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JC Fixed Rate Template

Company Tracker action: implementation-setup-jc-fixed-rate-template Milestone: Job Cost / Module Setup (milestone_id=5, core_milestone_id=2) Order: 8 Estimated duration: 0.5 hours Typical owner: Controller

Purpose​

Define fixed labor and burden rates by PRCo, craft, class, shift, earn factor, and/or employee, with effective-date handling, so payroll actuals can be masked on the job when required.

Prerequisites​

  • PR company, crafts, classes, shifts, earn factors, and employees you will key exist (or are staged with Payroll Module Setup).
  • Know whether rates are job-wide by craft/class or employee-specific.
  • Agree effective-date plan for staging future rates without breaking current cards.
  • JC Liability Template ready when fallback burden uses the job liability template.

Vista configuration article​

See the detailed Vista guide:

Setting Up JC Fixed Rate Template

Field meanings and form steps live there. Do not restate them on this page.

Implementation guidance​

Decide (client / kickoff)​

  • Enable when the client wants Payroll’s fixed-rate path to Job Cost: rate × hours posts to JC instead of (or instead of only) actual pay. Primary reasons clients use it: build burden into the JC labor cost and/or hide real pay rates.
  • Hide when every job should post actuals only.
  • Hybrid is allowed: some jobs on fixed rates, other jobs on actuals. Attach a template only on jobs that need fixed rates.
  • Where rates live:
    • PR Employees fixed rate — use when an employee is always the same rate no matter which job (for example always $60).
    • JC Fixed Rate Templates — use when the rate must differ by job (department, state, location, and similar) or needs more dimensions than a single employee rate.
  • Template dimensions (more specific than PR Employee’s single rate): craft / class, shift, earn factor (regular vs OT vs double time — OT/DT multipliers are not required to be 1.5 / 2; clients sometimes use other factors such as 2 and 3), and rows can still be employee-specific.

Load / accept (implementation defaults)​

  • Build Rate Template Detail from the most-specific combinations the client needs. More dimensions = a more specific match.
  • Set Effective Date so future rates can stage while current rates stay until that date.
  • Assign the template on JC Jobs > PR Info for jobs that use fixed rates; leave actuals jobs without a template.
  • Copy Template when cloning a pattern to another template.
  • After an Effective Date passes, run Move Template Rate from New to Old before entering the next future rate set.
  • Fallback when no template / rate matches: employee fixed rate in PR Employees; if 0.00, wages use actual pay rates and burden uses the job liability template.
  • Accept means rates, dimensions, and effective dates are signed off for go-live jobs that use fixed rates.

Tips and gotchas​

  • Fixed rates are a JC costing method (rate × hours), not “just another pay code.” Call out hide-pay and burden-in-rate as the usual business drivers.
  • Job-specific or multi-dimension needs → templates. Flat per person everywhere → PR Employee rate.
  • Hybrid fleets are normal: template on some jobs, actuals on others.
  • Timecards before Effective Date use old rates; on or after use new rates. Wrong dates silently mix rates in a period.
  • After Effective Date, Move Template Rate from New to Old before staging another future set.
  • Craft-only rows are less specific than craft/class/shift/earn-factor/employee rows. Over-broad rows can mask intended specific rates.
  • Do not confuse fixed-rate masking with Liability Template exact/rate burden method. Both can be in play; document the stack.

Done when​

  • Either: fixed-rate path out of scope (actuals only; form hidden), or
  • In-scope templates exist with accepted dimensions, rates, and effective dates; jobs that need fixed rates have the template on PR Info; actuals-only jobs are left without one; Copy / Move New→Old process is understood by the payroll owner.