Schedule ratios and labour cost

At the top of the schedule, the Week ratios bar puts your labour cost next to your turnover. Its value: you see in real time, while you build the schedule, whether the week will be profitable, without waiting for the end of the month or an accounting export. You can adjust shifts before publishing, instead of noticing overruns after the fact.

Each indicator exists at two levels: the weekly total (the top row) and the day by day detail (the table below). The daily detail helps you spot the exact day dragging the average down, for example an overstaffed Monday.

These ratios only appear if you enter a turnover figure. Without turnover, only the hours and the labour cost remain visible.

For reliable figures

These indicators are all the more accurate when the input data is real. Ideally, enable two things. Clocking first: the labour cost is then calculated on the hours actually clocked, not on the planned hours, which reflects the real cost on the ground. The Performance module next: it automatically pulls the turnover from your point of sale systems, with no manual entry and no risk of oversight. With these two building blocks, the labour cost ratio and productivity move from estimate to actual.

Forecast or actual

Turnover is entered in two forms, and the colour reminds you everywhere: blue for a forecast figure (your estimate), green for an actual figure (the realised turnover). The point is to build the schedule on forecasts, then compare with the actual once the period has passed. That is what distinguishes average productivity (based on all days) from actual productivity (based only on the turnover actually realised).

The indicators

Daily turnover / Weekly turnover The turnover you enter per day, added up across the week. It is optional, but it is what unlocks the ratio and productivity. What it is for: it is the reference against which all the labour cost is compared.

Worked hours (Actual hours) The total of hours planned over the period. It is the basis of most calculations. What it is for: tracking the volume of hours committed and setting it against the expected activity.

Actual labour cost The wage cost of the shifts: the hours multiplied by each employee's hourly rate, or by the clocked hours when clocking is active. What it is for: knowing the real cost of your team for the period, individual rates included, with no manual calculation.

Average labour cost The labour cost divided by the worked hours, in euros per hour. What it is for: seeing the average cost of one hour of work and spotting, for instance, that a day relies too heavily on expensive profiles. You can then rebalance the team.

Labour cost ratio The labour cost divided by the turnover, as a percentage. This is the key indicator of the industry: the share of your turnover absorbed by wages. The lower it is, the more profitable the schedule. What it is for: you compare your ratio to your target (often around 30% in hospitality, variable by activity) and you immediately know whether you are on track or need to lighten the schedule.

Productivity The turnover divided by the worked hours, adjusted by a coefficient that can be set in the section settings. It measures the turnover generated per hour worked. Average productivity covers all days, actual productivity only takes the actual turnover into account. What it is for: tracking your teams' efficiency over time and spotting the slots where little turnover is produced per hour committed.

Overbooking The gap between the planned hours and the weekly maximum set in your employees' contracts, with its value in euros. In green (a negative value), you still have room under the ceiling; in red (positive), you exceed the authorised maximum. What it is for: anticipating overtime and staying compliant with contracts, while seeing the cost that this overrun represents.

How to use it

The good habit is to keep an eye on the labour cost ratio and overbooking while you build the schedule. If the ratio climbs above your target, cut hours on the days with the lowest turnover, or move shifts to the stronger days. If overbooking turns red, redistribute the hours before publishing. The daily detail shows you exactly where to act, and the forecast / actual colours let you check afterwards whether your forecasts were accurate.