This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough for setting up ShiftCare to seamlessly handle the complexities of the SCHADS Award.
Rates are accurate at the time of publication — 01/07/2026
Watch this full webinar for a detailed walkthrough on mastering SCHADS Award compliance with Xero:
Setting up Xero Pay Items
To ensure accurate payroll, you must configure your Xero Pay Items correctly.
If you employ both Full-Time/Part-Time AND Casual staff, you will need to create two separate pay items for each rate.
Ordinary Time Earnings (OTE)
Ordinary Hours: Rate per unit: Hours, Rate per Unit: (blank)
Afternoon Hours: Multiple of ordinary earnings (Casual: 1.1, FT/PT: 1.125)
Night Hours: Multiple of ordinary earnings (Casual: 1.12, FT/PT: 1.15)
Saturday Hours: Multiple of ordinary earnings (Casual: 1.4, FT/PT: 1.5)
Sunday Hours: Multiple of ordinary earnings (Casual: 1.8, FT/PT: 2)
Public Holiday Hours: Multiple of ordinary earnings (Casual: 2.2, FT/PT: 2.5)
Overtime Earnings
Overtime (1.5x): Multiple of ordinary earnings (Casual: 1.4, FT/PT: 1.5)
Overtime (2x): Multiple of ordinary earnings (Casual: 1.8, FT/PT: 2)
Overtime (2.5x): Multiple of ordinary earnings (Casual: 2.2, FT/PT: 2.5)
Overtime pay items must have the 'Exempt from Superannuation Guarantee Contribution' checkbox ticked, as Super is only required on ordinary time earnings.
Allowances
Mileage: Allowance, Type of Units: Hours, Rate per Unit: 1.01
Broken Shift Allowance 1: Allowance, Type of Units: Hours, Rate per Unit: 21.81
Broken Shift Allowance 2: Allowance, Type of Units: Hours, Rate per Unit: 28.87
Meal Allowance: Allowance, Type of Units: Hours, Rate per Unit: 17.30
Sleepover Allowance: Allowance, Type of Units: Hours, Rate per Unit: 62.87
Expenses: Allowance, Type of Units: Hours, Rate per Unit: 1
Please ensure you set the ordinary pay rate for each employee in their Xero profile > Pay Template.
Rostering Inactive Sleepover Shifts
Under SCHADS, a night shift finishes after midnight or commences before 6:00 AM (Mon-Fri) and attracts a 15% loading. The sleepover span must be a continuous 8 hours, and any work immediately before/after requires a minimum of 4 hours' pay for at least one of those periods.
ShiftCare Pay Group Setup
You must create a pay group set up like this:
Rostering Shifts
In ShiftCare, a sleepover block needs to be split into 2 or 3 separate shifts on the Scheduler:
Active Time: 1 or 2 shifts for the time before and/or after the sleepover (one of these must be at least 4 hours long). Both shifts must have the Choose Pay Group field set to 'Night Rate'.
Sleepover: The sleepover shift itself must have the 'Sleepover Allowance' attached to it.
Please read this guide to learn more about rostering sleepover shifts.
Invoicing Inactive Sleepover Shifts
You can invoice the shifts before and after the sleepover at the night rate. Since ShiftCare automatically calculates charges based on the time of the shift, you will need to create a duplicate of your price book and set the night rate to apply across the entire day (Monday to Friday).
Example: Matthew is a participant who is receiving Assistance In Supported Independent Living Standard. He is receiving 5 hours of care from 5 pm-10 pm. The carer is sleeping from 10 pm-6 am, then Matthew receives 2 hours of care from 6 am-8 am.
To automate this in ShiftCare:
Navigate to Account > Prices from the sidebar menu.
Click 'Copy' on the “01 Assistance In Supported Independent Living Standard” price book.
Name the new copy “01 Assistance In Supported Independent Living Standard Night Shift”.
Click 'Edit' on the "01 Assistance In Supported Independent Living Standard Night Shift” price book.
Delete the weekday 6 am-8 pm line and the weekday 8 pm-12 am line.
On the weekday 12 am-6 am line, change the time to 12 am-12 am.
Click 'Save'.
