Payroll & Billing in Time Processing

Your guide to Payroll & Billing in the Time Processing module

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Written by Celayix Support
Updated over a week ago

Your Time Processing module gives you the all-important tools to ensure that your Payroll and Billing process is as smooth as possible.

This article will be focused on the different features of Payroll and Billing that you'll be using inside this module.


In this article, we're going to explore the following on Payroll and Billing in the Time Processing module in Schedule Xpress:

Payroll

Billing

Auto-recalculation of shifts

Shift Allowances

Shift Start Date vs. Midnight Cutoff

Reason codes


Payroll

Here, you will see a breakdown of the shift hours and the amount that will be paid to the employee. The amount that will be paid will be based on the hours worked against the rates paid per the shift type (purple box).

But first, it's good to understand where the rates come from. These rates will be pulled from either eTime Xpress or Schedule Xpress.

eTime Xpress allows you to create them in Branch Settings under Branch Bill Rates or Branch Pay Rates as below. Or they can also be done at site and employee level.

Branch Bill Rates and Branch Pay Rates in eTime Xpress

In Schedule Xpress, you can change rates per employee in Manage people.

Pay rates in employee profile in Manage people in Schedule Xpress

Or you can change Bill rates per site in Manage sites.

Bill rate in site profile in Manage sites in Schedule Xpress

You'll be given an outstanding figure which addresses the Pay total, Billing total and the difference between the two. This is further discussed in the Payroll and Billing Difference.

Payroll in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

Payroll and Billing Difference

The Payroll and Billing Difference will be shown at the top of the Update rates and hours form. It will order with the Payroll total, Billing total and the Difference between the two.

The Payroll and Billing Difference will change to the following colors:

  • Green - Positive

  • Blue - Equal

  • Red - Negative

Let's look at an example.

In the image below, you can see the current difference between the pay total and the bill total is $19.50 positive. This means the amount being paid to the employee is $19.50 less than the customer is being billed.

Difference in Payroll and Billing Difference in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

However, if you changed the employee's pay rate after the shift has been marked with in/out times, you'll find the difference will adjust accordingly. In the case below of increasing the employee's pay rate for this particular shift, you'll see the Difference figure becomes now becomes negative.

Negative Difference highlighted in red in Payroll and Billing Difference in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

Pay settings

You can see Pay settings (red arrow) to find out your Pay information.

Pay settings in Update rates and hours in Time processing in Schedule Xpress

Payroll export

You can produce a Payroll export from within Time Processing in Schedule Xpress. This means that you no longer have to log into eTime Xpress to export it.

Ensure the User has Run access to the Payroll export in their Feature access group.

Giving a User access to the Payroll export in their Feature access group

You can run the Payroll export by heading to Time Processing Tools > Export > Payroll export.

Payroll export in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

Double-check the Date range that you're exporting shifts for is correct. This is located in the top left-corner of the panel.

Date range of Payroll export

Then, select your Payroll export template and complete the following details:

  • Shift status

  • Employee or Pay cycle

  • Batch number

  • File name

Note: The Payroll template(s) will only be available if you have an integration with your Celayix platform.

Payroll export form in Time Processing

At the end of the export, click Export CSV and the file will be saved to your Downloads folder. You can then upload the file into your accounting software as usual.

Payroll Export log

The Export log can be used to track all the Payroll exports.

Export log in Payroll export

The date range of the Last export will be listed in the top-right of the panel.

Last Payroll export dates

Once you click Export log, you'll see a list of previous exports with export information. This will include which User exported it and when.

List of most recent Payroll exports

Billing

Billing is formatted and calculated in the same manner as Payroll.

Billing in Update rates and hours in Time processing in Schedule Xpress

You can see Bill settings (red arrow) to find out your Billing information.

Bill settings in Update rates and hours in Time processing in Schedule Xpress

Billing export

You can produce a Billing export from within Time Processing in Schedule Xpress. This means that you no longer have to log into eTime Xpress to export it.

Ensure the User has Run access to the Billing export in their Feature access group.

Giving a User access to the Billing export in their Feature access group

You'll find the Billing export in Time Processing > Time Processing Tools > Export > Billing export.

Billing export in Time Processing

Double-check the Date range that you're exporting shifts for is correct. This is located in the top left-corner of the panel.

Date range of the Billing export

Then, select your Billing export template and complete the following details:

  • Shift status

  • Choose by Site or Bill cycle

  • Customers

  • Sites

  • Invoice date

  • Invoice number

  • Batch number

  • File name

Note: The Billing template(s) will only be available if you have an integration with your Celayix platform.

