Free toolsStaff cost
Staff cost calculator with labour %
Hours and hourly rates in, weekly and yearly wage bill out, with optional employer on-costs and labour as a share of your takings.
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Worked examples
Weekly staff cost
£1,247.00
- A year (× 52)
- £64,844
- Labour
- 27.7% of takings
- 94 h at an average £13.27/h£1,247.00
- Share of £4,500 takings27.7%
- Weekly staff cost£1,247.00
A planning estimate. Employer NI, pension and holiday pay depend on earnings and scheme, so the uplift is a rough guide. Use payroll for exact figures.
How staff cost and labour % are worked out
Simple sums, worth doing before the rota goes out rather than after payroll. Shown on the small café example: three people, 94 hours, £4,500 of weekly takings.
For each person, multiply their weekly hours by their hourly rate.
38 h × £12.50 = £475.00
Add everyone together for the weekly wage bill.
£475 + £192 + £580 = £1,247.00
For an all-in figure, add a rough uplift for employer NI, pension and holiday pay.
+ 15% = £1,434.05
Multiply the week by 52 for a year.
£1,247 × 52 = £64,844
Divide by the week’s takings for labour as a percentage of sales.
£1,247 of £4,500 = 27.7%
Compare it with your target and change the rota before you publish, not after payroll.
Before it goes out
Weekola doesn’t hold pay rates. It gives you the hours.
Weekola won’t cost your rota, because it doesn’t store pay. What it does is plan the hours: each person’s paid hours for the week and the week’s total sit on the rota as you build it. Bring those hours here before you publish.
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- Each person’s planned paid hours, on the rota
- The week’s total planned hours at a glance
- A warning when someone goes past their contracted hours
Questions, answered.
Labour cost percentages, employer on-costs, and what an employee really costs.
- Free toolsAll free toolsHours, holiday, cost, rota and timesheet helpers.
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- SolutionTimesheet softwareReviewed worked hours from clock-ins, exported for payroll.
- SolutionEmployee attendance trackingSee the hours people actually worked against the hours you planned.
- Use caseReplace Excel rota templatesStop rebuilding a cost formula in a spreadsheet every week.
How do I calculate staff costs?
For each person, multiply their weekly hours by their hourly rate, then add the rows together for a weekly wage bill. Multiply by 52 for an annual figure. Add an on-costs uplift if you want to include employer National Insurance, pension and holiday pay.
What is a good labour cost percentage?
It depends on the sector. Many hospitality businesses aim to keep labour below around 30% of revenue, quick-service and retail often lower. Treat any benchmark as a guide — the right number depends on your margins and service model.
How do I calculate labour cost as a percentage of sales?
Divide the total staff cost for a period by the revenue for the same period, then multiply by 100. If a week's wage bill is £1,200 and revenue is £4,000, labour cost is 30%.
What are employer on-costs?
On-costs are the extra employment costs on top of gross pay — mainly employer National Insurance, pension contributions and holiday pay. They vary by earnings and scheme, so this calculator uses a single rough percentage uplift you can adjust.
How much does an employee really cost?
More than their hourly rate. Once you add employer NI, pension and holiday pay, the true cost is typically a fair bit higher than gross wages. Turn on the on-costs uplift for a rough all-in estimate, and use payroll for exact figures.
Does this include tax and National Insurance exactly?
No. It is a planning estimate. The optional on-costs uplift is a single percentage, not a precise NI or pension calculation. Use your payroll provider for exact employer costs.
Can I use this to plan a rota budget?
Yes — that is the main use. Estimate the wage bill for the shifts you are about to publish, check it against expected revenue, and adjust before the rota goes out rather than after payroll.
Does Weekola work out staff costs?
No. Weekola doesn't store pay rates, so it doesn't cost your rota. It plans the hours: each person's paid hours for the week and the week's total are on the rota as you build it, with a warning when someone goes past their contracted hours. Put those hours into this calculator to cost the week before you publish.