BCEA Shift Worker Pay & Rights Calculator for South Africa (2025/2026)

Are you a shift worker in South Africa unsure if you're being paid correctly? Take control of your earnings and understand your rights with our powerful, free BCEA Shift Worker Calculator & Analyzer. Designed specifically for the complexities of shift work in South Africa, this tool helps you instantly verify your payslip and check your employer's compliance with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA).

Our easy-to-use calculator demystifies South African labour law. Stop wondering and start knowing exactly what you're owed for your hard work.

Key Features:

• Accurate Salary Calculation: Get a detailed breakdown of your gross pay and estimated net (take-home) salary after all mandatory deductions.
• Instant BCEA Violation Analysis: Our intelligent tool automatically analyzes your work schedule against the BCEA to identify potential violations regarding rest periods, maximum work hours, and consecutive shifts.
• Comprehensive Pay Premiums: Automatically calculates correct pay rates for:
  • Overtime: Based on your specific contract hours.
  • Sunday Work: Ensures you're paid the correct premium for Sunday shifts.
  • Public Holidays: Uses the latest 2025 & 2026 public holiday calendar for precise calculations.
  • Night Shift Allowance: Correctly calculates the allowance for any hours worked between 18:00 and 06:00.
• Deductions Explained: See clear estimates for PAYE (Income Tax) and UIF contributions based on the latest SARS tax tables, so you understand exactly where your money is going.
• Industry-Specific Insights: Select your industry (e.g., Private Security, Mining, Retail) for more tailored analysis that considers relevant Sectoral Determinations.
• AI-Powered Explanations: Powered by the Gemini API, get simple, clear explanations of any identified labour law violations and what the law says about your situation.

Whether you work 8-hour or 12-hour shifts, this is the ultimate tool to empower yourself. Calculate your salary, check for overtime, and protect your rights under South African labour law. Try our free calculator today!

How to Use the Calculator: Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these simple steps to get a detailed breakdown of your earnings and a full analysis of your work schedule.

Step 1: Enter Your Details

This section captures the basic information needed for the calculation.

1. Pay Period Start & End: Select the first and last day of the pay period you want to analyze. The daily schedule will appear automatically once you set the dates.
2. Your Industry: Choose the industry you work in from the dropdown. This helps tailor the violation analysis. If your industry isn't listed, select "Other / General".
3. Shift Pattern: Select whether you work 8-hour or 12-hour shifts. This will determine the shift types available.
4. Hourly Rate (ZAR): Enter your standard hourly pay rate before any deductions.
5. Contractual Weekly Hours: (Important!) Enter the number of normal weekly hours as stated in your employment contract (e.g., 40 or 45). The calculator uses this to determine when overtime pay should start.
6. Your Age: Your age is used to apply the correct annual tax rebates for PAYE calculations.
7. Other Deductions (ZAR): If you have any other regular deductions (like for a staff loan or provident fund), enter the total amount here.

Step 2: Define Your Shift Times

Here, you only need to set the standard start and end times for each of your shifts once.

• For each shift type (e.g., "Day Shift," "Night Shift"), set the usual start and end time. The calculator will use these definitions for each day you allocate that shift.

Step 3: Allocate Your Daily Shifts

This section is now much faster. For each day listed in your pay period:

• Simply use the dropdown menu to select the shift you worked ("Day Shift," "Night Shift," etc.) or "Off" if you did not work.

Step 4: Analyze & Calculate

1. Enter Your Gemini API Key (Optional): To get detailed, AI-powered explanations of any labour law violations, you need an API key.
   • Why is this needed? The key securely connects the app to Google's AI model to provide clear, easy-to-understand explanations of the BCEA rules relevant to your schedule.
   • How to get a key: You can get a free key from Google AI Studio. Simply sign in with your Google account and follow the prompts to create an API key.
2. Click the Button: Press the large blue "Calculate Earnings & Analyze for Violations" button.

Step 5: Review Your Results

The page will automatically scroll down to the results section, where you will see:

1. Potential BCEA Violations: A clear summary of any potential violations found, with AI-powered explanations if you provided an API key. If no violations are found, you'll see a green confirmation message.
2. Earnings Calculation: A detailed table showing your gross pay, all premiums (overtime, Sunday, etc.), all deductions (PAYE, UIF), and your final estimated Net (Take-Home) Pay.

Disclaimer: This tool provides estimates for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. All calculations are based on the data you provide and standard BCEA rules and tax tables.