VMSFlex Pay
Smart payroll calculator with California compliance (demo state) validation that automatically processes timesheets from multiple VMS systems, eliminating 2-3 hours of manual work per pay period.
Project Overview
VMSFlex Pay was born from a real pain point I experienced in previous roles: spending hours each pay period manually processing timesheets from multiple Vendor Management Systems, each with completely different CSV formats, and calculating overtime by hand based on complex location-specific rules.
The solution uses intelligent format detection to automatically recognize various CSV structures, handle different date and time formats, and apply the correct overtime rules based on employee location. What used to take 2-3 hours now takes minutes, with built-in compliance validation to prevent costly calculation errors.
Key Features
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California Compliance Validation
Automatically detects California employees and enforces daily hour breakdowns at import. Blocks aggregated weekly data that would result in incorrect OT/DT calculations and potential labor law violations.
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Intelligent Format Detection
Automatically recognizes various column names, date formats (MM/DD/YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD), and hour formats (8.5, 8:30, 8h 30m). Handles both daily breakdown and pre-calculated OT formats seamlessly.
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Daily Breakdown View
"View Days" button for each employee shows day-by-day calculations with special notes for 7th consecutive workday, over-12-hour days, and other compliance triggers. Export detailed CSV with full daily breakdown.
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Multi-State OT Rules
Demo includes: California (8hr daily OT, 12hr DT, 7th day), Colorado (12hr daily OT), Nevada (8hr daily OT), Alaska (8hr daily OT), and Federal (40hr weekly). Production version includes all 50 states with meal break penalties.
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Complete Workflow
Full 4-tab workflow from employee setup through import, calculation, and export. Generates payroll-ready CSV showing total gross pay (prior to tax withholdings) with detailed Regular/OT/DT breakdowns.
California Compliance: Daily Breakdown Required
California labor law requires tracking hours worked each day to accurately calculate: (1) Daily OT for hours 8-12 at 1.5x rate, (2) Daily DT for hours over 12 at 2x rate, (3) Weekly OT for hours over 40, and (4) 7th consecutive workday rules. The system enforces this by rejecting CSV uploads with aggregated weekly totals for CA employees, ensuring accurate calculations and preventing underpayment.
Technical Implementation
Technology Stack
Built with pure vanilla JavaScript - no frameworks or libraries required. Runs entirely in the browser with no backend needed, ensuring data privacy and instant processing.
Smart Detection & Validation Engine
The core innovation is the SmartCSVParser class that uses pattern matching to flexibly identify columns regardless of naming conventions. It detects:
- Employee ID variations (Employee ID, EmpID, Worker ID, Staff ID, etc.)
- Multiple date formats with automatic parsing
- Different hour formats (decimal, time notation, text notation)
- Pre-calculated vs. total hours format
- California employees requiring daily breakdowns
Overtime Calculation Logic
The system applies state-specific rules based on employee location:
- California: Daily OT (>8hrs at 1.5x), Daily DT (>12hrs at 2x), Weekly OT (>40hrs), 7th consecutive day rules (first 8hrs at 1.5x, then 2x)
- Colorado: Daily OT after 12 hours in one workday or 12 consecutive hours, plus weekly OT (>40hrs)
- Nevada: Daily OT after 8 hours, plus weekly OT (>40hrs)
- Alaska: Daily OT after 8 hours, plus weekly OT (>40hrs)
- Federal: Weekly OT threshold only (>40hrs at 1.5x)
Production version includes: Complete 50-state ruleset with meal break penalty calculations, configurable thresholds, and automatic updates for law changes.
Important Note: Total Gross Pay Calculation
The system calculates Total Gross Pay (wages before any deductions). It does not include:
- Federal, state, or local tax withholdings
- Social Security or Medicare (FICA) deductions
- Benefits deductions (health insurance, 401k, etc.)
The Problem It Solves
In previous roles, payroll administrators had to:
- Manually pull hours from multiple VMS accounts with different export formats
- Deal with inconsistent CSV structures across different systems
- Calculate overtime by hand or use error-prone Excel formulas
- Apply different overtime rules based on employee location
- Risk California labor law violations by using weekly aggregated data instead of daily breakdowns
- Handle scenarios where some VMS exports show total hours only, while others pre-calculate regular/OT/DT breakdowns
- Track consecutive workdays for 7th-day premium calculations
This manual process was time-consuming (2-3 hours per pay period), error-prone, didn't scale as the workforce grew, and created compliance risks that could result in costly labor disputes or penalties.
VMSFlex Pay eliminates these risks by enforcing data quality at import time, automatically applying complex multi-state rules, and providing audit-ready documentation with day-by-day breakdowns.
Try It Out
Experience the live demo and see how VMSFlex Pay can transform your payroll processing workflow.
Launch Live Demo →