with the date the new rate starts from, so the earlier published version is preserved.
Troubleshooting
A message says This item or its base pay level has published or enabled Pay Rules.
Why it happens: The rate line has its own published Pay Rule, or it is the base weekday line of a level that has published Pay Rules or interpretation turned on, so its rate is locked.
What to do: Choose Pay Rules and preview on the level and publish a new dated version of the rule with New version. Nothing was changed by the attempt.
A message says Enter a line item code, name, and pay unit.
Why it happens: Name, Unit or Code is empty. All three are required.
What to do: Fill in the empty box, then choose Save again.
A message says Enter a valid non-negative pay rate.
Why it happens: The Rate box is empty or holds a negative number.
What to do: Type a rate of zero or more in the Rate box, then choose Save again.
A message says Please check the information you entered and try again.
Why it happens: A box holds a value the product cannot accept, for example an End date that is earlier than the Start date.
What to do: Check the dates and the other boxes in the line, correct them, then choose Save again.
I cannot see Edit line or Edit pay level.
Why it happens: Your role does not include the Can manage pay levels permission.
What to do: Ask an Owner or Admin to check your role, or to change the rate for you.
The Pay Levels page says Pay Levels are not enabled for this organisation., or Pay Levels is missing from the left menu.
Why it happens: Pay Levels is not switched on, or your organisation's subscription is not active.
What to do: An Owner or Admin switches it on in Account settings > Automation & Capacity Controls > Pay Levels and automatic interpretation. See Enable Pay Levels. If the menu item is still missing, an Owner or Admin checks Billing & subscription and contacts BondiByte support.