What actually counts (PBJ)
Only real, paid, reported hours move the star — and the report card runs late.
The hook
#🧹 The chore chart
An allowance chart with two rules: you only get paid for chores you actually finished, and the chart is tallied and posted only every few months — so it’s always a little out of date.
#The real idea
Your building reports staffing through the PBJ (Payroll-Based Journal) system — auditable, payroll-backed hours, submitted quarterly, due 45 days after quarter-end. Only hours worked and paid count: planned shifts, scheduled-but-unfilled shifts, and salaried-but-absent time don’t. Crucially, agency and contract hours must be reported too (ACA §6106) — including every agency shift you use. CMS then publishes the resulting rating months later (roughly 4–6 months after the quarter), so the star you see today reflects a window that already closed.
#🍁 Maple Grove example
Planned 10, worked 8
One week, Maple Grove planned 10 extra shifts but only 8 were worked and paid.
counts: 8 shifts × 7.5 hr = 60 hours
does NOT count: the 2 unfilled planned shifts = 0 hoursOnly the 60 real hours hit PBJ.
#Remember this
Plans and empty shifts earn nothing. The hours have to be worked, paid, and reported — and the star reflects them a quarter or two later.
#Try it 👉
A home planned 6 shifts; 4 were worked and paid (7.5 hr each). How many hours does PBJ count?
Do the agency hours your building uses need to be in PBJ?