This article reviews the Shift Differential tab of the Smart Ops Labor Admin page. The Shift Differential tab displays Rule Groups for Shift Differential Rules. Here, Users can view, edit, and create Shift Differential Rule Groups.
Shift Differential Rules will add additional earnings for Employees who work during specific hours of the day and/or on specific days of the week. This rule is frequently used by Locations where swing shifts or graveyard shifts are paid an hourly or per-shift bonus.
Estimated Shift Differential earnings will be included in projected Labor calculations on the Scheduling Calendar. Shift Differential earnings for actual hours can be viewed on the Daily Sales Summary when reviewing Labor.
Article Topics
Rule Group List
The Shift Differential grid displays all Shift Differential Rule Groups.
This grid contains the following columns:
- Group - Name of the Rule Group
- Applied Locations - Locations applied to the Rule Group. If more than one Location is applied, click to open a drop-down list of these Locations.
- Edited Date - Last date Rule Group was edited
- Edited By - User who last edited the Rule Group
Learn more about working with Smart Grids here.
Clicking on a Rule Group will open the Rule Group sidesheet, where the Rule Group Settings and Applied Locations can be viewed and edited.
Rule Group Header
1) Action Buttons - The header contains the following action buttons:
- Click to save and apply changes to the Rule Group
- Click to delete the Rule Group
2) Fullscreen Button - This will expand the sidesheet to fullscreen. When in fullscreen, this icon will be replaced by a minimize icon; click to return to the original size.
3) Close - This will close the sidesheet without saving
4) Name - Name for the Rule Group
Rule Group Settings
Days of the Week
The 'Days of The Week' setting determines which days of the week the Shift Differential earnings are calculated for.
- Note: Shift Differential Rules use Calendar Days, which start at 12:00 am.
Only Shifts whose 'Start Time' is on an applied day of the week will be eligible for Shift Differential earnings. Applied days are shown in blue.
- Applied
- Unapplied
Click the day of the week to apply or remove it from the configuration.
Calculations Based On
The 'Calculations Based On' settings determine which hours of the day Shift Differential earnings are calculated for and the earning amount.
Each Shift Differential Rule Group can be set with one of the following calculation methods:
Dollar Amount Per Hour
When the 'Dollar Amount Per Hour' setting is used, the Shift Differential earning is calculated as a dollar amount per qualifying hour worked between the configured start time and end time.
1) Start Time - Time threshold where the Shift Differential will be applied. Worked hours after this time will have the Shift Differential applied.
2) End Time - Time threshold where the Shift Differential will stop being applied. Worked hours after this time will not have the Shift Differential applied.
3) Differential Pay is $ _____ per hour - Dollar amount per hour calculated for worked hours within the Start Time and End Time thresholds.
Fixed Amount Per Shift
When the 'Fixed Amount Per Shift' setting is used, the Shift Differential earning is calculated as a flat amount for a qualifying shift.
This setting has two configurable options that look at the start time and hour duration of each shift to determine if it qualifies for a Shift Differential. Both options can be configured in the same Rule Group.
The 'Starts After' option is used for PM shifts that start between 12:00 pm and 11:59 pm.
| Example: Start After Threshold Time set to 10:00 pm | |
| Shift | Qualifies Based on Start Time |
| 10:30 pm - 4:00 am | Yes |
| 10:00 pm - 4:00 am | No |
The 'Starts Before' option is used for AM shifts that start between 12:00 am and 11:59 am.
| Example: Start Before Threshold Time set to 3:00 am | |
| Shift | Qualifies Based on Start Time |
| 2:45 am - 8:00 am | Yes |
| 3:15 am - 8:00 am | No |
1) Dollars or Hours - When 'Dollars' is selected, a fixed dollar amount will be added as a shift differential earning. When 'Hours' is selected, a fixed number of hours at the pay rate of the job worked will be added as the shift differential earning.
2) If Shift Starts After - When checked, the following settings will be used to determine if a shift qualifies for Shift Differential earnings and the Shift Differential earning amount:
- Threshold Time- Shifts that begin after this time will qualify for a Shift Differential.
- Note: The configured time must be on or after 12:00 pm.
- Note: The configured time must be on or after 12:00 pm.
- Shift is at least ____ hours long - Only shifts whose duration meets this threshold will qualify for a Shift Differential.
- Differential is - Fixed Shift Differential dollar or hour amount for shifts that meet the start time and duration qualifications.
3) If Shift Starts Before - When checked, the following settings will be used to determine if a shift qualifies for Shift Differential earnings and the Shift Differential earning amount:
- Threshold Time - Shifts that begin before this time will qualify for a Shift Differential.
- Note: The configured time must be on or before 11:59 am.
- Note: The configured time must be on or before 11:59 am.
- Shift is at least ____ hours long - Only shifts whose duration meets this threshold will qualify for a Shift Differential.
- Differential is - Fixed Shift Differential dollar or hour amount for shifts that meet the start time and duration qualifications.
Percentage of Hourly Rate
When the 'Percentage of Hourly Rate' setting is used, the Shift Differential earning amount is calculated as a percentage of the employee's hourly rate of pay per qualifying hour worked between the configured start time and end time.
1) Start Time - Time threshold where the Shift Differential will be applied. Worked hours after this time will have the Shift Differential applied.
2) End Time - Time threshold where the Shift Differential will stop being applied. Worked hours after this time will not have the Shift Differential applied.
3) Differential Pay is _____ % of hourly rate per hour - Percentage amount of the Employee's hourly rate calculated for worked hours within the Start Time and End Time thresholds.
Applying Locations
All Locations that utilize this Rule Group will need to be selected from the 'Search Locations' list and added to the 'Applied Locations' list.
- Important Note: Locations can only be applied to one Rule Group. Locations that have been applied to another Rule Group will not appear in the 'Search Locations' list.
Adding Locations
Locations can be added to the 'Applied Locations' list in the following ways:
- Drag and Drop
- Add All - Click the '+ Add All' button to add all available Locations
- Select and Add - Select all desired Locations, then click the '+ Add Selected' button
- Individually Add - Add individual Locations by clicking the plus sign next to the desired Location
Remove Locations
Locations can be removed from the 'Applied Locations' list in the following ways:
- Drag and Drop
- Remove All - Click the '- Remove All' button to remove all Locations from the 'Applied Locations' list
- Select and Remove- Select all desired Locations, then click the '- Remove Selected' button
- Individually Remove - Remove individual Locations by clicking the 'X' icon next to the desired Location
Creating New Rule Groups
To create a new Shift Differential Rule Group, select 'Shift Differential' from the '+ Create' button on the Admin page.
This will open a blank Shift Differential Rule Group sidesheet:
The following fields must be completed before the Rule Group can be created:
- Shift Differential Rule Name
- One 'Calculation Based On' setting
- At least one Location applied
When the desired configurations are complete, click 
to create the Rule Group.
- Note: If the 'Create Another' checkbox is checked, a new blank Shift Differential Rule Group sidesheet will open after creating the current Rule Group.