You should be left with a pricebook that looks like this:
Apply this new Night Rate price book to the shifts before and after the sleepover to ensure the night rate is charged.
Paying Overtime When Staff Members Work During a Sleepover
If a worker is required to perform active work during their sleepover period, they must be paid at the prescribed overtime rate for a minimum of 1 hour. Additional overtime rates and meal allowances apply if the work exceeds 2 hours or 4 hours.
Allowances Setup Requirements
This can be customised as needed, but here is a typical setup:
If a staff member does up to 1 hour of active time:
Open the Sleepover Shift and add the “Overtime 1 Hour (1.5x)” Allowance to the shift (leave Sleepover Allowance on the shift).
If Staff member does more than 1 hour, but not more than 2 hours of active time:
Open the Sleepover shift and add the “Overtime (1.5x)” Allowances to pay for the appropriate amount of time.
Example: If active time is 1 hour and 45 minutes, you would add “Overtime 1 Hour (1.5x)” + “Overtime 30 minutes (1.5x)” + “Overtime 15 minutes (1.5x)” to the shift (leave the Sleepover Allowance on the shift).
You must also add the “Meal Allowance” allowance to the shift.
If a staff member does more than 2 hours of active time:
Open the Sleepover Shift and add “Overtime 2 hours (1.5x)”. Add further allowances for additional hours over 2 hours.
Example: If active time is 4 hours and 30 minutes, you would add “Overtime 2 Hours (1.5x)” + “Overtime 2 Hours (2x)” + “Overtime 30 minutes (2x)” to the shift (leave sleepover allowance on shift still).
You must also add the “Meal Allowance” allowance to the shift.
If overtime is greater than 4 hours, you must add the “Meal Allowance x2” allowance instead of the “Meal Allowance” allowance.
Important: If the active time is on a Sunday, all overtime should be 2x. If the active time is on a public holiday, all overtime should be 2.5x.
Invoicing Clients for Active Time
The sleepover portion is charged as a fixed rate, but if your carer wakes up during the night and provides active care, this should be invoiced to the client. To do this, open the shift and go to 'Advanced Edit'. Use the 'Split' button on the Client section to add additional charges.
Example: Michael was woken up during his sleepover and provided 2 hours of support to the client between 2 am-4 am. Your shift should look like this in the Client section of Advanced Edit:
Managing Broken Shift Allowances
Employees working a broken shift (2 periods of work with 1 unpaid break) are entitled to an allowance of 1.7% of the standard rate. If they agree to work 3 periods of work with 2 unpaid breaks, they receive an allowance of 2.25%.
Allowances Setup Requirements
One Shift during the 12-hour period will need to be edited to add the single or double “Broken Shift Allowance” allowance to the shift. Other shifts will not be affected.
Paying Overtime on Shifts (>10 Hours)
Time worked that exceeds 10 hours per day is paid at time and a half for the first 2 hours, and double time thereafter (with higher penalty rates applying on Sundays and Public Holidays). Meal allowances also apply for overtime exceeding 1 hour or 4 hours.
Allowances Setup Requirements
This can be customised as needed, but here is a typical setup:
Note: 10 hour allowances use override hours type.
When a staff member is rostered on for a shift that is greater than 10 hours:
Open the shift and add the appropriate “10 hour” allowance for the shift type.
Add “Overtime (1.5x)” Allowances to pay for the appropriate amount of time.
Example: if time is 1 hour and 45 minutes, you would add “Overtime 1 Hour (1.5x)” + “Overtime 30 minutes (1.5x)” + “Overtime 15 minutes (1.5x)” to the shift (leave the sleepover allowance on the shift).
Add “Overtime (2x)” Allowances as needed for any overtime above 2 hours.
Add the “Meal Allowance” allowance to the shift if more than 1 hour of overtime but not more than 4 hours is performed.
Add the “Meal Allowance x2” allowance if more than 4 hours of overtime is performed.
Example: Matthew is rostered for a 14-hour shift from 10 am to Midnight on Wednesday.
In this case, you would add the “10 Hours Afternoon Hours” + “Overtime 2 Hours (1.5x)” + “Overtime 2 Hours (2x)” allowances to the shift.
