Rate rise tool

To learn how to manage an Annual Wage Increase, watch the video below.  More detail is provided in each step in the article below.

  Please note: Watch the video to execute your rate rise effectively. The video will show fake dates and percentage increases for demonstration only. Please make sure to choose the correct dates and use the appropriate percentage increase related to the current financial year.

In this video, you'll learn more about:

• Key Facts about Annual Wage Increases.
• How to prepare for your rate rise.
• Determining the date to schedule your rate rise.
• Create a new rate rise.
• Select the dates as to when the rate rise will trigger.
• Selecting the awards to increase.
• Checking the classifications and editing where needed.
• How to edit the rates book for your rate rise.
• Checking the rates for your permanent employees.
• Checking the rates for your casual employees.
• Adjusting your Allowances, including award, meal, shift and profile allowances.

Following the success of the Rate Rise Assistance Sessions, we are pleased to announce the continuation of this service.

Would you like to do your rate rise this year with a Coach? This will provide you with numerous benefits if you feel you need extra support during the Rate Rise period.

• You will use the rate rise tool to learn the process, and your CS coach will be available to guide you through it.
• Your session will be recorded. You can use this for future rate reviews so that you won't need any help next time.
• It's Easy to book - Sign up in May/June through the form link in the Rate Rise Article. Keep in mind, spaces will fill up fast, so get in early!
• A low fee of $350* for a session (1 hour duration) *GST exclusive. Pricing is effective as of May 2026. Pricing is subject to change.

If this is your first year with foundU, you're either in implementation or on our Enterprise package, and there will be no cost. We'll be able to help you through your first Rate Rise if you need help in addition to the available resources.

Sign me up for Rate Rise Assistance!

Register your interest by completing the form below, and we will be in touch.

Completing a rate rise is an important process that can impact employee pay, so being prepared in advance will help ensure a smooth experience and reduce the risk of errors when applying new rates.

Before starting your rate rise, we recommend reviewing your upcoming changes, preparing your required information, and allowing enough time to complete the process correctly.

  Warning: Once a rate rise has been completed and the new rates have been updated in your platform, it cannot be undone. These rates will become the new minimum rates, and employees will be paid based on the updated values.

If incorrect rates have been applied during the rate rise process, these will need to be manually corrected by updating the relevant classifications within your awards, rates books, and employee positions.

 

Why use the rate rise tool

We understand that completing a rate rise can take some time, especially when updating multiple awards. However, the rate rise tool is the recommended way to update your awards as it ensures all relevant areas of your platform are updated correctly.

The rate rise tool updates the minimum base rates across your platform, helping ensure your employees are paid correctly and reducing the risk of employees being underpaid.

Manually updating rates in parts of your platform, such as just updating classifications within an award or only updating an operation’s rates book, does not update all areas where rates are used throughout the platform. This can result in inconsistent rates and may cause employees to be paid incorrectly.

  Hot tip: Using the rate rise tool ensures your award rates are updated comprehensively and applied consistently across your platform.

 

When to complete the rate rise

We recommend completing your rate rise well in advance, or at a minimum, a few days before employees are due to be paid at the new rates.

Rate rises can be completed ahead of time, even if you are still paying employees using their current rates. This gives you time to review your changes and ensures the new rates are ready to apply when required.
 

When do the new rates take effect?

The rate rise will apply to the first full pay period starting on or after the effective date selected during the process.

This means employees may not always see the increased rates immediately after the effective date, depending on where their pay period falls.

  Please note: You can choose to process your rate rise for a pay period that starts before the effective date (e.g, a pay period starting on 30 June). However, the new rates will apply to the entire pay period, including days before the effective date (such as 30 June), rather than only applying from 1 July onwards.

