Project Custom Fields
Overview
Some organisations need award treatment to vary based on a detail that is best recorded against the Project rather than the Employee, such as the type of practice or service being delivered. Previously this could only be captured as an Organisation Wide, which cannot be referenced in an Award Policy Custom Field Condition or Employee custom field which can be repetitive. Project custom fields close this gap.
Getting Started
Prerequisites
Before you can use a Project custom field in an Award Policy condition, your system administrator must create the custom field and populate it on the relevant Projects.
For System Administrators:
Access to Admin > Custom Fields.
Access to Award Policy configuration.
Access to Project setup.
Understanding of which Projects require different award treatment, and why.
For Payroll Officers:
No additional permissions required.
The condition is applied automatically once configured, based on the Project a timesheet is costed to.
Note: This is an extension of the existing Custom Field Condition. Rules already configured against Employee or Timesheet custom fields are unaffected. Project Specific Timesheet custom fields also remain unaffected.
Understanding the Change
The Problem with Organisation-Level Fields
Where an award rule needs to vary depending on something like the type of practice or square meterage a piece of work relates to, an Organisation custom field is not suitable, because it cannot be referenced within an Award Policy Custom Field Condition, and it cannot capture a difference between two Projects run under the same Organisation.
Example: Two Projects, Same Organisation
Project | Square Meterage (Project Custom Field) | Award Treatment |
Riverside Cleaning Contract | 2000 - 5000 SQM | Rule A applies |
City Clinic Support | 5000+ SQM | Rule B applies |
Recording "Square Meterage" on the Project, allows the Award Policy to treat these two Projects differently for minimum time requirements even though they sit under the same Organisation.
How the Project Custom Field Condition Works
A Project custom field is created, for example a drop-down field named "Square Meterage" with values such as "2000 - 5000 SQM" and "5000+ SQM".
The relevant value is set on each Project.
In the Award Policy, a Custom Field Condition is added and configured with the rule type set to Project.
The condition is set to Is One Of or Is Not One Of, and the relevant Project custom field value(s) are selected.
When a shift or timesheet is costed to a Project, the system checks that Project's custom field value against the condition to determine whether the rule applies.
Configuring a Project Custom Field
Navigate to Admin, Custom Fields.
Select the Projects tab.
Create a new custom field and choose the field type (for example, Drop Down), name, and values.
Save the custom field.
Navigate to the relevant Project and set its value for the new custom field.
Save the Project.
Configuring the Condition in an Award Policy
Navigate to Payroll, Award Policies.
Select the award policy you wish to configure.
Add or edit the rule you want the condition to apply to.
Add a Custom Field Condition.
Set the rule type to Project.
Select the relevant Project custom field.
Choose Is One Of or Is Not One Of and select the relevant value(s).
Save the award policy.
How Pay Runs Use the Project Custom Field Condition
Automatic Application
Once configured, the condition is applied automatically during pay run processing based on the Project each shift or timesheet is costed to. Payroll officers require no additional steps.
During pay run calculation:
The system identifies the Project the timesheet or shift is costed to.
It checks the Project's value for the referenced custom field.
If the value matches the condition, the rule is applied. If not, the rule is skipped.
Current Scope and Limitations
The Custom Field Condition supports Employee, Timesheet and now Project custom fields.
A Project without a value set for the referenced custom field will not match an Is One Of condition for that field.
This condition relies on the timesheet or shift being correctly costed to the appropriate Project. If the timesheet is updated retrospective it will be picked up in backpay processing.
Backward Compatibility
Existing Custom Field Condition rules configured against Employee or Timesheet custom fields continue to work unchanged. Adding a Project-based condition does not affect any other rules in the award policy.
Troubleshooting
Rule Not Applying as Expected
Problem:
A rule using a Project custom field condition is not applying to timesheets you expect it to.
Solution:
Confirm the timesheet or shift is costed to the correct Project.
Confirm the Project has a value set for the referenced custom field.
Check whether the condition is set to Is One Of or Is Not One Of, and confirm the selected values are correct.
Review the award policy for any other conditions on the same rule that may also need to be met.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use a Project custom field alongside Employee or Timesheet custom field conditions on the same rule?
A: Yes, multiple Custom Field Conditions of different types can be combined on the same rule.
Q: What happens if a timesheet is not costed to the correct Project?
A: The Project-based condition will not match, since there is no Project value to evaluate. This can be updated at the time of calculation or retrospectively. Any differences will be calculate upon recalculation or the next available pay run.
Q: Can I still use Organisation custom fields in Award Policy conditions?
A: No, Organisation custom fields are not supported in the Custom Field Condition. Project custom fields are recommended where the distinction needs to vary within the same Organisation.
Q: Does this affect my existing Employee or Timesheet custom field rules?
A: No, existing rules are unaffected. Project is an additional option, not a replacement.
Q: Can I configure an allowance that changes value between projects, such as a Travel Allowance?
A: Yes, however the value still must be specified in the Award Policy on the relative payout rule.
Getting Help
If you experience issues or have questions about the Project Custom Field Condition:
Review this guide for configuration and troubleshooting information.
Contact your system administrator for custom field or award policy configuration questions.
Confirm the relevant Project has the expected custom field value set
Contact support if you need assistance with configuration or calculations.
Summary
The Custom Field Condition in Award Policies now supports Project custom fields, alongside Employee or Timesheet.
Project custom fields allow award treatment to vary between Projects within the same Organisation.
Configuration requires creating the custom field under Admin, Custom Fields, Projects, setting its value on the relevant Projects, and referencing it in the Award Policy.
Existing Custom Field Condition rules are unaffected.
Organisation-level custom fields are still not supported in this condition.