Shift Premiums Rule

Note: With the 5.0.5.0 release, an enhanced version of this rule, the Shift Premium Zone Rule, was introduced. We recommend that you review the enhanced rule before configuring the Shift Premiums Rule. See Shift Premium Zone Rule.

Furthermore, to implement this enhanced rule several changes have been made to the Maintenance > Schedule Settings > Shift Premium Zone page. These changes include renaming and reordering of parameters on the page, as well as adding new parameters for the enhanced rule. The changes are to the appearance only. Previous configurations of shift premium zones that are used with the Shift Premiums Rule will behave the same.

By default, the new fields that are only used with the enhanced rule are hidden in versions of Workbrain that are upgraded to the 5.0.5.0 release. The renamed and reordered parameters match the parameter names that are documented in this section.

Class Name

com.workbrain.app.ta.quickrules.ShiftPremiums

Overview

Employees who work odd hours are often entitled to what is commonly known as a Shift Premium (also referred to as shift differential). This premium is common in 24-hour operations where employees work late at night or early in the morning. For example, an employee might be entitled to receive an additional 25 cents per hour for every hour worked during a certain time frame. Sometimes, the work detail record is updated to include the rate, time code, and hour type of the shift premium. But more commonly, the application creates work premium records to represent the shift premium.

Parameters

Parameters marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

Parameter Description Valid Values
*Zone Name Specify the name of the shift premium zone. Any text.
Zone Description Specify a brief description. Any text.
*Zone Start Time Specify the start time of the shift premium zone. Only eligible work details on or after this time, and before the Zone End Time, earn a premium.

Zones can span midnight, such as from 22:00 to 2:00 the following day. If the start time is greater than the end time, the application assumes the zone crosses midnight and the Zone End Time occurs on the next day.

If you specify the same time for the Zone Start Time and Zone End Time parameters, the zone covers a 24-hour period, starting at the specified time and ending at the same time the next day.

A time value, in HH:mm format.
*Zone End Time Specify the end time of the shift premium zone. Only eligible work details after the Zone Start Time and before this time earn a premium. A time value, in HH:mm format.
*Time Code Select the premium's time code. When employees earn premiums, the premium record is inserted on their timesheet with the specified time code. Any valid time code.
Hour Type Select the premium's hour type. When employees earn premiums, the premium record is inserted on their timesheet with the specified hour type.

The specified hour type's multiplier (the value of the Multiple field on the related configuration page) is also used with the Apply Hour Type Multiplier to Hours parameter, if selected.

If blank, the rule uses the hour type of the work detail that earned the employee the premium. If multiple eligible work details have different hour types, the rule inserts one premium for each work detail with a different hour type.

Any valid hour type.
*Rate Specify the rate at which the premium is paid.

With the Rate is a Percentage? parameter selected, this number is a percentage of the employee's base rate.

Otherwise, this number is a dollar amount, representing an hourly rate.

Any integer. You can specify up to 2 decimal places. 20.55 represents 20.55% or $20.55 an hour.
Rate is a Percentage? When selected, the value in the Rate parameter represents a percentage of the employee's base rate. When cleared, the Rate value is a dollar amount. Selected or cleared.
Apply Hour Type Multiplier To Hours Select to multiply the premium's duration by the hour type multiplier of the work details that earned the premium.

This parameter is ignored if the Insert Lump Sum of Minutes has a value.

If this parameter is selected, but the Hour Type parameter is blank, the rule uses the hour type multiplier of the premium's time codes.

Selected or cleared.
Insert Lump Sum of Minutes Leave this parameter blank to configure the rule to calculate the duration of the premium to be proportionate to the duration of eligible work details in the zone.

Specify the duration, in minutes, of the premium employees earn if they report any eligible work during the shift premium zone. Regardless of the amount of eligible time employees work during the zone, the premium duration is the specified value.

If you specify a value, the rule ignores the Apply Hour Type Multiplier to Hours and Premium Maximum Minutes per Day parameters.

