FA1: RECORDING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS

4 OVERTIME PAY, BONUSES AND COMMISSION

4.1 OVERTIME

Normally an employee is required to work for a set number of hours every week. There may however be occasions when the employer will ask the employee to work for longer hours. Overtime is the time worked over and above the employee's basic working week.

Overtime must not be confused with flexitime. In a flexitime system an employee is allowed to work extra hours earlier in the week or month, in return for which fewer hours need to be worked later on. The overall number of hours worked in a given time period (e.g, a month) remains constant.

4.2 HOURLY PAID WORKERS

Hourly paid workers may be paid overtime at various different rates. For example, the hourly rate of overtime may be the same as the basic rate of pay or higher than the basic rate of pay.

It may either be expressed as a higher monetary amount, or as a proportion of basic pay, such as time and a half.

The hourly rate of overtime may vary according to when the overtime is worked. For example the evening rate may be 'time and a half, whereas the weekend overtime rate may be 'double time.

The hourly rate may vary with the number of overtime hours worked. For example the first 5 hours may be paid at 'time and a half, and additional hours paid at 'double time'.

4.3 CALCULATING OVERTIME PAY - WEEKLY PAID WORKERS

Overtime pay is the number of hours of overtime worked, multiplied by the rate at which overtime is paid.

Example

An employee normally works a 35 hour week, and is paid $5 per hour. In one week the employee worked 12 hours of overtime, one hour each week day, plus 7 hours on Saturday.

How much is the overtime pay if:

  • (a) the employee is pald time and a half for all overtime hours?
  • (b) the employee is paid time and a half for evening overtime and double time for weekend overtime?
  • (c) the employee is paid time and a half for the first 8 hours overtime and double time thereafter?
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Solution

The employee a overtime pay is:

(a)

Basic rate of pay $5 per hour

Overtime rate of pay \$ 5 * 1 %=\$7.50 per hour

Overtime pay 12 hours $7.50 per hour (90, 0)/s

(b)

Basic rate of pay $5 per hour

Overtime rate of pay evenings 15 * 1 %=\$7.50 per hour

Overtime rate of pay weekends \$ 5 * 2 =\$10.00 per hour

Overtime pay

5 hours $7.50 per hour 37:50

7 hours $10.00 per hour 70.00

Total 107.50

(c)

Basic rate of pay $5 per hour

Overtime rate of pay-first 8 hours \$ 5 * 1 % 2 =57.50 per hour

Overtime rate of pay excess hours \$ 5 * 2 =\$10.00 per hour

Overtime pay

8 hours $7.50 per hour 60,00

4 hours $10.00 per hour 40.00

100.00

4.4 SALARIED STAFF

Not all salaried staff are paid overtime for any additional hours worked. If they are, the rate at which overtime is paid may vary according to when the overtime is worked, in precisely the same way as for weekly paid employees

The difference is that the pay of salaried staff is usually expressed as an annual rate. and this must be converted to an hourly rate before the overtime can be calculated.

This is done by dividing the annual salary by 52 to give the weekly salary, and further dividing this by the number of hours an employee is contracted to work for

It should be noted that the contract of employment may override this calculation, setting a rate of overtime pay.

Example

Employee K works a 35-hour week for an annual salary of $18,200. Employee Kis expected to work up to 5 hours of overtime for no extra pay, but thereafter will be paid overtime pay at the rate of time and a half. In a particular week. Employee K worked 8 hours of overtime. What is Employee K's overtime pay?

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Solution

Empicyen K's trases hourly rate of pay in $18:2001/521/35 $10:00 The hourly rate of overtime pay, at time and a half, i $10.00154 $15.00 Employee K will not be paid for the first 5 hours of overtime, so overtime pay is as Follows (4-5 hours 3 hours $15-$45.00

4.5 BONUSES

Bonus schemes are schemes under which employees receive additional amounts of earnings, as a reward for good work, in addition to their normal pay

The essence of a bonus scheme is that additional pay will be earned if targets are achieved or exceeded. The scheme should set out their exact details and the dates of payment

Examples of bonuses which may be eamed are

  1. If the department's output exceeds a set limit, a bonus may be paid for every extra unit
  2. If sales made exceed a target in any one month, a proportion of the excess is divided between the salesforce.
  3. If the profits of the business exceed target, every employee may receive a bonus based on their basic pay.
  4. if an employee achieves a certain quality of work, a bonus may be eamed
  5. if a long-term contract is completed early, each employee may receive a bonus related to how earty the contract is completed.
  6. If the profits of the business increase by a set percentage, the senior managers receive a bonus related to their basic pay.

Example

Supersales operates various bonus schemes

  1. Normal output of the toy department is 1,000 dolls per week. For every doll produced in excess of 1,100 per week, each employee of the department receives an extra 5
  2. If the total sales in the retail outlets exceed $1 million in any one month, 2% of the excess is shared between the sales team.
  3. If profits exceed $90 million, every employee receives a bonus of one week's pay.
  4. If a junior employee receives a top grade assessment from their supervisor on four consecutive occasions, that employee receives a bonus of $10.
  5. Supersales Co has several contracts spanning 9 months or more. Each employee involved in the contract receives a bonus of one day's pay for every week by which the contract is completed early.
  6. If Supersales Co's annual profits increase by 5% or more per annum, the senior managers receive a bonus of 1% of their basic annual pay.
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CHAPTER B

The following additional information is relevant

(a) Employee T works in the toy department, and is paid $100 per week. In ons Week 1.230 dolls were produced.

