Assign Smart Formulas to Employees

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Open the Assign Page

Select Smart Formulas > Assign from the menu. The Assign page is where you connect published Smart Formulas to employees in the selected organisation.

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Choose What to Show

Use the filters above the employee table:

• All Employees: Shows all active employees in the organisation.
• Assigned: Shows employees who already have Smart Formulas.
• Unassigned: Shows employees without Smart Formulas.
• All Smart Formulas: Filters the employee table by a specific assigned formula.

Table search applies within the selected filters and matches employee name, Smart Formula / award name, classification, and base rate.

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Assign a Formula

To assign a Smart Formula:

1. Select one or more employees in the table.
2. Click Assign.
3. Select the Smart Formula.
4. Select the Version. UpSheets defaults to the most recent published version.
5. Optionally select a Classification when the formula includes award classification rates. This fills the base rate for you.
6. Enter or adjust the Base Rate if needed.
7. Choose whether to use automatic allowances.
8. Set assessment period overrides if needed.
9. Click Assign.

When you assign a Smart Formula to an employee, UpSheets will:

• Create the ordinary earnings pay item in Xero if it does not already exist.
• Update the employee’s Ordinary Earnings Rate in Xero.
• Add that ordinary earnings pay item to the employee’s Xero pay template at the defined rate.

Allowance lines keep the rates defined on the published formula. On assignment, UpSheets does not create a Xero pay item or add a rate-per-unit allowance to the employee’s pay template when the employee’s Rate per unit matches the published formula rate. Assignment syncs when the prepared rate differs (including when the published line has no rate). Automatic Allowances → Add always syncs rate-per-unit allowances you turn on, even at the formula rate. Automatic Allowances → Current and Edit Rate create or update the Xero pay item and pay template line only when the rate changes.

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Use Award Library Formulas

Award Library formulas are templates. Copy the formula into your organisation, review it, and publish it before assigning it to employees. To use an Award Library formula:

1. Select Smart Formulas > Configure from the menu.
2. Open the Award Library tab.
3. Find the formula and click Copy.
4. Review the copied draft for your organisation.
5. Publish the copied formula.
6. Return to Smart Formulas > Assign and assign the published version.

When assigning the published copy, select the formula name, choose the version, enter the employee’s base rate if needed, and leave Use Automatic Allowances enabled unless those allowances should be manual. You can request award while signed in to UpSheets.

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Base Rates

The Base Rate is used where the formula needs a rate per unit. You can set a base rate:

• From an optional Classification when the Smart Formula includes award classification rates.
• In the formula itself when a rule has a default rate per unit.
• During assignment by entering the rate.
• Later from the employee’s Smart Formula row.

Choosing a classification fills the base rate with the award minimum for that level. You can still edit the rate afterwards if the employee is paid above the award rate. When a classification is selected, the employee table shows it after the Smart Formula name, for example CPSA Casual - Day Worker (v1) : Level 4. Click the classification name to open Edit Rate and change the classification or rate without expanding the formula lines first. When a newer published version of the same Smart Formula is available, an Update Version badge appears after the formula name (and classification, if shown). Click it to reassign the employee to that version:

1. Confirm Update Smart Formula to vX (and effective date when the new version has one).
2. Optionally choose a Classification. If the employee already has a classification that exists on the new version, it is selected and the rate is filled with the new award minimum.
3. Adjust the rate if needed. Use current rate restores the employee’s previous rate, regardless of the selected classification.
4. Click Update.

To update an assigned base rate later without changing version:

1. Click the classification name in the employee table, or expand the employee’s Smart Formula lines, select the base rate row, and click Edit Rate.
2. Optionally choose a Classification to fill the award minimum into the rate field.
3. Adjust the rate if needed, then click Update.

Only lines with a rate type of Rate per unit can be updated after assignment via Edit Rate. To update multiples, publish and assign a new Smart Formula version (or use Update from Library when a newer Award Library version is available), then reassign employees — including via Update Version when the badge is shown. After an Award Library update, publish the new org version, then reassign employees from Smart Formulas > Assign or use Update Version on each employee row. Set rates or classifications when award minima change.

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Automatic Allowances

Some Smart Formulas include allowances that can be applied automatically during validation. When assigning a formula, Use Automatic Allowances is enabled by default. Leave it enabled when allowances should be created automatically. Turn it off when allowances should be available as manual lines instead. After assignment, use Automatic Allowances on the employee row (after Show Smart Formulas) when the employee has allowance lines. The button shows a count, for example Automatic Allowances (5), when at least one allowance is currently automatic. The modal has two sections:

• Current: allowances that apply automatically for this employee. Remove an allowance from this list to stop it applying automatically. Edit quantity for once-per-period allowances, and edit the rate only when the line is Rate per unit. Changing the employee’s Rate per unit creates or updates that pay item on the employee’s Xero pay template. Multiples still show in the Rate column (and as x Base Rate) but cannot be edited.
• Add: turn a manual or turned-off allowance back on so it applies automatically. Set quantity when the line is once-per-period, and set the rate only when the line is Rate per unit. Adding a Rate per unit allowance syncs it to the employee’s Xero pay template even when the rate matches the published formula. A multiple is shown in the Rate field when you select the line, but it stays as defined on the published formula. Manual allowances stay available in Add Line after validation.

Once-per-period allowances (week rules, and manual lines added as automatic) follow the employee’s UpSheets assessment period, not the Xero pay calendar. A weekly period in UpSheets applies the allowance once per week even if the employee is paid fortnightly in Xero. A fortnightly period applies it once per fortnight. The line is added on the last timesheet in that assessment period, not the first day of the period. Check Start Day / Period in Smart Formula Settings, or the employee’s assessment period override, if the cadence looks wrong. Custom Automatic Allowances settings for an employee stay when you Update Version or reassign the same Smart Formula. They are cleared if you assign a different formula. Renaming a pay item keeps those settings. If you replace an allowance with a different one, the old custom settings do not apply to the new line. Unedited lines follow Use Automatic Allowances on each assignment. Add Line is available after validation if the formula has allowance lines, even when they all apply automatically. If you turn an automatic allowance off, you can still add it from Add Line. You can still change allowance behaviour from the nested table:

1. Expand or show the employee’s Smart Formula lines.
2. Select the allowance line.
3. Click Edit.
4. Toggle Apply Automatically.
5. Click Update.

You can also update employee-specific rates for base rates and rate-per-unit allowances from the same modal.

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Assessment Period Overrides

The assignment modal includes collapsed Assessment Period Overrides. Defaulted from the organisation and Smart Formula version. Update to assign a different calculation period for the selected employees.

• Period start: The first day of the employee’s calculation period.
• Weeks: The number of weeks in the employee’s assessment period.

Employee-level overrides must be enabled in Smart Formula Settings before they are shown in the employee table.

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Public Holiday Calendars

If holidays are enabled, the employee table can show calendar controls.

• If there is one calendar, employees use the default calendar.
• If there are multiple calendars, select the correct calendar for each employee.
• If an employee should not receive holiday treatment, use a calendar with no holiday dates.

See Public Holidays for setting up calendars.

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Clear Smart Formulas

Use Clear to remove Smart Formulas from selected employees. For Xero-sourced legacy formulas, clearing formulas in UpSheets does not remove pay items from the employee’s Xero pay template. Update the employee in Xero if the Xero pay template also needs to change.

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Review After Assignment

After assigning formulas:

1. Import a small sample file.
2. Review the validated timesheet lines.
3. Check base rates, overtime, allowances, breaks, and public holidays.
4. Upload to Xero only after the generated lines are correct.