Each pay code rule in an agreement can include one or more actions that apply when all rule conditions are met. This article explains how actions allocate time or units to pay/bill codes, how action quantity affects pay/bill results, and how action limits control minimums and maximums over a defined frequency.
Understand Actions in Pay/Bill Code Rules
When a pay/bill code rule applies, its actions allocate time or units against one or more pay codes or bill codes.
An action typically defines:
The pay/bill code that time or units are allocated to.
The action quantity, which controls how much is paid or billed for each hour or unit allocated.
📌 Note: If a rule contains multiple actions, they are applied in sequence until all time/units are allocated.
Understand Action Quantity
Action quantity defines the payable/billable multiplier applied to the time or units allocated to a pay/bill code.
For time rules, quantity is commonly defined as quantity per hour.
Pay Code | Quantity Per Hour |
X | 1 |
Y | 2 |
Using the example above:
If Pay Code X has a pay rate of $30.00, a quantity of 1 means the payee receives $30.00 per hour for time allocated to X.
If Pay Code Y has a pay rate of $35.00, a quantity of 2 means the payee receives $70.00 per hour for time allocated to Y.
📌 Note: The actual pay rate for each pay code is defined by the applicable pay rate rules.
Depending on rule type (and sometimes rule conditions), quantity may be defined as:
Per day.
Per week.
Per timesheet.
Per unit.
Understand How Multiple Actions Are Applied
If a pay code rule has more than one action, actions apply sequentially:
The first action allocates time/units up to its limits (if any).
If time/units remain unallocated, the next action is applied.
This continues until all time/units are allocated, or there are no actions left.
If there is no next action, any remaining unallocated time/units are handled based on whether the last action has a limit (see below).
Understand Action Limits
Action limits are optional rules that enforce a minimum or maximum quantity for an action over a frequency.
An action limit is defined using:
Quantity (the limit value).
Limit type (Minimum or Maximum).
Frequency (Per day, Per week, or Per timesheet).
Example:
Quantity | Limit Type | Frequency |
10 | Maximum | Per Week |
This means a maximum of 10 hours/units per week can be allocated against the pay/bill code defined by that action.
Minimum limits
If an action has a Minimum limit and the timesheet quantity is less than the limit quantity, the system applies the minimum quantity value rather than the timesheet quantity.
Maximum limits
If an action has a Maximum limit and the timesheet quantity is greater than the limit quantity:
The action applies only up to the maximum.
Any remaining time/units are passed to the next action in the rule (if one exists).
If there is no next action, the remainder is discarded.
⚠ Important: Where a rule has multiple actions and remaining time/units must flow from one action to the next, you must use action limits so the system knows how much to allocate before moving on.
Example: Overtime Then Double-Time Using Multiple Actions
A pay agreement may state:
Overtime applies for shifts that start at 17:30 or later.
Overtime applies to the first 4 hours of the shift.
Any remaining time that day is paid as double-time.
This could be configured as:
Action 1: Allocate the first part of the shift to Overtime pay code (X).
Action limit on Action 1: Maximum 4 hours per day.
Action 2: Allocate any remaining time to Double-time pay code (Y).
Example: Multiple Actions With Limits Passing Time to the Next Action
The example below shows three actions in a bill code time rule. The first two actions include limits so remaining time can pass to the next action. The last action has no limit, so it allocates all remaining time without restriction.
Bill Code | Quantity Per Hour | Time From | Time To | Limits – Quantity | Limits – Limit Type | Limits – Frequency |
X | 1 | 9:00 | 12:30 | 10 | Minimum | Per Week |
Y | 2 |
|
| 1 | Maximum | Per Day |
Z | 2 |
|
| None | None | None |
📌 Note: Time From and Time To can only be defined for the first action of a pay code time rule.
What Happens When the Last Action Has a Limit
You can define an action limit even if an action is the only action or the last action in a rule. In that case, any time or units that remain unallocated after the limit is reached are not allocated to a pay code and are not paid.
Example:
Pay Code | Quantity Per Unit | Limits – Quantity | Limits – Limit Type | Limits – Frequency |
01 M Meal Allowance | 1 | 5 | Maximum | Per Week |
If a timesheet includes 7 units in a week:
The payee is paid for 5 units.
The remaining 2 units are ignored.
Use Multiple Limits on One Action
An action can have multiple action limits, such as:
Both a minimum and a maximum limit.
Different limits at different frequencies (for example, per day and per week).
Rule Types and Limit Availability
The exact procedure for defining actions and action limits depends on the pay code rule type. For example:
General rules can only have one action per rule and cannot have action limits.
Manual rules can have multiple actions and one or more action limits, but are typically configured with a single action and (if needed) a single action limit.
Other rule types can have multiple actions and can support action limits for each action.