Setting up rest days per-trip that are computed as regular days in an HRIS (Human Resource Information System) involves configuring the system to ensure that rest days or breaks between shifts do not negatively impact regular hours computation, especially for industries or roles that require frequent trips or travel (e.g., transportation, delivery, or field-based work). The goal is to track rest days appropriately while ensuring they are not counted as time off, and the employee is still compensated as if the rest day is a regular working day.
Key Features:
- Custom Workday and Rest Day Configurations:
- Define Custom Work Schedules: Set up a custom work schedule for employees who work in environments where "rest days" are necessary. For example, if a driver works a long trip and needs a rest day, the HRIS can be configured to count the rest day as a "regular" day for payroll and benefits purposes.
- Example: If an employee is scheduled to work for five consecutive days and requires a mandatory rest day after completing a trip (e.g., after 5 consecutive days of driving), you can define that rest day in the HRIS as a “regular day” that will count towards total hours worked for payroll purposes.
- Action: Create a "rest day" tag or status and configure it to be counted as a regular day for payroll computation in the HRIS.
- Rest Day Mapping to Regular Hours:
- Map Rest Days to Regular Hours: For certain roles, rest days might need to be counted as regular hours for the sake of labor laws or company policies. The HRIS can be configured to automatically count rest days as part of the regular hours worked, without reducing the total pay for that period.
- Example: If an employee works 10-hour days for 5 days and takes a rest day on the 6th day (which would typically be counted as a day off), you can configure the system to count the 6th day as a regular "working day" for hours computation.
- Action: Set up a rule in the system to automatically map rest days to regular work hours, ensuring that the employee’s weekly or monthly hours reflect the total hours worked, including rest days.
- Trip-based Scheduling and Work Hours Rules:
- Trip-based Work Schedules: For employees who work on a per-trip basis (e.g., truck drivers, delivery personnel), the HRIS should allow you to configure schedules that reflect rest days as part of the trip cycle. The system can be set to automatically track the rest days between trips and ensure they don’t reduce total work hours.
- Example: If a driver completes a long-haul trip and is then required by company policy to take a mandatory rest day before the next trip, the system will automatically track this as a "rest day" but ensure it is counted as a regular day for payroll purposes.
- Action: Set up trip-based work schedules in the HRIS, ensuring that rest days are treated as part of the trip cycle without affecting pay.
- Time-off and Rest Day Adjustments:
- Rest Day as Paid Time-off: In some industries, rest days between trips can be considered paid time off, even though the employee isn’t actively working. You can set up a custom rest day leave type in your HRIS that ensures the employee is paid for the day as if they were working.
- Example: After a driver completes a long trip, they are granted a paid rest day. The HRIS automatically marks this day as paid leave, ensuring it is reflected in their payroll calculations as if it were a normal workday.
- Action: Configure a custom time-off category in the HRIS for "Rest Day," which treats it as paid leave or a regular day worked when calculating total hours.
- Rest Day Calculation for Overtime and Compliance:
- Overtime Calculation for Rest Days: For compliance with labor laws, overtime may need to be calculated based on the total number of hours worked, including any rest days. The HRIS can automatically include rest days in the regular hours calculation for overtime purposes.
- Example: If an employee works 12-hour shifts for 5 days, takes a rest day, and then works another 12-hour shift, the system can automatically include the rest day as part of the regular hours and calculate overtime correctly for the following workdays.
- Action: Ensure that the system is set up to include rest days as regular hours for overtime calculation purposes, ensuring the employee is paid accordingly.
- Employee Self-Service for Trip and Rest Day Management:
- Employee Self-Service Portal: Many HRIS systems offer self-service features where employees can log, manage, or request rest days. For example, after completing a trip, an employee may need to request a rest day, which can be automatically counted as a regular workday in the system.
- Example: A driver or field employee logs into their self-service portal to request a rest day after a trip, and the system automatically adjusts their schedule to ensure the day is counted towards regular working hours and payroll.
- Action: Enable employee self-service for requesting rest days, ensuring that the request triggers the appropriate payroll settings and doesn’t impact regular work hour calculations.
- Integration with Time and Attendance:
- Time-Clock Integration for Rest Days: Integrating your rest day setup with time and attendance tools helps automatically track rest days and ensures they don’t affect regular hours computation. For example, if an employee clocks in or out for a trip and takes a rest day afterward, the time and attendance system will account for the rest day appropriately.
- Example: An employee completes a trip, clocks out, and is marked as taking a rest day in the HRIS. The system ensures the hours are counted correctly without impacting the regular pay for the period.
- Action: Ensure that time and attendance tools integrate with your HRIS to track rest days accurately without affecting regular work hours.
- Rest Day and Trip Reporting:
- Trip and Rest Day Reporting: Reports can be configured to show the details of employee trips, rest days, and total hours worked. This will help HR teams track whether rest days are being counted as regular days for the purposes of pay and compliance.
- Example: A report showing that an employee worked 50 hours in a week, which includes 8 hours of regular work and a 24-hour rest day counted as part of regular hours for the trip cycle.
- Action: Create detailed reporting tools that track rest days, trip schedules, and total hours worked to ensure accurate payroll computation.
- Customized Pay Rules for Rest Days:
- Rest Day Pay Rules: You can create a specific pay rule for rest days that ensures they are paid as regular days worked. This is important for ensuring compliance with company policies or labor agreements.
- Example: A pay rule could be set so that every trip-based employee receives their full daily rate for rest days, as long as they meet the minimum requirements (e.g., completing a certain number of trips).
- Action: Customize pay rules to reflect rest days as regular days worked for the purposes of compensation.
- Notifications and Alerts for Rest Day Management:
- Automated Notifications: Set up notifications to alert managers or employees when a rest day is scheduled or automatically recorded. This helps ensure that all parties are aware of how the rest day is being treated in the system for payroll and compliance.
- Example: An automated notification is sent to HR when a rest day is marked as a regular working day, confirming that it will be paid accordingly.
- Action: Enable notifications in your HRIS to automatically alert relevant stakeholders when rest days are marked as regular days for payroll purposes.
Conclusion:
Setting up rest days per-trip in an HRIS without affecting regular hours computation requires careful configuration of time tracking, payroll rules, and employee schedules. By using tools like custom workday schedules, trip-based work configurations, rest day pay rules, and time-off categories, HR teams can ensure rest days are counted as regular working days for payroll purposes. These tools help maintain compliance with company policies and labor regulations while providing employees with fair compensation for their work.