Blank or any integer, representing minutes.
Premium Maximum Minutes per Day Specify the maximum number of premium minutes an employee can earn per day for eligible work in the zone.

The maximum duration only takes into account premiums that are earned from this shift premium zone.

Any positive integer, representing minutes.
Premium Maximum Dollars per Day Specify the maximum dollar amount employees can earn in premiums, per day, for eligible work in the zone.

The maximum dollar amount only takes into account premiums that are earned from this shift premium zone.

Any positive integer, representing dollars.
Eligible Time Codes Select the time codes that define eligible work.

Time without the selected time codes does not earn employees a premium, even if the time falls within the zone.

If left blank, all time codes are considered eligible work.

Any valid time code.
Eligible Hour Types Select the hour types that define eligible work.

Time without the selected hour types does not earn employees a premium, even if the time falls within the zone.

If left blank, all hour types are considered eligible work.

Any valid hour type.
Eligible Shift Patterns Select the eligible shift patterns.

Employees not working the selected shift patterns do not earn premiums, even if they work during the zone.

If left blank, employees can be assigned to any shift pattern and be eligible.

Any valid shift pattern.
Day Type

Select on which days employees can earn premiums. There are several options:

  • ALL DAYS: Employees can earn a premium on any day.
  • WORK DAY: Employees can earn a premium on any work day, which is considered any day on which the employee is scheduled. The rule takes into account any shift, shift pattern, or schedule detail overrides.
  • FIRST DAY OFF: Employees can only earn premiums on days off that occur one day after the last work day.
  • SECOND DAY OFF: Employees can only earn premiums on days off that occur two days after the last work day.
  • THIRD DAY OFF: Employees can only earn premiums on days off that occur three days after the last work day.
  • FOURTH DAY OFF: Employees can only earn premiums on days off that occur four days after the last work day.
  • WEEKEND DAY: Employees can only earn premiums on Saturdays or Sundays.
  • WEEKDAYS: Employees can only earn premiums on week days.
  • SATURDAY: Employees can only earn premiums on Saturdays.
  • SUNDAY: Employees can only earn premiums on Sundays.

For the WEEKEND DAY, WEEKDAYS, SATURDAY, or SUNDAY options, the rule examines the work summary date to determine if the day is eligible.

One of the drop-down list selections.
Eligible Shifts Select the eligible shifts.

Employees not working the selected shifts do not earn premiums, even if they work during the zone.

If left blank, employees can be assigned to any shift and be eligible.

The value of the Base Shift Eligibility on parameter impacts what the rule considers as an employee's shift.

Any valid shift.
*Type of Time Eligible for Premium

Select whether scheduled worked time, unscheduled worked time, or both, is used to determine eligible worked time. Select one of these options:

  • Scheduled: Employees earn premiums for eligible work that coincides with their scheduled time. Work that is otherwise eligible does not earn the employee a premium if the work occurs when the employee is not scheduled.
  • Unscheduled: Employees earn premiums for eligible work that occurs when they are not scheduled. Work that is otherwise eligible does not earn the employee a premium if the work occurs when the employee is scheduled.
  • Both: Employees earn premiums for eligible work, regardless of the employee's schedule.
One of the drop-down list selections.
*Base Shift Eligibility on

Select what schedule the rule examines when determining shift eligibility. The rule can be configured to only pay premiums to employees who work specific shifts, or shifts that start or end before or after specified times. This shift eligibility can be based on an employee's:

  • Default Shift: Only the employee's default shift, defined in the employee's shift pattern, is considered.
  • Actual Shift: The employee's actual shift takes into account any shift, shift pattern, or schedule detail overrides. If there are no overrides for the day, the default shift is used.
  • Work Summary Shift: The rule takes into account shift groups and clock on times. If the application has been configured to use shift groups, the employee's shift becomes the shift in their shift group that has the closest start time to when the employee clocked on for the day. Also, if the employee has multiple shifts, the rule considers the employee's shift as the start time of their first shift and the end time of their last shift.
  • Actual Schedule: Although this option is displayed, the option is ignored by the Shift Premiums Rule and has no effect. The option is used by the enhanced Shift Premium Zone Rule, which shares the Shift Premium Zone page with this rule. See Shift Premium Zone Rule.