 

Preparing for your rate rise

Before starting your rate rise, we recommend completing the following preparation:

• Review the Fair Work pay guides - Print the updated Fair Work Pay Guide for your award or have it available on a second monitor for easy reference. You will need this during steps 2-5 of the rate rise process. These guides are often released shortly before the new rates take effect.
  • Even if your business does not pay an award, you will still need to ensure your agreements meet the minimum wage requirements.
• Allow enough time to complete the process - For a single award, allow approximately 30 minutes. If you have multiple awards, allow around 30 minutes per award.
• Prepare your charge rates - If you are updating charge rates as part of your rate rise, this can add additional time to the process. We recommend allowing a few hours to complete these updates.
• Complete any required setup changes - If you need to add or update positions, awards, or rate books, complete these changes before starting the rate rise or after it has been processed.
  • Making changes to these areas while a rate rise is pending may cause errors or prevent the rate rise from processing correctly.

  Please note: Your rate increase will be processed based on the effective date you select and will be reflected in your platform by the following morning. If scheduling a rate increase, the earliest it can take effect is the day after you finish the workflow, as the updates need to be applied overnight.

You can adjust the effective date if you need additional preparation time; however, rate increases cannot be backdated to a previous pay period.

Once the relevant Fair Work pay guides have been released and you’ve completed your preparations, such as calculating your new charge rates and confirming the pay period the changes will apply from, you’re ready to start your rate rise.

We recommend completing this process at least a few days before your first pay run at the new rates, as rate increases cannot be applied to pay periods that have already been processed.
 

To create a new rate rise:

1. From the main menu, navigate to Payroll Settings > Rate Rise. 
   • From this page, you can see a list of all rate rises for the current year. 

     • To see rate rises for other years, you can select the correct year from the dropdown menu. Then select Details to see the updates made. 

       

   • Rate rises can have 1 of 3 status:
     • Incomplete - These are rate rises in a draft state; you can check what stage they are at from the Progress column.
     • Scheduled - These are rate rises that have finished the workflow and are waiting for their scheduled processing date. 
     • Complete - These are rate rises that have been processed successfully, and rates have been increased. 
       
         Hot tip: You can filter to see rate rises for a specific status by filtering using the badges at the top right of the screen. 
2. To create a new rate rise, select + New rate rise.

To use the rate rise tool, the first step is to enter the necessary details, such as the effective date as specified by Fair Work, the percentage increase, and the date you want the rate rise tool to be triggered.

  Please note: Your rate increase will be processed based on the date you choose to apply it, and will be updated in your platform by the next morning. If you're scheduling the rate increase, the earliest it can take effect is the day after you finish applying it. By no means can your 'New rates period' and 'Scheduled for' be the same date.
 

To set up your rate rise:

1. After creating your rate rise, you will be presented with the Set up your rate rise modal. This is a mini-workflow to set up the key details for the rate rise. 
2. On the first step, provide the following:
   • Fair Work effective date - This is the date as specified by Fair Work that the increase is to come into effect (e.g., 1 July). This is not the date that your positions will be updated; the platform will calculate that date for you. 
   • Base rise percentage - The rate increase percentage as specified by Fair Work. 
     
       Hot tip: In certain situations, you might start the rate-rise process with a 0% increase to rectify errors or address mistakes caused by human error. If you're interested, please refer to our relevant FAQ at the bottom of this guide.
3. Your platform will automatically detect your pay periods used in your platform. To continue, select Calculate dates. 

The next step in the workflow will depend on the pay periods your platform uses (weekly, fortnightly, or mixed). From the tabs below, select the relevant period that you use to view the instructions.

  Please note: The images display fake dates and percentage increases for demonstration purposes only. Please ensure that you select the correct dates and apply the corresponding percentage increase for the current financial year.

 

Update rate rise dates

As you work through the rate rise workflow, you will see two key dates displayed in the top right-hand corner of the screen:

• New rates period – The date the new rates will begin applying.
• Rate rise scheduled for – The date the rate rise is scheduled to be applied in your platform.

