Introduction
The Output Rules post processor can change the payment outcome produced by the standard Award Rules processor. It reviews the pay item output of a calculation in the main award engine and converts it to another pay item.
For example, an employee has worked an 8-hour shift, which, based on the Award Rules set up, attracts ordinary time. However, the employee worked this shift for less than 10 hours after working overtime, and because of this, their shift should be paid at double time. Until the standard Award Rules have processed the overtime from the previous shift, it cannot be known that this 8-hour shift should be paid at double time.
Using the Output Rules post processor, the 8 hours of ordinary time can be converted to double time once the standard rules have been calculated.
The Output Rules post processor is located at the bottom of the page when editing an award policy version.
IF Statement Options
The following IF or Conditions rules are available within the Output Rules section;
1. Pay Item Type
Multi-select field of pay items
Used to confirm the pay items you want to change the pay outcome of, or need to create an alert.
2. Time Since Previous Pay Item
Less Than through to Greater Than in hours
From which pay items (multi-select field of pay items)
Used to confirm a scenario where pay items occurred within a certain timeframe of other pay items.
THEN Statement Options
1. Apply Multiplier
Add the multiplier to be applied when the scenario is met
Confirm if it is to overwrite any prior multiplier or just apply on top of the previous multiplier.
2. Set Exception
If the scenario is met, select the pay item you want the current pay item to be changed to.
3. Apply Multiplier
Text based field to enable messages to be shown in the pay run where the scenario occurs
Set the message as either an error or warning.
Example Scenario
If ordinary time or time and a half has been paid within 10 hours of any overtime payment, provide an alert to the payroll officer in the payrun in case additional entitlements need to be paid to the employee;
Other Use Cases
These output rules have currently been developed for a specific scenario. Once additional testing has been completed, we will provide further information and potential use case scenarios.
Disclaimer
If using the Output Rules to convert ordinary time to an overtime pay item, it could impact the count of ordinary hours if using Tags.
For example, an 8-hour shift is processed as ordinary time in the standard Award Rules section. It is then converted to double time in the Output Rules post processor, as the shift was worked less than 10 hours since being paid overtime. As this shift has already been processed through the standard Award Rules processor, it has been added to the “First76” tag. This could lead to an employee being paid additional overtime. Therefore, we suggest using caution and discussing your options with a Consultant.