This parameter controls what shift is used with the Eligible Shifts, Shift Must Start On or After, Shift Must Start On or Before, Shift Must End On or After, and Shift Must End On or Before parameters.

One of the drop-down list selections.
Shift Must Start On or After Specify the scheduled time employees' shifts must start on, or after, for the employee to be eligible to earn a premium. A time value, in HH:mm format.
Shift Must Start On or Before Specify the scheduled time employees' shifts must start on, or before, for the employee to be eligible to earn a premium. A time value, in HH:mm format.
Shift Must End On or After Specify the scheduled time employees' shifts must end on, or after, for the employee to be eligible to earn a premium. A time value, in HH:mm format.
Shift Must End On or Before Specify the scheduled time employees' shifts must end on, or before, for the employee to be eligible to earn a premium. A time value, in HH:mm format.
Minimum Number of Minutes Worked Specify the minimum number of minutes of eligible time an employee must work within the zone to be eligible to earn a premium.

Eligible time is defined by the zone's eligibility parameters.

A positive integer, representing minutes.
Must Start Work On or Before Time Specify the time employees must start work on, or before, to be eligible to earn a premium. A time value, in HH:mm format.
Must End Work On or After Time Specify the time employees must end work on, or after, to be eligible to earn a premium. A time value, in HH:mm format.
Must Work Minutes Defines the minimum amount of eligible time an employee must work, as either a number of minutes or a percentage, to be eligible to earn a premium. Eligible time is defined by the zone's eligibility parameters.

Defines the minimum amount of eligible time an employee must work, as either a number of minutes or a percentage, to be eligible to earn a premium. Eligible time is defined by the zone's eligibility parameters.

The parameter accepts these values:

  • A number of minutes employees must work during their scheduled time. Specify the number of minutes, followed by S. For example, specify 120S to require employees to work 120 eligible minutes during their scheduled time.
  • A percentage of scheduled time employees must work. Specify the number, followed by %S. For example, specify 45%S to require employees work 45% of their scheduled time.
  • A number of minutes employees must perform eligible work during a specified time range. Specify the number of minutes, followed by T. For example, specify 120T to require employees to work 120 eligible minutes during the time range that is specified with the Must Work Minutes Start and Must Work Minutes End parameters.
  • A percentage of the employee's work day that employees must work during a specified time range. Specify the number, followed by %T. For example, specify 45%T to require that the eligible time employees work during the specified time range is greater than or equal to 45% of their entire work day.
A positive integer, ending with either S, %S, T, or %T.
Must Work Minutes Start Specify the start of the time range that is used with the Must Work Minutes parameter. A time value, in HH:mm format.
Must Work Minutes End Specify the end of the time range that is used with the Must Work Minutes parameter. A time value, in HH:mm format.
Calc Groups Select the calculation groups that are eligible for the premium. Leave this blank to allow any group to receive the premium. Any valid calculation group.
Best Of Group Specify the name of a group of premiums. The application pays the premium with the highest value of any premium in the same Best Of Group. This parameter ensures that employees receive the highest premium to which they are entitled. Any valid premium group name.
Update UDF Fields Specify the user defined fields of the work_detail records to use instead of creating a premium record. Valid values are wrkd_udf1 through wrkd_udf10. You must supply three valid field names, separated by commas with no spaces. A valid work detail UDF, specified as wrkd_udf1 through wrkd_udf10.
Apply Type Select ZONE to apply premiums to all eligible work between pay premium start and end times. Or, select FLAT_RATE to apply only one hour of the premium time code paid at the premium rate. This premium represents a lump dollar amount that is paid to the employee as a premium. One of the drop-down list selections.