Skill Types define the staff roles used throughout Elecate: BARTENDER, CAPTAIN, SERVER, DRIVER, and any other position your operation assigns at events. They control how staff labor is priced, billed, and reported.
Skill Types serve two purposes:
- Configuration (General Setup): define the role, its rates, payroll account, and operational settings
- Assignment (Staff Person Management): assign one or more skill types to each staff member so they can be scheduled for events
Both steps are required. A skill type must first be created in General Setup before it can be assigned to a staff member.
This article covers two separate workflows. Start with whichever applies to your task.
Part A: Configure a Skill Type (General Setup)
- On the left side panel, click General Setup.
- Click Staff.
- Click Create and Edit Skill Type.
4. Click New Entry to create a new skill type, or click the pencil icon to edit an existing one.
Skill Type Configuration Fields
Section: Skill Type Set up
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| ID | Auto-generated system identifier. Read-only. |
| Skill Type Code | ⚠ Required. Manual entry. No duplicates allowed. A 3-digit numeric code between 1 and 999. Used for ordering and identification. Do not reuse a number. |
| Skill Type | The name of the role as it will appear in scheduling and billing (e.g., CAPTAIN, BARTENDER, SERVER). |
| Skill Type Unit | The unit of time used for billing (e.g., Hours). |
| Master | Optional — links this skill type to a parent/master skill type for grouping or scaling purposes. |
| Service Group | The operational area this role belongs to (e.g., Front, Kitchen). Used for production sheet organization. |
| Is Active | Toggle ON to make this skill type available for scheduling. Toggle OFF to retire it without deleting. |
| Is Taxable | Toggle ON if billing for this skill type is subject to tax. |
| Print Item | Toggle ON to include this skill type on printed event documents. |
| Scale Skill Type | Toggle ON to allow this skill type to scale proportionally with guest count. |
| Web Enabled | Toggle ON to make this skill type visible on the Elecate web portal. |
| Kitchen Production Skill | Toggle ON to mark this as a kitchen production role — affects how it appears on kitchen production sheets. |
| Setup | Number of hours before event start that this role begins (negative value = before event). |
| Breakdown | Number of hours after event end that this role continues. |
| Driver Skill | Toggle ON if this is a delivery driver role — affects dispatching module visibility. |
| Helper Skill | Toggle ON if this is a delivery helper role. |
| GL / Payroll Export ID (Account #) | The General Ledger account number used when exporting payroll data to accounting systems. |
Section: Rates
Rate Rules define when overtime applies and what the minimum billing is:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Units for First Rate | Number of units (hours) billed at the standard rate before overtime kicks in |
| Units at First Overtime | The unit threshold where first overtime begins |
| Minimum Hours | Minimum number of hours billed regardless of actual hours worked |
Rate table — set Cost and Bill Rate separately for three day types:
| Row | Description |
|---|---|
| Skill Type First Rate | Base rate — what you pay (Cost) and what you charge the client (Bill Rate) |
| Rate for First Overtime | First overtime tier rates |
| Rate for Second Overtime | Second overtime tier rates |
| Additional Amount | Extra dollar amount added for Sunday or Holiday shifts |
Cost vs. Bill Rate: Cost is your internal labor expense. Bill Rate is what appears on the client's invoice. Both are tracked separately for margin reporting.
Section: Alternate Name and Description
| Field | Limit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alternate Name | — | An alternative display name for this skill type (e.g., "Event Supervisor" instead of "CAPTAIN") |
| Alternate Description | 8,000 characters | Full description of the role — used in proposals and client-facing documents |
| Description | 8,000 characters | Internal description for HR and operations reference |
Part B — Assign Skill Types to a Staff Member
- On the left side panel, click Data Items.
- Click HR Management.
- Click HR Management (All Staff) or HR Management (Active Only).
- Click New Entry or click the pencil icon on an existing staff member.
- Click the Skill Types tab.
Assigning Skills to a Staff Member
The Skill Types tab has two columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Available Skills | All active skill types configured in General Setup. This list is the same for every staff member. |
| Assigned Skills | The skill types assigned to this specific staff member. Only these will appear as scheduling options for this person. |
How to assign a skill:
- In the Available Skills list, click the skill you want to assign.
- Click » to move it to Assigned Skills.
- Repeat for each skill this person can perform.
- Click Save.
How to remove a skill:
- In the Assigned Skills list, click the skill to remove.
- Click « to move it back to Available Skills.
- Click Save.