Worked Costings and Selection Checklists
HR software modules explained: rostering, leave, self-service and HR records, and what each costs
What each payroll and HR software module does for an Australian employer, from leave accruals and rostering to onboarding and self-service, how it is usually priced and when it is worth paying for.
Payroll and HR software is sold as a set of modules: the payroll core (pay runs, STP, super, leave accruals), rostering and time and attendance, employee self-service, HR records and onboarding, and further talent modules such as performance reviews and learning. Most small and mid-sized employers need the core and self-service, shift-based employers also need rostering and award interpretation, and the talent modules are worth paying for only when you hire or review people often enough to use them. Price each module on its own (illustrative add-ons range from about $2 to $10 per employee a month), then decide whether a bundle is cheaper than the modules you would actually use.
This guide is part of how to choose payroll and HR software. All prices are illustrative, not vendor prices.
Module map
| Module | What it does | Typical buyer | Illustrative pricing pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll core | Pay runs, PAYG withholding, STP Phase 2, Payday Super, leave accruals, payslips | Every employer | Base per-employee price |
| Employee self-service | Payslips, leave requests, bank and tax details, availability, on a phone app | Most employers with 5+ staff | Often included; sometimes an add-on |
| Leave management | Approval workflows, leave calendars, balance forecasts | 10+ staff, several managers | Often included in HR tiers |
| Rostering | Shift building, availability, shift swaps, labour cost forecasts | Shift-based workforces | $2–$6 per active user a month (illustrative) |
| Time and attendance | Clock-in by app, kiosk or tablet, geofencing, timesheet approvals | Shift and site-based teams | Often bundled with rostering; hardware extra |
| Award interpretation | Applies award and agreement rules to hours | Award-heavy workforces | $3–$10 per employee a month (illustrative) |
| HR records and documents | Contracts, policies, qualifications and licence expiry tracking | 15+ staff, regulated industries | HR tier |
| Onboarding | Digital forms (TFN declaration, super choice), contract signing, induction tasks | Frequent hiring | HR tier or add-on |
| Performance and learning | Reviews, goals, training records | 50+ staff, structured development | Higher tier or add-on |
| Reporting and analytics | Labour cost, turnover, leave liability dashboards | Mid-sized employers | Higher tier |
Leave accruals: the module you cannot get wrong
Leave is part of the payroll core, and its set-up has to match the National Employment Standards (NES), your award and any agreement. The key NES entitlements software must track include:
- annual leave: 4 weeks a year for full-time employees (pro rata for part-time), with an extra week for some shift workers; casuals do not accrue annual leave;
- personal/carer's leave: 10 days a year for full-time employees (pro rata for part-time), accruing progressively;
- compassionate leave: 2 days per occasion, and unpaid carer's leave: 2 days per occasion;
- paid family and domestic violence leave: 10 days in each 12-month period, available in full rather than accruing, including to casuals;
- community service leave, and long service leave, which is mostly governed by state and territory laws (some industries have portable schemes).
Award terms add detail such as annual leave loading and cashing out rules. Accrual errors build up silently over years. See leave accrual set-up errors for what to check.
One privacy point: records of paid family and domestic violence leave must be handled carefully. The Fair Work rules restrict what can appear on payslips about this leave. Ask the vendor how its payslips and leave codes handle it.
Rostering and time and attendance
For hospitality, retail, health, aged care and similar workforces, rostering is often where software saves the most time. Look for:
- roster cost shown against a labour budget before you publish it;
- availability, leave and qualifications checked when building shifts;
- clock-in methods that suit your sites (tablet kiosk, phone with geofence, biometric devices — note that biometrics raise privacy questions);
- timesheet approval by managers on their phones, with variance flags (early start, missed break);
- a clean export of approved, costed hours into payroll.
Illustrative cost: 30 rostered staff × $5 a month = $150 a month, plus two kiosk tablets at $500 each. Over three years: $150 × 36 + $1,000 = $6,400.
Self-service: small cost, large time saving
Employee self-service lets staff view payslips, update bank, address and super details, apply for leave and see rosters. It reduces admin and the risk of keying errors in bank details. It also creates a security risk: a compromised employee login can be used to change bank details and redirect pay. Insist on multi-factor authentication and notifications when bank details change; see employee data privacy.
HR records and onboarding
Digital onboarding replaces paper TFN declarations, super choice forms and contracts. For a business hiring 20 casuals a year, it might save an illustrative 1 hour per hire of manager and admin time: 20 × 1 × $50 = $1,000 a year. If the HR tier costs $4 more per employee a month for 25 employees ($1,200 a year), the saving alone does not cover it; the business needs to value other features (document storage, licence expiry alerts, policy acknowledgements) too.
Deciding which modules to pay for
| Question | If yes | If no |
|---|---|---|
| Do most staff work variable shifts? | Rostering, time clocks, award interpretation | Payroll core and self-service |
| Do you hire more than about 10 people a year? | Onboarding | Templates and a document folder may do |
| Do you track licences or certifications (e.g. working with children checks, RSA, first aid)? | HR records with expiry alerts | Calendar reminders |
| More than 50 staff with structured reviews? | Performance module | Simple templates |
| Several managers approve leave? | Leave workflows | Payroll leave requests |
Price your selection with the cost per employee estimator and compare it with the bundle that includes them. For the integration side, see integrations with accounting, time clocks and super.
Related: to see what these modules add to a full budget, read the 3-year TCO worked example; for which modules each business type usually needs, see the best-fit guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do casuals need self-service accounts?
It helps: casuals usually have the most roster changes and payslip queries. Check whether the vendor bills inactive casuals.
Is rostering worth it for a small team?
For under about ten staff on fixed hours, often not. For a small team on variable shifts with penalty rates, it can be.
Can HR software replace an HR adviser?
No. It stores and automates processes. Decisions about awards, terminations and disputes still need judgement and sometimes legal advice.
Should long service leave be tracked in payroll?
Yes. Rules differ by state and territory, so check the product supports the jurisdictions where your employees work.
Sources
- Fair Work Ombudsman — National Employment Standards, leave entitlements and payslip rules for family and domestic violence leave
- Fair Work Commission — award terms on leave loading and rostering
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner — privacy of employee information and biometrics
- business.gov.au — hiring and onboarding employees
