Did you know that a red box around a pay rate field (on the employee record -> Pay rates page) means the rate displayed is not the rate that will be paid in a pay run if that pay category is used?
This is because the rate displayed for linked pay categories on the pay rate screen is derived from the current base rate and if the base rate the linked pay category was calculated from is not the same as the current base rate, the system detects that the "derived" rate is not the same as the saved rate and the red box shows up, to alert you to this fact (hover over the rate field you are shown the current/actual/saved rate). So, how does this happen?
You will already know that linked pay category rates cannot be "set", these are basically "child" fields that are dynamically updated as soon as the base/parent rate is changed. So why would not the base rate a linked rate was calculated on not be the same as the current base rate? There are a few scenarios:
- The pay rate has been updated since the last pay run was processed
- The 'override pay rate' box has been ticked on the pay rate on the Pay Run Defaults page so when the pay rate template was updated, and applied to all linked employees, this particular employee's pay rates were not updated, even though it "appears it was". Meaning, the displayed rate is the overridden rate but it is NOT what will be used in the pay run, the rate in the pay rate template (which you see if you hover over the field) will be used
- The rate on the employee's pay rates page is not the same as the current rate in the pay rate template that is in place, because you did not take the option to update linked employees when you updated the pay rate template
- The base rate has been changed on the pay rate template but the linked pay category has been "unticked", meaning it is NOT included in the pay rate template, so when the template was saved, and the linked employee pay rate pages updated, the linked pay category was not included in the update - leaving the previously (saved) linked pay category rate in place
- if a linked pay category is not included in the pay rate template it will not show up when you click on the base rate pay category on the pay rates page to expose the linked pay categories, like they normally do, you have to tick the Show all pay categories box at the top of the page in order to see excluded linked pay categories
How long the red box will stay there, to indicate that the rate is different to the saved rate, depends on why it is there in the first place. If it is there because of scenario:
1 & 2: above then it should disappear once you hit Save at the bottom of the employee's pay rates page
3: Go back to the pay rate template, hit Save and this time tick the box to update the pay rates for linked employees
4: Go back to the pay rate template, tick the box next to the linked pay category to include it then hit Save and update linked employees
Here is an example to illustrate what we mean by the "red box"
- Hover over the rate field and you will see the "saved" rate
- The red boxes will disappear as soon as you take the appropriate action (as per above)
Here is are some examples to illustrate what is explained in 4. above -
1. This is the employee's Pay Rates page, notice I have to tick the Show all pay categories box to get the Overtime + 50% pay category to show up
2. This is because that pay category is NOT ticked in the pay rate template but apart from that the rates do all match
3. When I change the base rate in the pay rate template to $40.00 all linked pay category rates are (dynamically) updated
4. But when I apply the pay rate template to the linked employees, the Overtime + 50% pay category rate is NOT shown on the Pay Rates page until I tick the Show all Pay Categories box AND it has not been updated - the red box around it alerts me that the rate displayed is not the Saved rate and if I hover over the rate box I am shown the "actual" (previously saved) rate ie. what will be used in a pay run
5. The red box will disappear as soon as I hit Save at the bottom of the page OR go back to the pay rate template and include the linked pay category by ticking the box, then Save the template and apply to linked employees.