Advanced calculations

As a PaySuiteCompensation Management feature, calculated columns allow administrators to perform advanced calculations directly within compensation rounds. Using formula-based expressions, calculated columns can aggregate values, apply conditional logic, and reference a wide range of fields from across the round, removing the need for manual data preparation outside the system.

Calculated columns are set up in the Team planner view, accessed from the compensation round configuration wizard. To learn more about compensation rounds, see Creating a compensation round.

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Advanced calculations are configured in Workbench > Compensation Management > Compensation Rounds. Access to this feature requires one of the following roles: Configuration, Compensation Admin, or Global Compensation Admin. Managers and HRBPs can view the results of calculated columns in the Planner according to their access level.

Creating a calculated column

As an administrator, you can add a calculated column to a compensation round. To do so, proceed as follows:

1. In the Team planner view step of the compensation round configuration wizard, click the Create button in the top-right corner of the column list.

2. When the contextual menu appears, select Calculated column, as shown below:

   

   Calculated column entry point in the Team planner view

   The Calculated column drawer opens on the right side of the page, as illustrated in the following picture:

   

   Calculated column drawer

3. Enter a Column name and a Code.

4. Choose the column output Type from the drop-down list – Decimal for numeric results, String for text results, or Boolean for true/false results.

5. Optionally, select a Header color to visually group or highlight the column in the compensation grid.

6. If you chose Decimal as the output type, configure the following additional options:

• Decimal precision: Define the number of digits to display after the decimal separator. The default is 2.

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Decimal precision controls the display only. All calculations are performed using the full number.

• Enable currency in the Calculation section: Toggle on to activate currency support for the column. When enabled, select a Currency source: Data model (currency of the exact compensation element), All currencies (any currency available for the organization), or Comp round currency (currency of the compensation round). For the Data model and All currencies, select the Currency field from the drop-down list. The figure below presents the Calculation section:

  

  Calculation section of the Calculated column drawer

7. In the Calculation section, configure the following:

   • Type of the Formula: Select Non-conditional or Conditional. See Formula types for details.

     For a non-conditional formula, enter your expression directly in the Formula field.

     For a conditional formula, use one or more numbered condition blocks, each consisting of an If field for the condition and a Then field for the outcome. Click + Add condition to add more blocks, and fill in the Else field to define the fallback outcome. Copy or delete your conditions by clicking the and icons.

     With both formula types, you can press Control + Space to trigger autocomplete suggestions for properties and functions. You can also click Learn more to access the contextual menu with properties, keyboard shortcuts, or the formula builder help displayed in a drawer on the right of the screen.

     To switch to the full-width editing environment, click Open calculation workspace, as shown in the following illustration:

     

     Accessing the calculation workspace

     For more on the calculation workspace, go to the Calculation workspace below.

8. Click Apply to save your changes.

Viewing calculated columns in the Planner

As a manager or HRBP, you can view calculated columns in the Planner. To do so, proceed as follows:

1. Go to Planner > Compensation and click the name of the relevant compensation round in the list. You are redirected to the Comp review tab.

2. In the table of workers, calculated columns are marked with the icon next to the column name. Hovering over the icon displays a tooltip confirming that this is a calculated column, as you can see in the following picture:

   

   Calculated columns in the Planner

   When you click the icon, a drawer with the formula configuration is displayed on the right, reflecting how the calculation result was derived. In the drawer, you can also find the Learn more button, with the contextual menu including Properties, Keyboard shortcuts, and Help, as shown below:

   

   Calculated column formula drawer

Calculated columns can be driven by other columns in the Planner. For instance, a conditional calculated column can be linked to a custom column. When you update the value in the custom column for a worker, the calculated column output updates accordingly.

Formula types

Calculated columns support two types of formula:

• Non-conditional formulas, which produce a result based on a single expression, with no branching logic. For example, in a Total Amount calculated column, a non-conditional formula can be used to sum all compensation element proposal values to produce a total compensation figure.

• Conditional formulas, which use If / Then / Else logic to return different values depending on whether a condition is met. For instance, a custom column called Promotion with a "yes"/"no" selection can drive a conditional calculation. When the user sets the value to "yes" for a worker in the formula editor, a defined amount is automatically added to the worker's total compensation.

  The following illustration presents input fields for the conditional formula:

  

  Conditional formula editor in the Calculated column drawer

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You can add multiple conditions to your conditional formula. To do so, click the +Add condition button below the formula input field.

Calculation workspace

The calculation workspace provides more space for building and editing formulas. It is designed to support both conditional and non-conditional formulas efficiently. The picture below shows how the workspace is displayed on the screen:

Calculation workspace

The Calculation workspace page consists of four main areas.

On the left-hand side, a searchable Functions panel lists available functions and groups them by category: Aggregation, Conditional, DateTime, Math, and String, as defined in the Supported functions section of this article. Click a category to expand it and browse its functions. Each category item includes a short description that becomes visible when clicking the icon next to the item name. You can also click the icon to insert your chosen item into the formula directly from the panel. Additionally, the entire panel can be collapsed to maximize the editing area by clicking the icon in its top-right corner.