These dates help you keep track of your rate rise timeline and understand when the changes will take effect. You can update these dates at any time by selecting the edit (pencil) icon; however, each date has different considerations when making changes.

• New rates period - If you edit this date, you will be returned to the beginning of the Set up your rate rise workflow. Any changes already made during the rate rise process will be removed, and the rate rise will need to be completed again from the start.
  
    Hot tip: Before continuing to the next section (Classification selection), review your dates carefully to ensure they are correct. 

• Rate rise scheduled for - This date can be updated at any time, including if the original scheduled date has passed and the rate rise has not yet been completed. Updating this date allows you to return to the workflow and complete the remaining steps without needing to create a new rate rise.

  When updating this date, ensure it is:

  • After you have generated your final pay at the old rates.
  • The earliest available date you can select is tomorrow, as the rate rise will be applied on the morning of the selected date.

Once you have completed the setup for your rate rise workflow, you will be taken to the Awards section. From this page, you can select which awards you would like to include in your rate rise.

You can choose to update a single award or multiple awards as part of the workflow. If you do not need to update all awards at once, you can complete separate rate rises as required.

If your platform uses a mix of pay periods, you will need to complete a separate rate rise for each pay period.

For example, weekly awards will require a separate rate rise from fortnightly awards if your platform has both weekly and fortnightly pay periods. 
 

To choose your awards:

1. From this page, select the awards to include in your rate rise.
   • You can perform several rate rises if need be. Not all awards need to be updated in one go. A common use case for this approach would be a rate rise per client (if they have their own awards). 
   • Archived awards are included in the rate rise process. If you would like to keep the rates up to date, should you wish to reinstate these awards later.
2. Update the Base Rate Increase if required. This will default to the percentage entered during the rate rise setup workflow, however, you can adjust this here if a specific award requires a different increase.
3. Select Next at the bottom of the screen when you are ready to continue.

This section will make changes to the classifications in your award. The rate rise tool will increase your current rate by the percentage you entered in the previous steps. 

You will need to have the new Pay Guide for your award handy and ensure that each rate in this step matches the rate in the pay guide to the decimal exactly.
 

To update your classifications:

1. Select the down arrow to open the classifications.

   

2. Edit each classification to match the pay guide.
   • Only the base (permanent) rate will need to be edited. The casual rate will auto-adjust based on your changes to the base rate. 
   • Each award selected will likely have multiple pages of classifications. 
   • You can edit these values in CSV format if you prefer by selecting Use CSV Import.
     
      Please note: The CSV download will not reflect any manual edits that you have already made.

3. Update Rate Overrides if you have any.

   • These will be denoted by a yellow Override badge with an edit icon next to the relevant classification.
   • A red exclamation circle will show on overridden rates that have fallen below the base rate. Please edit and adjust these to be in line with the award rate or above.
     
       Please note: The images display fake dates and percentage increases for demonstration purposes only. Please ensure that you select the correct dates and apply the corresponding percentage increase for the current financial year.

   

4. Scroll down to ensure you have selected and adjusted classification rates on all pages. Select Next once all classifications have been edited to match the pay guide.

If your business utilises any of the following features, they can be updated on the Rates Book menu. 

• Charge rates in rates books
• Overridden rates in rates books
• Charge rates for entitlements
• Rates book templates

If you need to make edits to your rates books, it is recommended that you use the CSV Import/export option. This will allow you to edit your pay and charge rates relatively quickly.

 Warning: You can singularly edit rates or use the CSV option; however, you should choose one preferred method and continue with that method. If you've made some manual edits to the classification or rates books page, they won't be reflected if you export to do the CSV import/export.
 

To update rates in rates books templates and Operation rates books:

1. Select Use CSV Import and select Export CSV.
   
     Please note: The images display fake dates and percentage increases for demonstration purposes only. Please ensure that you select the correct dates and apply the corresponding percentage increase for the current financial year.