(b) Employee S is a member of the states team, and is paid $150 per week. In April sales were $1.7 million. Employee S's proportionats share of the bonus is 0.5%

(c) Employee R is a junior employee paid $65 per week. Employee R received four consecutive top grade assessments. Employee R was employed on one of the long-term contracts, which was completed two works Barty

(d) Employee P is a senior manager, and is paid $38,000 per annum.

Supersales Co's profits for the year have just been announced as $92 million, a 5.5% increase over the previous year.

What bonuses will each employee receive?

Solution

(a) Employee T

Scheme 1. 130 extra dolls 5c 6.50

Scheme 3. Profits exceed $90m, one week's pay 100.00

108.50 Total bonus

(b) Employee S

Scheme 2 Total bonuses 2% $(17-1)m=$14,000

Profit share of 0.5% 70.00

Scheme 3. Profits exceed $90m, one week's pay 150:00

220.00

(c) Employee R

Scheme 3. Profits exceed $90m, one week's pay 65.00

Scheme 4. 4 top grade assessments 10.00

Scheme 5. Contract completed 2 weeks early 2 days pay 2/5 $65 26.00

101.00

(d) Employee P

Scheme 3. Profits exceed $90m, one week's pay 1/52 x $36,000 692.31

Scheme 6. Profits increased by 5.5%, 1% of basic pay 360.00

1,052.31

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PATI REDORDING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS

ACTIVITY 4

Employee & and C work for Smash Co which operates the following bonus schernes 1 sales exceed $100 milion in A bonus of $10 or every complete 55m hy which sales anywne month 2 A bonus of $5 for every 10 boxes of components produced by any one wes ле wok in exness of 1,000 50 wowk in which the departmen A bonus of 10% of me wook's pay for any wou output exceeds 10.000 boxes. in one week Employne в produced 080 poves, and Employee C produced 1020 boxes. The departinant as a whole produced 10,500 boses The figures for the previous month showed that sales wern $102.7 million. Employnes B and C have banic weekly pay of $120 and 3130 respectively What bonus will they wasch receive For supported are the Ascars' sestion of the end of the brors

4.6 COMMISSION

In some jobe employees may be remunerated by a basic salary, plus an additional amount specifically miated to that employee's performance

Commission is an amount paid to an employee based on that employees performance

Commission is most commonly part to salesperson, based on the volume or value of sales that they have achieved in a given period. In some cases they may have a very low basic salary, so that commission forms the largest part of their pay in its simplest foon, commission will usually be expressed as a percentage of sales achieved in the previous period eg. 13% of sales.

Commission may also be paid at different scales, so that the higher the sales, the higher the rate and level of commission. For example, a salesperson may be paid 2% commission on the first $10,000 of sales. 2.5% on the next $10.000, and 3% on any additional sales

This basis may be appropriate where an employee sells a large number of small value items. If the salesperson instead sells higher value contracts, the level of commission may vary with the value of the contract. For example, the rate of commission may be 29% for contracts with a value up to $10,000, 2.5% for contracts with a value up to $20,000, and 3% for larger contracts

Since the incentive is for the employee to make a large volume of sales, it is important for the employer to ensure that the salesperson in rewarded only for good sales. The commission scheme may contain a condition that the commission will be paid only when the customer has paid, or when the customer's creditworthiness has been checked

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Example

A salesperson receives a commission of 2% on the value of all machinery sales, with the additional 0.5% for any item of machinery sold for more than $10,000. In addition the salesperson receives a further 0.5% on sales in excess of $100.000 per month.

During July the salesperson's total sales amounted to $110,000. Included in this were two expensive machines, one sold for $12.000, and the other for $17,000.

How much commission did the salesperson earn?

Solution

The salesperson eams commission of

$ 2,200 Basic commission $110,000×2%

145 Expensive machines $(12,000+ 17,000) x 0.5%

50 Sales over $100,000 $(110,000-100,000) x 0.5%

2,395 Total commission

ACTIVITY 5

Employee K is paid commission of 5% on the first $20,000 of sales, and 7.5% on any sales in excess of that amount. However, Employee K is only paid the commission when either the customer has paid for the order, or has taken out a financing agreement. In October Employee K made sales of $35,000. However, two customers declined to pay or take out a financing agreement. One had ordered goods costing $1,500, and the other goods costing $2,500. How much commission will Employee K receive? For a suggested answer, see the 'Answers' section at the end of the book.

5 AUTHORISATION

5.1 WHY IS AUTHORISATION REQUIRED?

When an employee is paid on the basis of hours worked, or work done, pay will vary from week to week. It is the payroll department's responsibility to calculate gross pay each payday. The payroll department can only calculate gross pay on the basis of documentation they receive recording the employee's hours of work or work done.

The employee often prepares this documentation. It should not be possible for an employee to overstate the hours worked, or work done, as this would result in them being overpaid. It is therefore important that any documentation prepared by the employee is reviewed and approved by a responsible person, such as a manager before it is paid. Any overtime worked must also be authorised.

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