By Brett Ransley • 17 Mar 2026
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Running payroll for contractors, casual workers, or talent agencies just got a whole lot easier.
We’ve rolled out one of our most-requested features: per-entry pay rate overrides. You can now set a custom hourly rate or a flat day rate on individual time entries without touching the employee’s default rate.
Why We Built This
We heard from payroll managers across New Zealand who work in industries where variable pay is just part of life. Screen production companies, talent agencies, labour hire firms, and project-based businesses often pay the same person at different rates depending on the job, production, or client.
One of our users put it perfectly:
“A person could work 5 hours on Shortland Street at $26.50 per hour, then the next day work on another TV show at $30 per hour, then two days later get booked on a commercial paying $350 for a full day, all in one week.”
With a single fixed hourly rate per employee, that becomes a headache very quickly. Now it’s handled automatically.
What’s New
Override the hourly rate for any time entry
Simply enter hours as normal, then set a different rate for that specific entry. The employee’s default rate stays unchanged. The override only applies to that entry.
Set a flat day rate
If someone is paid a fixed amount for the day regardless of hours, which is common in film, events, and project work, select Day Rate and enter the amount. The system treats it as a flat fee when calculating gross pay.
Works across all three timesheet entry methods
- Manual Timesheet Entry
- Calendar View
- Day Table
Pay runs calculate correctly
Gross pay on pay runs now breaks down by rate. Default hourly rates, override hourly rates, and flat day rates are all calculated separately and summed correctly. The pay run detail page also shows a full breakdown in the tooltip, so you can verify everything at a glance.
Who Is This For?
- Talent agencies and casting companies paying variable rates per production
- Labour hire and contracting firms with client-specific rates
- Construction and trades with project-based rates
- Events and hospitality businesses using day rates for casual staff
- Any business where one rate for everything just doesn’t work
How to Use It
- Go to any timesheet entry page: Manual, Calendar, or Day Table.
- Enter hours as normal.
- Tick Override pay rate, or use the rate row if it appears automatically in the day table.
- Choose Hourly or Day Rate.
- Enter the rate, or leave it blank to use the employee’s default rate.
That’s it. Process your pay run as normal and everything calculates automatically.
goCasual is New Zealand payroll software built for the way casual and contract work actually happens.
Start your free trial today.