Award interpretation for Australian payroll
RosterElf automatically applies Fair Work award rules to every shift so you pay the right rates without lifting a finger. Penalties, overtime, allowances — all calculated and ready for payroll.
-
Automatic penalty and overtime calculations
-
Built-in rules for 150+ modern awards
-
Live cost previews before you publish
How award interpretation works
RosterElf reads every shift against your configured award rules and calculates the correct pay rates automatically — no spreadsheets or manual lookups required.
Configure your award
Select from 150+ pre-built modern awards or customise rules to match your enterprise agreement.
Automatic calculations
As you build rosters, RosterElf applies penalties, overtime, and allowances to every shift in real time.
Export to payroll
Send accurate, award-compliant timesheets to Xero, MYOB, or export for your payroll system.
Penalties, overtime and allowances — calculated automatically
Every rate calculated to the cent
RosterElf applies the correct penalty rates for weekends, public holidays, early mornings, and late nights based on your award configuration.
Overtime triggers automatically when hours exceed daily or weekly thresholds, and allowances like meal breaks or travel are factored in where applicable.
See what shifts will cost before you publish
Make informed scheduling decisions
As you drag and drop shifts, RosterElf recalculates labour costs instantly using your award rules.
Compare different scheduling scenarios and see exactly how penalty rates affect your budget before finalising the roster.
All australian awards, handled your way
Your industry award, pre-configured
RosterElf supports all Australian Modern Awards, as well as custom employment agreements and enterprise agreements.
Once set up, RosterElf automatically applies the correct rates, penalties and rules, and stays aligned as Fair Work requirements change — simplifying ongoing compliance management for your business.
6 reasons to use award interpretation
Support your compliance efforts
Reduce the risk of underpayment claims with automatic, accurate award calculations on every shift.
Save hours
Stop manually looking up penalty rates and overtime rules. RosterElf does the work for you.
Control costs
See exactly what each shift costs before publishing. Make smarter scheduling decisions.
Real-time updates
Costs recalculate instantly as you adjust shifts. No waiting, no refreshing.
Fair work aligned
Awards are updated when Fair Work publishes changes. You're always on the latest rates.
Payroll ready
Export timesheets with all calculations included. Integrates seamlessly with Xero and MYOB.
What is award interpretation?
Award interpretation is the process of reading Australia's modern awards and applying the correct pay rates, penalties, overtime rules, and allowances to employee timesheets. Instead of manually calculating rates for weekends, public holidays, or overtime, award interpretation software does this automatically — ensuring employees are paid correctly and businesses stay compliant with Fair Work regulations.
Explore related features
Discover other RosterElf features that work great together
Award interpretation FAQs
- Award interpretation automatically applies Fair Work rules to calculate correct pay rates for every shift. RosterElf analyzes shift times, employee classifications, and award requirements to determine penalties, overtime, and allowances—eliminating manual calculations. Learn how the system interprets award rules. How award interpretation works →
- Setting up payroll involves selecting your award, configuring pay rates and classifications, and setting up pay templates for ordinary time, penalties, and allowances. Once configured, these rules apply automatically to all shifts. Our setup guide walks through the complete process. Setting up payroll →
- Pay templates define how different types of hours (ordinary, overtime, penalties) are calculated and exported to payroll. Create templates for each award classification, shift type, or penalty scenario. Templates ensure consistent, accurate pay calculations across all shifts. Introduction to pay templates →
- RosterElf includes all Australian public holidays (national and state-specific) with automatic penalty rate application. You can add custom public holidays, configure substitute days, and set different rates per award. The system updates holiday calendars annually. Managing public holidays →
- Salaried employees require different payroll configuration than hourly workers. Set up fixed salary rates and define how salary converts to hourly equivalents for rostering purposes. Learn how to configure salary staff correctly for accurate cost tracking. Assigning pay rates to fixed salary staff →
Learn how to get the most from this feature
Step-by-step guides to help you master these workflows
Start your free 15 day RosterElf trial today
Join 30,000+ Australian businesses using RosterElf to automate award interpretation and payroll. Designed for Australian businesses.