This would result in Matthew being paid 10 hours at the afternoon rate (due to the shift being an afternoon shift), 2 Hours of overtime at 1.5x, 2 Hours of overtime at 2x, and 1 Meal Allowance.
Paying Staff Provider Travel
Providers can claim travel time if it is permitted by the NDIS guidelines, agreed upon with the participant in advance, and if the worker is being paid for their travel time. The maximum claimable time is typically 30 minutes in MMM1-3 areas or 60 minutes in MMM4-5 areas.
Allowances Setup Requirements
This can be customised as needed, but here is a typical setup:
When a shift is required to pay a staff member for provider travel, simply add the appropriate allowance to the shift. It will automatically pay the additional time on top of the hours worked.
If the staff member is being paid 1 hour (30 minutes before shift, 30 minutes after shift) of provider travel, you will need to create an allowance for 1 hour and add it to the shift.
Invoicing Clients for Provider Travel
Provider travel is invoiced using the same line item code as the service provided during the shift, but the line description should indicate it is “Provider Travel” to clearly show on the invoice.
To do this, we will duplicate the price book of the service you are providing.
Example: Michael is on his way to meet his client, where he is doing a 4-hour 04 Access Community Social And Rec Activ Standard shift from 2 pm-6 pm. The provider has an agreement with the participant to invoice for the time travelled to get to the client’s address. It takes Michael 30 minutes to get there.
Go to Account > Prices from the sidebar menu.
On the 04 Access Community Social And Rec Activ Standard price book, click 'Copy'.
Name the new price book “04 Access Community Social And Rec Activ Standard Provider Travel”.
On the shift, go into Advanced Edit and Split the charges to add the additional invoice line.
It should look like this:
Appendix: Official SCHADS Award and NDIS References
Rostering Inactive Sleepover Shifts
29.2 (b): Night shift means any shift which finishes after 12 midnight or commences before 6.00 am Monday to Friday.
29.3 (b): An employee who works a night shift will be paid a loading of 15% of their ordinary rate of pay for the whole of such shift.
29.4: shifts are to be worked in one continuous block of hours that may include meal breaks and sleepovers, except where broken in accordance with clause 25.6 (Broken Shift Allowance).
25.7 (c): The span for a sleepover will be a continuous period of 8 hours. Employees will be provided with a separate room with a bed and clean linen, the use of appropriate facilities (including access to food preparation facilities and staff facilities where these exist) and free board and lodging for each night when the employee sleeps over.
25.7 (f): An employer may roster an employee to perform work immediately before and/or immediately after the sleepover period, but must roster the employee or pay the employee for at least four hours’ work for at least one of these periods of work. The payment prescribed by 25.7(d) will be in addition to the minimum payment prescribed by this subclause.
Invoicing Inactive Sleepover Shifts
As per the NDIS Price Arrangements & Price Limits 2023-24 (Page 16):
If a support to a participant does not meet one of the above criteria, then it needs to be billed as two or more separate supports. An exception to this general rule occurs when a particular support crosses a shift boundary and the same worker delivers the entire support. In this case, the higher of the relevant price limits applies to the entire support, and the provider should make the claim against the relevant support item. Providers are required to discuss this billing arrangement with the participant.
Paying Overtime When Staff Members Work During a Sleepover
25.7 (e): In the event of the employee on sleepover being required to perform work during the sleepover period, the employee will be paid for the time worked at the prescribed overtime rate with a minimum payment as for one hour worked. Where such work exceeds one hour, payment will be made at the prescribed overtime rate for the duration of the work.
28.1 (b)(iv): All time worked outside the span of hours by part-time and casual day workers will be paid for at the rate of time and a half for the first two hours and double time thereafter, except that on Sundays such overtime will be paid for at the rate of double time and on public holidays at the rate of double time and a half.
20.5 (a): An employee will be supplied with an adequate meal where an employer has adequate cooking and dining facilities or be paid a meal allowance of $15.20 in addition to any overtime payment as follows:
(i) when required to work more than one hour after the usual finishing hour of work or, in the case of shiftworkers, when the overtime work on any shift exceeds one hour; and
(ii) provided that where such overtime work exceeds four hours a further meal allowance of $15.20 will be paid.
