This article is designed for: User Type: Admins Access: Web Browser
This article covers what you need to set up before integrating Xero Payroll with RosterElf.
Please note: Xero payroll is only supported in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Also, the account signed into on Xero requires payroll permissions.
Also note: This is an essential step in your account setup, and you should set an hour aside to complete this in one sitting to ensure everything is completed.
Ensuring your Xero Setup is correct will save you time and ensure that Xero payroll processing goes smoothly.
RosterElf's Xero integration works to push data across without interrupting any of your existing settings.
For Help Setting Up Your Accounts
Please do not hesitate to contact us by:
- Email: customersupport@rosterelf.com
- Book a free 30-minute video call with our RosterElf Customer Success Team
- Live Chat: The green 'question mark support button' to the bottom right of your browser
Pay Calendars
Xero uses a Pay Calendar feature to determine an organisation's pay cycle. RosterElf also has a similar feature which is called Payroll Calendar. These settings need to be aligned so that Xero can receive timesheets from RosterElf.
Depending on your situation, the setup will vary. We'll cover the three scenarios we come across for Pay Calendars:
1. If you are an existing* RosterElf customer and want to create Pay Calendars in a new Xero account to match your existing RosterElf Pay Cycle settings, click here.
2. If you are an existing Xero customer and want to set up your Pay Cycles in a new* RosterElf account to match your existing Xero Pay Calendar, click here.
3. If your Xero and RosterElf accounts are established, click here.
*For this help article, a new RosterElf account means you haven't processed any payroll in your account yet.
Creating Pay Calendars in Xero (Scenario 1)
The following instructions are done in Xero and are used when you are an existing RosterElf customer and want to set up Xero to match your existing RosterElf pay cycle settings.
Before you start, if you don't know your pay cycle settings in RosterElf, click here and note down the information in the Payroll Calendar.
1. Head to Payroll Calendar Settings in Xero by clicking here.
2. Click the Add Pay Calendar button, and a popup box will appear.
3. For the Pay Period field, select the Weekly or Fortnightly option depending on your pay cycle.
4. For the Start Date field, select the date that matches your roster cycle in RosterElf. E.g. If your roster cycle in RosterElf is Monday to Sunday, select a Monday date.
5. For the First Payment Date field, select a date that matches the first time you wish to pay your employees
NOTE: UK and NZ customers must enter the name 'rosterelf'
6. Now that you've completed this section, skip to Pay Items.
Creating Pay Cycles in RosterElf (Scenario 2)
The following instructions are done in RosterElf and are used when you are an existing Xero customer and want to set up RosterElf to match your existing Xero pay calendar settings.
Before you start, if you don't know your pay calendar settings in Xero, click here and note down the information in the Pay Period and Next Pay Period for your default Pay Calendar. You will need to know whether the pay frequency is weekly or fortnightly, and based on the next pay period, work out the start and end days of the period.
For instance, if the pay period is 29/03/2022 - 04/04/2022, it would be a Tuesday to Monday Weekly pay period.
1. Head to Payroll Settings in RosterElf, by clicking here
2. Update the two fields in Payroll Calendar, as shown in the screenshot below, so they align with your Xero settings.
3. After completing this section, skip to Pay Items.
Both Xero and RosterElf are Established (Scenario 3)
The following instructions are used to check if RosterElf's Pay Cycle and Xero's Pay Calendar settings match.
1. Head to Payroll Settings in RosterElf, by clicking here
2. Head to Pay Calendars in Xero by clicking here
3. Compare the two to make sure they match:
RosterElf: Look at the Payroll Calendar settings and note down the two fields as shown in the screenshot below.
Xero: Look at the Pay Period and Next Pay Period for your default Pay Calendar. You will need to know, whether the pay frequency is weekly or fortnightly and based on the next pay period, work out what the start and end days of the period are.
For instance, if the pay period is 29/03/2022 - 04/04/2022, it would be a Tuesday to Monday Weekly pay period.
4. If they match, you can move on to the next process, Pay Items.
5. If they don't match, please contact support on the contact details at the top of this article.
Pay Items
Before creating a Pay Template, you must ensure that you have Pay Items set up in Xero for RosterElf to assign Timesheet hours.
This is done from the Payroll Settings in Xero (click for direct link). You can access this area by clicking on your organisation in the top left, then clicking Settings > Payroll Settings > Pay Items.
Depending on how you have been paying your staff previously, your Pay Items will be different from those shown here.
Here's an example of a simple pay structure:
Monday to Friday / Ordinary Hours: $21.72
Saturday : $32.58
Sunday: $38.01
Public Holiday: $54.30
1. To add these type of Pay Items to Xero, click the Add button on the upper left of the Pay Items tab, then select Ordinary Time Earnings
Please note: Monday to Sunday standard hours should ALL be Ordinary Time Earnings
Here you you will need to see the options for Ordinary Time Earnings.
2. Complete the fields in the Pay Item as follows:
Earnings Name: Name that RosterElf will show in the Pay Template dropdown.
Note: If you have a complex pay structure or many different pay rates, it is essential that you choose naming conventions as you will need to find these items from the list in RosterElf.
Rate Type: Multipliers are strongly recommended. However, you will need to make sure that your staffs 'Ordinary hours' are set correctly.
Multiple: Calculated from your ordinary hours
NOTE: If you need to use the Rate Per Unit method, Type of Unit should be set to Hours and you must keep ALL unit types the same. If one is 'Hours' and another is 'Hour', Xero will not let RosterElf process timesheets.
Expense Account: Expense accounts for this Pay Item. By default within Australia, this should be 477: Wages And Salaries; however, if you are unsure, please contact your bookkeeper or accountant regarding this.
Please note: If you have manually set a staff member's Xero Pay Template (NOT RosterElf Pay Templates) and adjusted the rate there, this will override the Earnings Rate for that Pay Item. This is not recommended as it stops you from having one central place to update your pay rates and can lead to a confusing setup.
Setup staff
The final step in Xero is to ensure all your employees in RosterElf are also set up in your Xero account.
1. Go to the Payroll tab in the middle of the menu bar.
2. Select Employees from the drop-down menu that appears.
3. You should now see a breakdown of all your current employees. Please make sure all employees in RosterElf are also listed in your Xero account.
4. For each employee, you will need to ensure that the first name, last name and email address match RosterElf. If any do not match, RosterElf will help you try and match manually at a later stage, but it is best to try and make sure details match, to begin with.
5. Next click on the second tab from the left titled Employment.
6. For the Payroll Calendar field, select your payroll calendar.
7. For the Earnings Rate field, select the pay item that is the staff's default earning rate.