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Max Spread Rules

A Max Spread Rule joins an employee's separate shifts on a day into one shift for pay, as long as they all fall within a set number of hours, such as 12. Shift Rules then pay the day as if it were worked straight through, so overtime after 7.6 hours counts both parts. The gap between them is unpaid, and is what Extra Rules pay a split shift allowance for.

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Required accessSettings

Navigate to Menu > Settings > Payroll Rules > Max Spread Rules. It's shown from payroll version 8, the first version that uses them.

Two days with a 12 hour Max Spread Rule. Monday: shifts from 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm both fall within the 12 hours from 10am, so they're joined into one 8 hour shift with an unpaid 3 hour gap, and a split shift allowance is paid. Tuesday: shifts from 8am to 12pm and 6pm to 11pm end more than 12 hours after the start, so they stay as two shifts.

When to use Max Spread Rules

  • Your award has a spread of hours, such as all work within 12 hours of starting, and pays split shifts as one day's work.
  • You pay a split shift allowance. Extra Rules only pay it for days a Max Spread Rule joins. See Extra Rules.

Without a Max Spread Rule, each shift with a gap before it is paid as a shift of its own.

Add a Max Spread Rule

  1. Click New Max Spread Rule.
  2. Choose your award under Common Award Templates, such as MA000119 for the Restaurant Industry Award, to fill in its settings.
  3. Enter the Rule Title.
  4. Choose the Group on the award and the Employment Type, such as Full + Part Time.
  5. Check the settings below against your award.
  6. Make sure Active is on, and click Create Rule.

The Create Max Spread Rule form numbered to match the steps: 2 Common Award Templates with MA000119 chosen, 3 Rule Title Restaurant 12hr Spread, 4 Group Award - Restaurant and Employment Type Full + Part Time, and 6 Create Rule. The template fills in Max Spread Hours 12, Same Day Only, Min Split Length 60 minutes, Max Periods 2 and Containment Fully Within.

SettingWhat it does
Max Spread HoursThe longest time from the start of the first shift, such as 12
Same Day OnlyOnly joins shifts on the same day. A shift starting after midnight isn't joined
Min Split LengthThe shortest gap, in minutes, that counts as a split shift. A shorter gap is treated as a clocked break
Min Break OverrideA clocked break shorter than this, in minutes, is rounded up to it
Max PeriodsHow many shifts can be joined, such as 2. Turn on Unlimited for no limit
ContainmentFully Within: every shift must end within the spread. Start Within: the last shift only has to start within it

If more than one rule matches an employee, the first by title is used. To stop using a rule without deleting it, turn Active off.

Max Spread Rules troubleshooting

Why isn't the split shift allowance being paid?

The split shift only exists once a Max Spread Rule joins the shifts. Check a rule matches the employee's Group and Employment Type, and that both shifts fall within its Max Spread Hours.

What about the Max Spread setting in Global Settings?

Use Max Spread Rules instead. The Max Spread setting under Timesheet Settings isn't used by payroll version 9.

Guides related to Max Spread Rules

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