By default, urhere calculates overtime on a weekly basis. For example, if an employee’s pay template applies overtime after 38 hours, overtime will start once they work more than 38 hours in that week.
Some awards or agreements allow ordinary hours to be averaged across a longer roster cycle, such as a fortnight, 3 weeks, or 4 weeks. In that case, overtime may only apply once the employee exceeds the total ordinary hours for the full roster period.
Important before using this setting
Only use this setting if the employee’s award, employment agreement, or payroll arrangement allows ordinary hours to be averaged over a longer period.
If you are unsure, check the relevant award, agreement, or get payroll advice before changing this setting.
Changing this setting can affect when overtime is applied.
Where to find this setting
Go to:
Employee Profile → Pay / Salary → Overtime Period
This section is visible when the employee uses a salary type that supports pay rules, such as:
Pay Template
Urhere Rate
Available fields
Field | What it means |
Period Type | The length of the overtime period. Options include Weekly, Fortnightly, 3 Weekly, and 4 Weekly. |
Period Start Date | The first day of the roster cycle. This is used as the starting point for calculating each overtime period. |
Hours Before Overtime | The total number of ordinary hours the employee can work in the full period before overtime starts. |
When should this be used?
Use this setting when an employee’s ordinary hours are averaged across a roster cycle instead of calculated week by week.
For example:
A full-time employee works 76 ordinary hours across a fortnight
A full-time employee works 152 ordinary hours across a 4-week roster cycle
A part-time employee has a fixed ordinary hours limit across a fortnight
An employee works uneven weekly hours, but the total hours are correct across the full roster cycle
Example 1: Fortnightly roster
An employee works across a fortnightly roster.
Their ordinary hours are 38 per week, or 76 hours across the fortnight.
Their roster is:
Week | Hours worked |
Week 1 | 44 |
Week 2 | 32 |
Total | 76 |
Without an overtime period, the system may treat Week 1 as overtime because the employee worked more than 38 hours in that week.
With a fortnightly overtime period, urhere counts the full 2-week period instead. Because the employee worked 76 hours across the fortnight, no overtime is triggered.
Configuration
Field | Value |
Period Type | Fortnightly |
Period Start Date | First day of the fortnightly roster cycle |
Hours Before Overtime | 76 |
Example 2: 4-week roster
An employee works across a 4-week roster cycle.
Their ordinary hours are 38 per week, or 152 hours across 4 weeks.
Their roster is:
Week | Hours worked |
Week 1 | 42 |
Week 2 | 42 |
Week 3 | 34 |
Week 4 | 34 |
Total | 152 |
Without an overtime period, Weeks 1 and 2 may trigger overtime because they are above 38 hours.
With a 4-week overtime period, urhere counts the full 4-week cycle. Because the employee worked 152 hours across the full period, no overtime is triggered.
Configuration
Field | Value |
Period Type | 4 Weekly |
Period Start Date | First day of the 4-week roster cycle |
Hours Before Overtime | 152 |
Example 3: When overtime does apply
An employee has a fortnightly overtime period with a 76-hour ordinary hours limit.
They work:
Week | Hours worked |
Week 1 | 44 |
Week 2 | 40 |
Total | 84 |
The first 76 hours are treated as ordinary hours.
The remaining 8 hours are overtime.
If the pay template is set up with overtime tiers, those tiers still apply. For example:
Hours | Rate |
First 76 hours | Ordinary rate |
Hours 77 to 78 | Overtime Tier 1 |
Hours 79 to 84 | Overtime Tier 2 |
The overtime period changes when overtime starts. It does not change the overtime rates or tier structure from the pay template.
Example 4: Part-time employee
A part-time employee is contracted to work 60 ordinary hours per fortnight.
Configuration
Field | Value |
Period Type | Fortnightly |
Period Start Date | First day of the fortnightly roster cycle |
Hours Before Overtime | 60 |
If the employee works 64 hours in the fortnight, 4 hours may be treated as overtime.
How the Period Start Date works
The Period Start Date tells urhere where the roster cycle begins.
urhere uses this date as an anchor, then repeats the period based on the selected Period Type.
For example, if the Period Type is Fortnightly, urhere creates repeating 14-day periods from the Period Start Date.
The start date can be in the past. urhere will still calculate the correct current period based on that original date.
Tip
Use the first day of the employee’s current or next roster cycle.
If your roster cycle starts on a Monday, use the Monday that starts the cycle.
How this works with the pay template
The employee’s pay template still controls the overtime rules.
The pay template controls:
The overtime rates
The overtime tiers
The days overtime applies
The rules used to calculate overtime
The Overtime Period setting only changes:
The period used to count hours
The number of ordinary hours allowed before overtime starts
For example, the pay template may still have overtime rules based on 38 weekly hours. If the employee has a fortnightly overtime period set to 76 hours, urhere will count hours across the fortnight instead.
What happens if no overtime period is set?
If no overtime period is set, urhere uses the standard weekly overtime calculation from the employee’s pay template.
This is the default behaviour.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to change the pay template?
Usually, no.
The pay template still controls the overtime rates and overtime rules. The employee’s Overtime Period setting tells urhere to count hours across a longer period before applying overtime.
What happens if I choose Fortnightly, 3 Weekly, or 4 Weekly but leave fields blank?
urhere will require all overtime period fields to be completed.
You must enter:
Period Type
Period Start Date
Hours Before Overtime
Does this affect daily overtime?
No.
Daily overtime rules, such as overtime after a certain number of hours in one day, are separate. This setting only affects overtime based on accumulated hours across a week, fortnight, 3-week period, or 4-week period.
Can different employees use different overtime periods?
Yes.
This setting is applied per employee.
For example, one employee can stay on weekly overtime, while another employee on the same pay template can use a fortnightly overtime period.
Can this be used for part-time employees?
Yes, if their employment arrangement allows ordinary hours to be averaged over the selected period.
For example, if a part-time employee has 60 ordinary hours per fortnight, you can set their Hours Before Overtime to 60.
Should I use this for every employee?
No.
Only use this when the employee’s ordinary hours should be averaged over a longer roster cycle.
For most employees, the default weekly overtime calculation may be the correct option.