   

2. Edit the downloaded CSV file, updating your rates as required. Save the file. 

3. Select your file (or drag and drop it), then select 'Import CSV'.

   

  Please note: All items on this page can be edited manually if you prefer, but due to the volume of records you're likely to have, this is not the most efficient method.

The next 2 steps in the rate rise tool will detail all of the permanent and casual employees in your platform. These employees will be separated into 2 sections: 'On-award rate' (getting a base increase), and 'Above award rate' (employees currently still above award).

 

On-award rate vs Above award rate

Open the tabs using the down arrow to review the employees in each of the 2 sections:

• On award rate - Employees in this tab will be getting an increase as a result of the rate rise as the base increase has been applied.
  • Use the Display option to see the 'previous rate' and the 'increase amount'
  • This includes positions that were above the award but would fall below after the increased rate. 
• Above award rate - Employees in this tab are currently still paid above award (including the recent increase).
  • Please edit the rates for these employees, should you wish to pass along the new increase.
     

Key Information 

• Current and future positions will be listed and updated. 
• Positions assigned to pending employees will also be listed and updated. 
• In either section, if need be, you may edit an employee's rate and increase it. 
• You cannot decrease a position rate to below the new minimum rate. 

As increases are not automatically applied to the above award employees, you may also wish to increase these employees by the rate increase or a lesser amount. This can be done by a manual per-employee amount or via CSV in bulk.
 

To edit the above award rate:

1. Select the down arrow in the Above award section.
2. Locate the employee you wish to increase and make the required changes in the editable rate field. Press enter or tab to see the change take effect. 
3. Review the Increase in the right-hand column. 
4. Make any more necessary edits, and select Next to move to the next section in the rate rise.

In the below example, we increase the existing above award rate of one of our employees Cheyne before continuing with the rate rise.

You'll now follow the same instructions on the next page to review your on-award and above-award casual employees.

  Hot tip: A warning advising not to change position data will now display on the employee card of any employees with positions included in a scheduled rate rise. After the rate rise takes effect, this warning will no longer appear.

The last step of the rate rise is to update your allowances. Please ensure that you address the allowances in all tabs.

The allowances you may need to increase include:

• Award Allowances
• Shift Penalties
• Meal Allowances
• Profile Allowances

You can see the number of allowances to update or check in each section, denoted by the blue number next to the down arrow. 

Like the rate books, these can be updated manually, but due to the potentially high volume of allowances (especially shift penalties and meal allowances), it is recommended to use the CSV Import.
 

To update allowances and shift penalties: 

1. Select Use CSV Import and select Export CSV.
2. Edit the downloaded CSV file, updating your rates as required. Save the file. 
3. Select your file (or drag & drop), then select Import CSV.
4. Select Finish rate rise to complete your rate rise.

After updating allowances, select Finish rate rise. This will place your rate rise in a Scheduled status. It will remain in this status until the rate rise is triggered on the scheduled date and all rates are updated in your platform. 

Whilst your rate rise is in this Scheduled status, please refrain from updating the following, as it may prevent the rate rise from being processed:

• Awards or pay rules
• Rates books
• Employee positions

We recommend noting any position changes needed so they can be addressed after the rate increase is processed.

Once the rate rise is complete, your awards, rate books, templates, timesheets, and employee positions will be updated from the beginning of the chosen pay period. 

  Hot tip: If you miss the day you scheduled at the beginning of the rate rise, don't worry, you can edit your rate rise and set a new date for the increase to be processed. 

You can review all your rate increases, whether scheduled or incomplete. You can also edit or delete rate rises that have not yet been processed. This can be handy, as you can plan out your changes to give yourself more time.  

Before editing or deleting a rate rise, please consider the following:

• When editing a rate rise, if you need to go back and edit a step that has already been completed, all changes to any future steps will be erased. 
  • For example, if you edit the classifications step, the rates books, employee tabs, and allowances will need to be completed again.
• If you add a new rate rise, please note that any awards included in a pending rate rise will not be available for the new rate rise.
• Deleting a rate rise is irreversible; if it's deleted by mistake, you must create a new one.

