Overview
This page covers the Pay Cat Connect webinar on award compliance and margins, along with the questions submitted by attendees during the session. Pay Cat Connect brings automated SCHADS Award interpretation into your rostering and payroll workflow. The webinar walks through how Award Aware Rostering (AAR) surfaces cost and compliance warnings while you build the roster, and how the same interpretation carries through to timesheet export for payroll.Q&A
Does Pay Cat award interpretation show on the Timeline view? Our rostering team works mainly there and won't click 'Interpret Award' on each shift.
Does Pay Cat award interpretation show on the Timeline view? Our rostering team works mainly there and won't click 'Interpret Award' on each shift.
Timeline view award impact is on the roadmap for a future release, but is not available yet. Currently, Award Aware Rostering (AAR) requires rosterers to click Interpret Award on each shift on the client roster. We understand this creates friction for teams who work primarily in Timeline view, and this is a known gap we are actively working to address.
When is location roster support going to be included?
When is location roster support going to be included?
Location roster support for Award Aware Rostering (AAR) is on the roadmap, but there is no committed timeline at this stage. In the meantime, shifts rostered on the location roster are still correctly interpreted at the timesheet and export stage, so payroll accuracy is maintained.
Is Pay Cat a separate payment? We use both Home Care and Disability Services sectors, is it worth it?
Is Pay Cat a separate payment? We use both Home Care and Disability Services sectors, is it worth it?
Please reach out to your Customer Success Manager (CSM) to discuss pricing options that apply to your situation.On the multi-sector question: currently, one award sector can be assigned per worker (either Disability Services or Home Care). Multi-sector override is planned for a future release, and Pay Cat is actively working on this.On the value question: the time and cost savings from automated SCHADS Award interpretation are meaningful. Please review the webinar recording above, as there is a slide in the presentation that gives an example of cost savings. Your CSM can walk you through what this looks like for your specific rostering volume.
Can Pay Cat differentiate between permanent and casual staff?
Can Pay Cat differentiate between permanent and casual staff?
Yes. Employment type is configured through the Worker Type field on each worker’s profile: Full-time, Part-time, or Casual. Pay Cat uses this to apply the correct SCHADS Award rates, loadings, and entitlements for each worker. Workers must be set to one of these three types to sync with Pay Cat.
Can warnings be visible without clicking Interpret Award? How is minimum shift length, dual sectors, and sleepover top-up handled?
Can warnings be visible without clicking Interpret Award? How is minimum shift length, dual sectors, and sleepover top-up handled?
Warnings without clicking Interpret Award: Not currently. Rosterers need to click Interpret Award to see award analysis. Timeline view warnings are on the roadmap as a future enhancement.Minimum shift length with back-to-back shifts: If two shifts are back to back (or have a gap of under 1 hour), minimum engagement does not apply between them. Minimum engagement only triggers independently if there is a gap of more than 1 hour between shifts.Dual sectors (aged care and disability): Multi-sector support is planned but has no committed timeline. Pay Cat is actively working on this. For now, each worker is assigned a single award sector.Sleepover shift example (1 hour before, 3 hours after): Per the SCHADS Award, you must roster the employee, or pay the employee for at least four hours’ work, for at least one of these periods of work. In this example, there would be one additional top-up hour.
Does the award interpreter include travel time as hours worked, on a worker roster?
Does the award interpreter include travel time as hours worked, on a worker roster?
Travel time is captured at the timesheet level, not at the rostering stage. This means that at the rostering stage, a short gap between shifts may show a minimum engagement warning, because Pay Cat does not yet know the travel time that will be recorded. Once travel time is entered on the timesheet, Pay Cat recalculates and the warning typically no longer applies.For a scenario like 15 minutes with one client, 15 minutes travel, then 2 hours with a second client, the full worked time including travel is accounted for at the payroll export stage. We recommend organising a demo with your CSM to walk through a worker roster scenario that reflects your specific situation.
How do you enter a shift for an employee who doesn't have a client but still gets paid, such as a cleaner or groundsperson?
How do you enter a shift for an employee who doesn't have a client but still gets paid, such as a cleaner or groundsperson?
Non-client-facing shifts, such as cleaning or grounds maintenance, can be entered on a location roster. These shifts are still exported and interpreted for payroll at the timesheet stage, so workers receive the correct pay even without a client assigned.
Does Pay Cat work on rosters or after the shift is done, i.e. timesheets?
Does Pay Cat work on rosters or after the shift is done, i.e. timesheets?
Pay Cat Connect works at both stages, and they serve different purposes:Award Aware Rostering (AAR) gives real-time cost and award visibility when you are building the roster, before shifts are worked. This helps rostering staff make informed decisions upfront.Payroll Interpretation works at the timesheet stage after shifts are completed. It interprets the actual hours worked, applies the full SCHADS Award rules, and exports the costed data to Xero or MYOB for payroll.The two features are available on different pricing tiers. Speak with your CSM if you would like to understand which applies to your current setup.