Filling out your Billing export in Time Processing

At the end of the export, click Export CSV and the file will be saved to your Downloads folder. You can then upload the file into your accounting software as usual.

Billing Export log

The Export log can be used to track all the Billing exports.

Export log in Billing export panel

The date range of the Last export will be listed in the top-right of the panel.

Last export date range in Billing export

Once you click Export log, you'll see a list of previous exports with export information. This will include which User exported it and when.

Export log shows list of Billing exports previously exported

Auto-recalculation of shifts (Other)

You will find the Auto-recalculation setup under Other in the Update rates and hours module.

Auto-recalculation of shifts in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

What is Auto-recalculation and how does it work?

If Auto-recalculation is set to Yes, it will allow the system to calculate any retroactive changes based on business rules (which affect hours types) or pay/bill rates. These will be applied to any given shift marked as Yes.

Example: An example would be if you changed the standard pay rate of an employee, it would consequently impact the pay rate of an existing shift, if the shift was set to auto-recalculate. However, if the option was set to No, then no retroactive changes would be applied to the shift and it will calculate based on current input.

Take a look at other important information to be aware of when using Auto-recalculation.

  • All shifts will first default to Yes for Auto-recalculation.

  • Shifts cannot be edited to No until the shift is set to worked.

  • For locked/approved shifts, Auto-recalculation can’t be updated. It will stay in read-only mode.

  • Converting a worked shift to a non-worked will reset the Auto-recalculation to Yes again, if it was previously set to No. However, it will keep the hours in overridden mode if they were edited before making the shift non-worked.

  • If the user is manually overriding the distribution (Pay, Bill, or both rates and hours), the Auto-recalculation flag will set to No automatically after submitting the rates and hours form. The user can change the Auto-recalculation back to Yes and it will keep the overridden distribution. However, any other action may trigger the recalculation of this shift.

Update auto-recalculation

You'll find you can Update auto-recalculation in your Time processing tools.

Note: For users listed as a Manager, this option is only visible if they have update access to both Payroll and Billing. If any of the section has no access, view only or custom access, the auto-recalculation menu option will be hidden.

Update auto-recalculation in Time processing tools in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

For shifts which are eligible, you can click on the option. This will bring up a section called Update shifts auto-recalculation. Yes will show as the default.

Note: By choosing Yes or No, this will reflect in the Rates and Hours form where auto-recalculation can also be processed.

Update auto-recalculation in Time processing tools in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

If you try to bulk update shifts for auto-recalculation and some are not eligible, you'll be presented with an errors or warnings.

Errors and warnings when using Update auto-recalculation in Time processing tools in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

Which shifts are eligible for auto-recalculation?

The shifts which can use auto-recalculation are:

Note: If a single shift is open, not worked or not approved is selected, this option will not be enabled.


Shift Allowances

You have the option to add pay and bill allowances to shifts if required. If enabled, this will be located at the bottom of the Update rates and hours module.

To enable Shift allowances, you can head to Settings > Branch Defaults > Rates and Hours form. Here, you'll have the option to enable it.

Shift Allowances in Rates and Hours form in Settings in Schedule Xpress

Once enabled, you can locate it in your Update rates and hours module.

Shift Allowances in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

If you would like to add a pay and bill allowance, you can simply click the + Add allowance and then fill select the Type, Units, Pay rates and Bill rates. Once you create an allowance, here's some things to remember:

  • If you add more than one allowance, the most recent allowance will form at the top.

  • Allowances can only be modified for worked or unlocked shifts.

Note: This will impact your Pay total, Bill total and the Difference between the two.

Add allowance in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

Removing a Shift Allowance

If you'd like to remove an allowance, you can do so by clicking the X in the top right hand corner of the allowance itself.

Removing a Shift Allowance in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

Configuring Shift Allowance types

To configurate a Shift Allowance type, you'll need to head to eTime Xpress. Once inside, click Configuration > Codes Maintenance and find Shift Allowance code in the list of options.

In here, you can add, update or delete Shift Allowance types.

Configuring Shift Allowances in Code Maintenance in eTime Xpress

Recurring Allowances

If you already have Recurring Allowances set up for particular shifts, then they will impact the same way. Click the link prior to find out more on how to set them up.


Shift Start Date vs. Calendar Date (Midnight Cutoff)

When it comes to reviewing your Payroll and Billing, it's important to understand the difference between the preferences of Shift Start Date and Calendar Date (Midnight Cutoff). Read the explanations below:

  • Shift Start Date - This is where the total hours of a shift are calculated for the day that the shift starts. For example, if an employee had a shift that was from 11pm-7am, with the shift starting at 11pm on 1st September, the entirety of the 8 hour shift would be designated to the 1st September.