  Hot tip: If you have missed the scheduled date for your rate rise, you can simply update the scheduled date and continue with the existing rate rise — there is no need to delete and create a new one.
 

To edit or delete a rate rise:

1. From the main menu, select Payroll Settings > Rate Rise. Here you will see all of your rate rises.
2. Locate the rate rise you need to action and either:
   • Delete - From the dropdown menu and select Delete. You will then need to confirm the deletion. 
   • Edit - Select the Edit button. This will place you in the Rate Rise workflow, the last step you were on to complete your changes. 
3. If you have missed the day you scheduled to process your rate rise, you can change it at any step in the workflow. By updating the Scheduled for the field. 

Why do I need to use the rate rise tool? Can't I just update my rate books?

While you can manually update rates in your award classifications or operation rate books, these changes do not update all areas of the platform where rates are used.

The rate rise tool updates minimum base rates across your entire platform, helping ensure rates remain consistent and employees are paid correctly. Using the rate rise tool reduces the risk of missed updates that could result in underpayments.

We pay employees well above the new award minimums. Do we still have to do a rate rise?

Yes, we still recommend completing a rate rise. The rate rise will update the minimum rates for your classifications, helping ensure your award rates remain current and allowing you to identify any employees who may fall below the new minimums.

This helps reduce the risk of assigning employees positions at the old rates ensuring that the correct minimum rates are used moving forward. It also provides an opportunity to review and update employee rates if required, including employees who are currently paid above the award.

Why does the system allow me to enter a 0% base rate rise, and how is this useful for me?

In previous years, the ‘Base rise percentage’ field in the rate rise tool needed a value above 0% to proceed with the rate rise process. Consequently, some customers previously made a 0.01% rate increase to fix errors. This 0.01% is no longer necessary, as the system now accepts a 0% increase.

Depending on the situation, re-entering the rate rise process with a 0% increase can be a useful solution to fix some rate rise errors.

• Performing the rate rise and forgetting to update allowances in step 6. Using the 0% method will allow you to start a new rate rise (with a 0% increase) and progress to Step 6 to update allowances before your next pay run.
• Performing the rate rise and then wanting to subsequently update a few more positions.

We suggest that in all circumstances you reach out to our helpful Support team prior to using this method to ensure its a viable to solution to the issue you are experiencing.

I have just employed some people and need to roster them for tomorrow. Can I do this with a pending rate rise?

There are 2 options here.

1. Add the person and their position before you commence the rate rise.
2. Add the person and their position after the rate rise has been processed.

New positions added during a pending rate rise will not be included in the rate rise.

What will happen to the shifts I have rostered? Do I need to hold off approving shifts until the rate rise is done?

The rate rise tool will handle all of this.

You can continue rostering & approving shifts without concern. The rate rise tool will update any shifts/timesheets for the correct period with the correct new rate.

Can the rate rise tool be used for an enterprise agreement?

Absolutely!
The rate rise tool can be used to increase the rates for any of the award configurations you may have set up. We use the term 'award' most commonly throughout the platform and in our communication but it extends to Enterprise Agreements, salaried positions, or any other type of custom arrangement.

Will the rate rise tool allow me to see and potentially increase above-award positions?

Yes, in the permanent and casual steps in the rate rise tool, you'll see a section for Above-award employees. These employees will not automatically have an increase applied, but you can increase them if you wish.

If you'd like to apply an increase to an Above-award employee, this can be done:

1. Singularly - By updating the 'edit' column next to that employee.
2. In Bulk- By using the CSV export/import option.

My employee says their new rate is wrong - What should I do?

Follow the below instructions.

1. Check the employee's payslip to confirm the rate that they were paid.
2. Check the Pay Guide to ensure that the rate paid to the employee is correct.
3. If you can't work out what is wrong or how to fix it, note down everything and provide us all the details.