How to Use the Test Bench

Where to Find It

You can access the Test Bench from two places:

Publish step — click the Test Bench button on Step 7 of the award wizard (accessed via Settings > Payroll Rules > Pay Rules and Calculations)
Edit mode — available in the URL path when editing a draft version

Building Test Timesheets

The Timesheets panel is where you create sample data to test against your rules.

Adding a Row

Click Add Timesheet to add a new row.
Each row represents one day's work entry.

Configuring a Timesheet Row

Each row has the following fields:

Field	Description
Date	Select the date using the date picker
Day	Auto-populated based on the selected date
Shift	Select a shift template, or click Add Shift to create a custom one
Work Type	Choose: Working, Unpaid Break, or Paid Break
Job Tracking	Select a job or click Add Job to create one
Start Time	Enter the clock-in time
End Time	Enter the clock-out time
Allowances	Multi-select allowances to apply (grouped by employment type)
Rate	Select which pay rate to use for this row
Leave	Select a leave type, add leave, choose a public holiday, or add a public holiday

Managing Rows

Delete a row using the delete icon in the Actions column.
Reset all rows using the Reset button to start fresh.
Add multiple rows to test a full week or pay period.

Boundary Successor Timesheet

The Boundary successor timesheet section sits below the main timesheets table. It lets you add a single optional row that represents the next-day portion of an overnight shift.

What It's For

Test non-continuous daily overtime and public holiday calculations for shifts that cross midnight.
The boundary row is sent separately from the main timesheets, so the engine can evaluate each calendar day independently.

How to Use It

Click Add boundary timesheet below the main table.
Configure the row exactly like a regular timesheet — pick a Shift, Start Time, End Time, Job, and optionally a Public Holiday from the Leave dropdown.
Only one boundary row is allowed. The Add boundary timesheet button is disabled once a row exists.
Delete the row using the delete icon to re-enable the button.

Example Scenario

An employee works a Night Shift from 21:00 to 05:00. The main timesheet covers the first calendar day (21:00–00:00) and the boundary row covers the next calendar day (00:00–05:00). If the second day is a public holiday, the engine applies public holiday non-continuous daily overtime rules to only those hours.

Running the Test

Build your timesheet rows with the dates, times, shifts, and rates you want to test.
Click Run in the Timesheets panel.
The system processes your sample data through the configured award rules.
Results appear in the Output panel.

Note: The Run button is disabled if any required fields are missing or invalid.

Reading the Output

The Output panel shows the calculated results in a table:

Column	Description
Base Rate	The ordinary hourly rate used
Rule Name	Which award rule generated this line
Rule Clause	The clause reference from your rule configuration
Date	The date the calculation applies to
Day	The day of the week
Job Tracking	The job associated with this line
Hours	The number of hours calculated
Rate	The rate applied (e.g., 150% for overtime)
Cost	The total cost for this line

Filtering Output

Employment Type — select an employment type to filter results
Calculation State — filter by the state of the calculation to focus on specific rule outputs

Finishing Up

Click Done to close the Test Bench and return to the award configuration.

Tips

Test edge cases — include overtime days, public holidays, short shifts, and missing breaks to verify all rules work.
Test overnight shifts — use the boundary successor timesheet to verify that non-continuous overtime and public holiday rules apply correctly across midnight.
Check each rule — use the Rule Name column to confirm the right rules are firing.
Compare rates — verify that overtime multipliers and penalty rates match your award document.
Test before every publish — make it a habit to run the Test Bench before publishing a live version.
Use realistic data — model actual employee scenarios for the most accurate validation.
Multiple employment types — test each type separately to ensure type-specific rules work correctly.