“I spend every second Friday doing timesheet admin. Grid gives me Excel, I calculate penalties manually, then enter everything into Xero line by line. It's 8 hours of my life, every fortnight.”
— Perth earthmoving contractor, $14M revenue, 55 workers
How Perth Mining Suppliers Automate Timesheets with Xero Integration
The Problem
This happens every pay run for Perth mining suppliers processing 20-100 workers across multiple sites. The workflow is always the same:
- 8 hours per fortnight: export Grid to Excel, manually calculate Award rates, enter into Xero line by line
- Saturday 150%, Sunday 200%, Public Holiday 250% — calculated by hand every pay run
- One calculation error = one Fair Work underpayment claim waiting to happen
- Email chasing for approvals, tracking spreadsheet versions, reconciling disputed hours
- Client billing requires re-entering the same hours into a different format
One penalty rate mistake × 50 workers × 26 fortnights = $50,000+ underpayment exposure.
What Automation Actually Looks Like
Award MA000011 Built-In
Mining Industry Award penalty rates calculated automatically. Weekday 100%, Saturday 150%, Sunday 200%, Public Holiday 250%. Enter the date — the system knows the rate. No spreadsheet formulas. No manual lookups.
Manager Approval Dashboard
See all pending timesheets in one view. Worker name, site, hours, penalty hours, calculated amount. Approve individually or bulk approve with one click. Reject with automatic worker notification.
Direct Xero Sync
Approved timesheets sync directly to Xero. Invoice created automatically with correct line items. No Excel exports. No manual data entry. No transcription errors.
Multi-Site Client Tracking
Track hours per site and client — Newman (BHP), Tom Price (Rio Tinto), Cloudbreak (FMG), Roy Hill. Generate client invoices from approved hours. Labour cost allocation sorted.
ROI for a 50-Worker Supplier
Time savings
8 hours → 20 minutes per fortnight = 200 hours/year = $8,000/year
Xero data entry eliminated
325 hours/year = $4,000/year
Fair Work compliance protection
One underpayment claim avoided = $10,000-$50,000
Total: $12,000-$62,000/year for timesheet automation alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DrilLedger handle Award MA000011 penalty rate calculations?
The Integrated Timesheet Portal automatically calculates all penalty rates under the Mining Industry Award 2020 (MA000011) — including overtime, Saturday 150%, Sunday 200%, Public Holiday 250%, and shift allowance rates. Penalties are applied automatically based on shift times and roster patterns. No manual Excel lookups.
Can timesheets sync directly to Xero without Excel exports?
Yes. Approved timesheets sync directly to Xero — no Excel exports, no CSV uploads, no manual data entry. Each timesheet line maps to the correct Xero tracking category, pay item, and employee record.
Does the Timesheet Portal work with Grid workforce management?
Yes. DrilLedger integrates with Grid. The portal imports Grid timesheet data, applies Award MA000011 calculations automatically, and syncs the approved results to Xero — eliminating the manual Excel bridge between the two systems.