Pay Rates — How to Set and Change Employee Pay

Learn how Shifton determines what pay rate to use for each shift, where to configure rates at each level, and how to update rates on shifts that have already been created.

How Pay Rates Work in Shifton

Shifton uses a cascade hierarchy to determine the pay rate for each shift. Each level can override the level above it:

1. Individual shift rate (highest priority, set per-shift)
   ↓
2. Position rate (if Pay rate priority = "By positions")
   OR Location rate (if Pay rate priority = "By location")
   ↓
3. Schedule rate (set during schedule creation, Step 1)
   ↓
4. Company rate — Salary Settings (fallback / lowest priority)

Shifton uses the most specific rate it can find. If an individual shift has a rate set, that rate wins. If not, it checks the position or location (depending on your priority setting), then the schedule, and finally falls back to the company-wide rate.

Where to Set Pay Rates

1. Company-Wide Rate (Salary Settings)

The base rate that applies to all employees when no override exists.

2. Schedule Rate (Optional Override)

Set a different base rate for all shifts in a specific schedule.

3. Position Rate

Set a specific rate for each job position.

4. Individual Shift Rate

Override the rate for a single shift.

This is the highest-priority rate and will override everything else for that shift.

How to Update Rates on Existing Shifts

When you change a pay rate (at company, position, or schedule level), existing shifts are not automatically updated. They retain the rate that was applied when they were created.

To apply updated rates to existing shifts, use Bulk Shift Actions → Edit → Recalculate salary:

Setting Individual Pay Rates per Employee (Scheduled Team Members)

You can set a different pay rate for each employee within a specific schedule using the Scheduled team members tab:

Below the bulk section, a table lists every employee with individual controls:

Employee Profile — Monthly Rate %

On the employee profile (General Information tab), there is a Monthly rate % field. This is not an hourly rate — it represents a percentage adjustment to the employee’s monthly calculated pay (e.g., 100% = no adjustment, 80% = 80% of standard monthly calculation).

This field does not set an hourly rate. Actual hourly rates are set at company, schedule, position level, or individually via the Scheduled team members tab as described above.

Pay Rate Summary Table

Access Permissions

FAQ

Q: I changed the pay rate in Salary Settings but the Payroll report still shows the old amount. Why?
A: Existing shifts keep the rate from when they were created. Use Bulk Shift Actions → Edit → Recalculate salary to apply the updated rate to past and future shifts.

Q: Where do I set an individual pay rate per employee?
A: Go to the Schedules page → Edit (pencil icon) on the schedule → Scheduled team members tab. Each employee has an editable pay rate field with a Save button. You can also assign them to different Positions with unique rates.

Q: What is the difference between “By positions” and “By location” pay rate priority?
A:
– By positions — the rate comes from the Position assigned to the employee
– By location — the rate comes from the Location assigned to the shift
Choose based on whether your pay differences are role-based or site-based.

Q: Can I see each employee’s effective pay rate?
A: Yes. Enable “Show the employee his estimated salary” and “Show employee salaries to the manager” in Salary Settings. The estimated salary appears in the Payroll report, calculated using the applicable rate for each shift.

Q: What does switching Rate Mode (per hour → per shift) do to existing rates?
A: The system converts the existing rate value. When switching from per hour to per shift, the rate is multiplied by the standard shift duration factor. Review rates after switching to confirm the converted amounts are correct.

Possible Issues and Solutions