Managing Broken Shift Allowances
This clause only applies to social and community services employees when undertaking disability services work and home care employees.
25.6 (a) Broken shift with 1 unpaid break:
(i) An employer may only roster an employee to work a broken shift of 2 periods of work with 1 unpaid break (other than a meal break).
(ii) An employee rostered to work a broken shift with 1 unpaid break must be paid the allowance in clause 20.12(a).
25.6 (b) Agreement to work a broken shift with 2 unpaid breaks:
(i) Despite clause 25.6(a), an employer and an employee may agree that the employee will work a broken shift of 3 periods of work with 2 unpaid breaks (other than meal breaks).
(ii) An agreement under clause 25.6(b)(i) must be made before each occasion that the employee is to work a broken shift with 2 unpaid breaks unless the working of the 2-break broken shift is part of the agreed regular pattern of work in an agreement made under clause 10.3 or subsequently varied.
(iii) An employee who works a broken shift with 2 unpaid breaks must be paid the allowance in clause 20.12(b).
20.12(a): An employee required to work a broken shift with 1 unpaid break in accordance with clause 25.6(a) will be paid an allowance of 1.7% ($21.81) of the standard rate, per broken shift.
20.12(b): An employee who agrees to work a broken shift with 2 unpaid breaks in accordance with clause 25.6(b) will be paid an allowance of 2.25% ($28.87) of the standard rate, per broken shift.
Paying Overtime on Shifts
28.1 (b) (ii): All time worked by part-time or casual employees which exceeds 10 hours per day, will be paid at the rate of time and a half for the first 2 hours and double time thereafter, except on Sundays when overtime will be paid for at the rate of double time, and on public holidays at the rate of double time and a half.
20.5 (a): An employee will be supplied with an adequate meal where an employer has adequate cooking and dining facilities or be paid a meal allowance of $15.20 in addition to any overtime payment as follows:
(i) when required to work more than one hour after the usual finishing hour of work or, in the case of shiftworkers, when the overtime work on any shift exceeds one hour; and
(ii) provided that where such overtime work exceeds four hours a further meal allowance of $15.20 will be paid.
Paying Staff Provider Travel
NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits reference (page 18-19):
Providers can only claim from a participant’s plan for travel costs in respect of the delivery of a support item if all of the following conditions are met: General Claiming Rules
The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits indicates that providers can claim for Provider Travel in respect of that support item; and
The proposed charges for the activities comply with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits and
The activities are part of delivering a specific disability support item to that participant; and
The support is delivered directly (face-to-face) to the participant; and
The provider explains the activities to the participant, including why they represent the best use of the participant’s funds (that is, the provider explains the value of these activities to the participant); and
The provider has the agreement of the participant in advance (that is, the Agreement between the participant and provider should specify the travel costs that can be claimed); and
The provider is required to pay the worker delivering the support for the time they spent travelling as a result of the agreement under which the worker is employed; or the provider is a sole trader and is travelling from their usual place of work to or from the participant, or between participants.
Provider Travel – Labour Costs (Time):
Where a provider claims for travel time in respect of a support then the maximum amount of travel time that they can claim for the time spent travelling to each participant (for each eligible worker) is 30 minutes in MMM1-3 areas and 60 minutes in MMM4-5 areas. (Note the relevant MMM classification is the classification of the area where the participant is when the support is delivered.)
In addition to the above travel, providers delivering core and capacity-building supports are permitted to claim for provider travel in respect of a support item can also claim for the time spent travelling from the last participant to their usual place of work. Note, this travel is only claimable when the provider must pay their worker for the return travel time. The maximum amount of travel time that they can claim for the time spent on return travel (for each eligible worker) is 30 minutes in MMM1-3 areas and 60 minutes in MMM4-5 areas. (Note the relevant MMM classification is the classification of the area where the participant is when the support is delivered.)
For further assistance with Mastering the SCHADS Award with ShiftCare, please contact our Support team using online chat when you're logged into ShiftCare or email our Support team at support@shiftcare.com.