  • Midnight Cutoff - This is where the hours of the shift will be designated to whichever day they fall on. So, let's use the same example as above. If a shift began on 1st September at 11pm and finished at 7am on 2nd September, only 1 hour would be designated to the 1st September and 7 hours to the 2nd September.

Before showing you how this will display in Time Processing, let's look at where to you can set your preference.

From the homepage of eTime Xpress, go to Configuration > Company Branch > Branch Bill/Pay Settings > File > Preferences. Here, you can select the distribution of your hours by Shift Start Date or Calendar Date.

Shift Start Date in Preferences in Bill/Pay Settings in eTime Xpress

Let's look at how Shift Start Date will display in Time Processing. The example used is for a shift starting at 7pm and ending at 2am the following day.

The Update rates and hours module displays the shift exactly as we would expect.

Shift Start Date view in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

In contrast, let's look at how it displays when we switch the setting to Calendar Date.

You're also given the option to your Shift Break Allocation. It is currently set to even, which means however many hours fall on each day, the break time will be split evenly across the two days. Oher options include proportionally, current day, next day or middle of shift.

Midnight cutoff (Calendar Date) in eTime Xpress

Now you will see the shift is has an extended panel which breaks it down by Start Day and Next Day.

Start day and Next day in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress
Start day and Next day in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

As referenced one step earlier, you'll notice that each part of the shift ends in 45, taking account for the 30 minutes break allocation which is divided into 2 sections of 15 minutes across each day.

The majority of clients will use Shift Start Date, but it's important to have your settings exactly how you'd like before making adjustments in the Time Processing module.


Adjusting rates with reason codes (Payroll or Billing override reason)

If you choose to adjust any rates before approving time, you'll need to override the rates in eTime Xpress. Any hours or rates that are adjusted will highlight in red if they require a Payroll or Billing override reason.

Adjusting rates with reason codes (Payroll override reason) in Time processing in Schedule Xpress

Note: Reason codes are created in the system account of eTime Xpress. You may need to Contact Support to gain help in creating these.

Payroll reason code in Update rates and hours in Time processing in Schedule Xpress

The image below two significant columns for any pay or hour override. They are labelled Overridden rates and hours, and Pay override reason (green box).

The Overridden rates and hours will display with a Yes (red box) if the regular rate has been updated. While the Pay override reason will display as the reason for override. In this case, because the shift was added at 'Short Notice' (red box).

Overridden rates and hours and Pay override reason columns in Time processing in Schedule Xpress

It's important to note that if a rate is overridden (red box), the new rate will be highlighted in red within the Reg Pay rates column.

Reg Pay rates column in Time processing in Schedule Xpress

Updating shift hours that do not match original shift hours

If the updated shift hours distribution is not matching with the original distribution, the user will not be able to submit the change and a red exclamation will be shown to alert the user.

If the updated shift hours distribution is not matching with the original distribution, the user will not be able to submit the change and a red exclamation will be shown to alert the user in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

You can hover over the exclamation mark which will highlight the original distribution that you need to match with.

Hours must match shift warning in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

So, using the example above, if you want to adjust the shift length to make it 4 hours instead of 3, you can revert to the Update shift tool to make the relevant changes.

Hidden shift hours

It's important to be aware of hour some shift hours can remain hidden if your rates are not selected in the Rates and Hours form. Let's discuss an example.

So, let's say that we had a 16 hours shift. The shift was broken down into 11 Regular paid hours and 5 Overtime (OT) hours, as below. You'll see the Shift total amount to 16 hours as it should.

Hidden shift hours in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

For example, if your Rates and Hours form had the OT unchecked, you wouldn't be able to view it in the Update rates and hours form. However, the Shift total would still remain 16 hours.

Next to heading Hours, you'll see an exclamation mark highlighted in red. This is alerting you to the fact that the hours within your Shift total is not reflected in the panel.

Exclamation mark highlighted in red which is alerting you to the fact that the hours within your Shift total is not reflected in the panel in Update rates and hours in Time Processing in Schedule Xpress

If you hover your cursor over the exclamation mark, it will read:

"Some hours types containing values are not displayed. Please check rates and hours form settings."

Exclamation mark highlighting "Some hours types containing values are not displayed. Please check rates and hours form settings." in Update rates and hours in Time processing in Schedule Xpress

So if you feel that some of your Pay or Bill hours are not equaling the Shift total, then you may want to check for hidden shift hours.

For more information on Payroll and Billing in Time Processing, please Contact Support now!

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