Please note: This feature is available for partners using Birdie's upgraded rostering system. If you are using our existing rostering system, please see this article instead.
Please get in touch if interested in more information on upgraded rostering!
What are Pay Rate Overrides?
Pay rate overrides allow you to apply different pay rates rather than using the default rate card assigned to a carer. This gives you maximum flexibility in your pay policies, enabling you to:
Offer incentive rates when staff accept visits on short notice
Provide premium pay for visits outside of working hours
Apply bespoke rates for specific circumstances
Manage complex pay structures with ease
When to use a Pay Rate Override
Pay rate overrides are particularly valuable for partners with complex operational needs. Common use cases include:
Negotiated rates for specific clients that differ from standard contracts
Incentive payments to encourage coverage of difficult-to-fill shifts
Premium rates for short-notice or out-of-hours coverage
Bespoke arrangements that require flexibility beyond standard rate cards
Setting Up Rate Cards
Before you can override pay rates, you need to create the specific pay rates you will use for overrides.
Navigate to the Finance tab
Click Pay rates in the left menu
Click New Pay Rate or select an existing rate to Edit
Set up your rate structure:
Choose Day type (Weekday, Weekend, Holiday, etc.)
Select Time of day or Always
Choose Rate type (Single, Fixed, or Banded)
Enter the rate amount
Click Add to save the rate
Click Save when all rates are configured
For detailed instructions on creating pay rates, see our existing guide on How to Create & Assign Pay Rate Cards.
How to override pay rate cards for individual visits
Navigate to the Roster tab or Visit Calendar (the steps are the same)
Click on the specific visit you want to override
Select View visit on the drop-down menu
4. Scroll to the Pay Overview section
5. Click the three dots (…) button
6. Click on the Add override drop-down
7. Configure your override:
Select new rate card: Select your desired override rate (you can only select one)
Reason field: Enter a reason for this override, for auditing purposes
8. Click Override to apply the override
This override will be applied to this visit only.
How to override pay rate cards for visits within a visit schedule
Navigate to the client's visit template tab
Click add visit schedule
Scroll down to the Attendee slots and open the pay rate card section
4. Click set override
5. Configure your override
Select new rate card: Select your desired override rate (you can only select one)
Reason field: Enter a reason for this override, for auditing purposes
6. Select override to save this
7. Complete the rest of the visit schedule set up and save
If the schedule already exists, you can:
Head to the visit template tab
Find the visit schedule you wish to override
Click on the visit and click edit schedule
Scroll down to the attendee and open the pay rate card section
Configure your override
Select new rate card: Select your desired override rate (you can only select one)
Reason field: Enter a reason for this override, for auditing purposes
Click save changes and set when this change should take effect
This override will apply to all visits in that schedule.
Managing Your Overrides
Important: A pay override made on an individual visit takes precedence over a pay override applied at template level.
Viewing existing overrides
All active overrides are visible in the right-hand sidebar when you select a visit. You will see:
The override rate currently applied
Editing an override
To edit an existing override:
Click the three dots (…) in the Pay overview section
Select Edit from the dropdown
Choose a different rate card or update the reason
Click Override to apply changes
To edit an existing override for the template:
1. Click the visit template and click edit schedule
2. Scroll to the attendee section and click change
3. Click save changes to apply changes
Removing an override
To remove an override and revert to the default rate:
Click the three dots (…) in the Pay overview section
Select Remove from the dropdown
Confirm the removal by clicking Remove
The visit will return to using the carer's default rate card
To remove an existing override for the template:
1. Click the visit template and click edit schedule
2. Scroll to the attendee section and click remove
3. Click save changes to apply changes
4. This visit schedule will return to the carer's default rate card
Troubleshooting
Visit Schedule Separation
Adding a rate card override will separate the visit from its schedule. What this means:
The overridden visit becomes independent from its original schedule
Future changes to the schedule will not affect this visit
The visit shows a striped bar indicator in the calendar view
This ensures your override remains intact regardless of schedule changes
You will see a visual indicator such as a striped bar indicating the visit has been detached due to edits (including overrides)
2. Override not appearing
Check the right-hand sidebar: Ensure you are looking in the Pay overview section
Verify permissions: Confirm you have access to modify pay rates
Refresh the page: Sometimes a browser refresh resolves display issues
3. Unable to edit an override
Visit timing: Ensure the visit has not already been completed
Rate card status: Verify the override rate card still exists and is active
System permissions: Check that your user role allows pay rate modifications
4. Override has disappeared unexpectedly
Schedule changes: Major schedule modifications might affect overrides
Rate card deletion: If the override rate card is deleted, the override will revert