At the top, the operators bar displays the logical and arithmetic operators available for formula construction, including AND, OR, true, false, comparison operators, and arithmetic symbols. Operators also have built-in tooltips with descriptions and usage examples. On the right, there is the Calculation guide button. Click it to explore useful tips for creating your formula, such as:

Calculation guide tip

In the center, the Formula input serves as the main editing area where you write your expression. Press Control + Space on your keyboard for auto-suggestions. Available data sources and functions appear in a drop-down list with their types and descriptive tooltips, so you can select the right one without leaving the editor. Real-time validation below the formula input field highlights errors as you type, allowing you to correct them incrementally before saving.

At the bottom, the Properties panel specifies all fields available for use in the formula, organized by source: DataModel, RoundCalculations, and RoundInputs, which we describe in detail in Data sources. Use the search bar to locate a specific field by property name. You can also expand the data source by clicking its name to view listed fields. Each field entry includes a type, the icon that shows a description when clicked, and the icon to add the field into the formula writing area, as presented below:

Properties panel with a list of fields

The panel can be collapsed when not needed by clicking the icon in its top-right corner.

Once formula editing is complete, click the Close button to return to the Calculated column configuration in the drawer.

Data sources

Formulas can reference fields from three sources, all accessible from the Properties panel in the Calculation workspace:

• DataModel: Fields from the underlying data model.

• RoundCalculations: Calculated fields and results from other round configuration steps.

• RoundInputs: Fields specific to the round, such as proposals and custom fields.

The following fields are available within these sources for use in formulas:

• Calculations – based on other calculated fields

• Custom fields – user-defined fields associated with the round

• Eligibility – eligible flag and eligibility rule name

• Budget – budget output value and rule name

• Guidelines – guideline values, flags, and rule name

• Guaranteed amount – guaranteed amount output and rule name

• Conditional formatting – conditional formatting rule name

Supported functions

The Calculation workspace page organizes functions into five categories:

Aggregation

Function	Description	Parameters	Return Type	Example
AVG	Returns the average of all provided numbers	array: Decimal (variadic)	Decimal	AVG(10, 5, 8) → 7.6
MAX	Returns the maximum value from a list of numbers	array: Decimal (variadic)	Decimal	MAX(10, 5, 8) → 10
MIN	Returns the minimum value from a list of numbers	array: Decimal (variadic)	Decimal	MIN(10, 5, 8) → 5
SUM	Returns the sum of all provided numbers	array: Decimal (variadic)	Decimal	SUM(10, 5, 8) → 23

Conditional

Function	Description	Parameters	Return Type	Example
COALESCE	Returns the first non-null value from a list of values	values: Any (variadic)	Any	COALESCE(null, "default") → "default"
IF	Returns one value if condition is true, another if false	condition: Boolean, ifTrue: Any, ifFalse: Any	Any	IF(true, "yes", "no") → "yes"
ISNULL	Checks if a value is null	value: Any	Boolean	ISNULL(null) → true

DateTime

Function	Description	Parameters	Return Type	Example
DATE	Creates a date from year, month, and day components	year: Decimal, month: Decimal, day: Decimal	Date	DATE(2024, 1, 15) → 2024-01-15
DATE_ADD_DAY	Add the given number of day to a date	date: Date, days: Decimal	Decimal	DATE_ADD_DAY(STR_TO_DATE("2024-01-15"), 1) → 2024-01-16
DATE_DAY	Returns the day component of a date	date: Date	Decimal	DATE_DAY(STR_TO_DATE("2024-01-15")) → 15
DATE_MONTH	Returns the month component of a date	date: Date	Decimal	DATE_MONTH(STR_TO_DATE("2024-01-15")) → 01
DATE_TIME	Creates a datetime from year, month, day, hour, minute, and second components in UTC	year: Decimal, month: Decimal, day: Decimal, hour: Decimal, minute: Decimal, second: Decimal	Date	DATE_TIME(2024, 1, 15, 14, 30, 0) → 2024-01-15 14:30:00
DATE_TIME_TZ	Creates a datetime in the specified timezone and converts it to UTC	year: Decimal, month: Decimal, day: Decimal, hour: Decimal, minute: Decimal, second: Decimal, timezone: String	Date	DATE_TIME_TZ(2024, 1, 15, 10, 0, 0, "Eastern Standard Time") → 2024-01-15 15:00:00 UTC
DATE_YEAR	Returns the year component of a date	date: Date	Decimal	DATE_YEAR(STR_TO_DATE("2024-01-15")) → 2024
STR_TO_DATE	Converts a string to a date object	dateString: String	Date	STR_TO_DATE("2024-01-15") → 2024-01-15

Math

Function	Description	Parameters	Return Type	Example
ABS	Returns the absolute value of a number	number: Decimal	Decimal	ABS(-5) → 5
CEILING	Rounds a number up to the nearest integer	value: Decimal	Decimal	CEILING(3.2) → 4
FLOOR	Rounds a number down to the nearest integer	value: Decimal	Decimal	FLOOR(3.7) → 3
ROUND	Rounds a number to the specified number of decimal places	value: Decimal, decimals: Decimal	Decimal	ROUND(3.14159, 2) → 3.14

String

Function	Description	Parameters	Return Type	Example
LOWER	Converts text to lowercase letters	text: String	String	LOWER("HELLO") → "hello"
STRING_EQUALS	Compares two strings for equality with optional case sensitivity	text1: String, text2: String, ignoreCase: Boolean	Boolean	STRING_EQUALS("Hello", "hello", true) → true
TRIM	Removes leading and trailing whitespace from text	text: String	String	TRIM(" hello ") → "hello"
UPPER	Converts text to uppercase letters	text: String	String	UPPER("hello") → "HELLO"