Pay Rate Hierarchy

Shifton determines the rate for each Shift using a cascading system — from the most specific level to the most general.

1. Individual Shift rate            ← highest priority
        ↓ if not set
2. Position rate                    ← if Pay rate priority = By positions
   OR
   Location rate                    ← if Pay rate priority = By location
        ↓ if not set
3. Schedule rate
        ↓ if not set
4. Company rate (Salary Settings)   ← fallback

Priority Table

Level 1: Company Rate

The base rate in Company Settings → Salary Settings. Applied only if no more specific level is set.

Level 2: Schedule Rate

Set when creating or editing a Schedule. If filled in, all Shifts in the Schedule use this rate.

You can also set individual rates via Scheduled team members:
1. Schedules → edit icon → Scheduled team members tab.
2. Change the rate in the Pay rate USD per hour column → Save.

Level 3: Position or Location Rate

By Position (By positions)

Each position is assigned its own rate. Applied to Shifts of all Employees with that position.

Example:

By Location (By location)

The rate comes from the Shift location. The same Employee receives different pay at different locations.

Example:

Level 4: Individual Shift Rate

Highest priority. Overrides all other levels for a specific Shift.

Use this for one-time exceptions (e.g., a substitution at a non-standard rate).

Practical Example

Conditions: company rate $30/hour, no Schedule rate, Pay rate priority = By positions, Supervisor position = $50/hour, no Shift rate.

Result: the position rate is applied — $50/hour.

Changing a variable: same situation, but the Shift rate is set to $45/hour.

Result: the Shift rate is applied — $45/hour.

When Rates Are Updated

Changing a rate does not update existing Shifts. To recalculate:

Related Articles

• Salary Settings
• Pay Rates
• Payroll
• Creating Your First Project and Schedule
• Managing Positions
• Managing Locations

FAQ

Q: Which takes priority — the position rate or the Schedule rate?
A: The position rate (if Pay rate priority = By positions). The Schedule rate is applied only if no rate is set for the position.

Q: Can I use By positions and By location at the same time?
A: No. One priority is selected for the entire company.

Q: An Employee works at different locations with different rates.
A: Set Pay rate priority = By location — each Shift will receive the rate of its location.

Q: How do I check which rate is applied to a Shift?
A: Open the Shift edit form → Basic pay rate field. Or check the Payroll Report.

Q: Do I need to recreate Shifts after changing a position rate?
A: No. Run Bulk Shift Actions → Edit → Recalculate salary.

Q: What happens if a position has no rate and “Pay rate priority = By positions”?
A: The system falls to the next level in the hierarchy — the Schedule rate or the company rate is applied.

Q: Can I set a Shift rate via Bulk Shift Actions?
A: No. The rate for an individual Shift is set only when editing that specific Shift.

Q: Does the Schedule rate take priority over the position rate?
A: No. With Pay rate priority = By positions, the position rate takes priority over the Schedule rate.

Q: How do I temporarily apply a non-standard rate to a single Shift?
A: Open the Shift → Basic pay rate field → enter the desired rate → save. This is the highest priority in the hierarchy.

Q: If an Employee has two positions, which rate is applied?
A: The rate of the position specified in the particular Shift is applied.

Q: Where can I see all Schedule rates at once?
A: Schedules → pencil icon on the Schedule → Scheduled team members tab — shows the rates of all Employees in the Schedule.

Q: Does the Schedule rate affect Employees with individual rates?
A: No. An individual rate in Scheduled team members overrides the general Schedule rate for that Employee.

Q: Can I use By positions and By location for different projects?
A: No. Pay rate priority is a company-level setting, the same for all projects and Schedules.

Q: How do I make sure the rate was applied correctly?
A: Open the Payroll Report — it shows the calculated salary for each Shift with a detailed breakdown.

Q: How do I set a rate for an open Shift (without an assigned Employee)?
A: Click on the open Shift → Basic pay rate field → enter the rate → save. When an Employee picks up the Shift, the rate will be preserved.