What labour cost percentage should a restaurant aim for?

There is no official UK benchmark. Many operators plan around 30% of sales without VAT, higher for full table service and lower for counter service. Your own history is the better target: compare each week's rota with the same week last year.

How do I work out employer on-costs?

Ask your payroll provider for your real figure. As a guide, employer National Insurance is 15% of each person's pay above £5,000 a year, employers pay at least 3% of qualifying earnings into a workplace pension, and holiday for irregular-hours staff accrues at 12.07% of hours worked if it is not already in the hourly rate.

Does the planner check Working Time rules?

No. It adds up hours and costs. Check rest breaks, daily and weekly rest and the rules for under-18s yourself before you publish; our rota template guide covers the Working Time Regulations.

It is saved in this browser on this device until you clear it, and TablePort never sees it. Print it for the staff room or download the CSV to open in a spreadsheet.

Staff rota and labour cost planner

Plan the week's hours by person and day, then check what the rota costs against the sales you expect before you publish it. Everything stays in this browser.

Free to use
No sign-up or email
Your figures stay in your browser

A restaurant manager briefing the team, in aprons, in the dining room before service.

Forecast sales for the week, without VAT

Employer on-costs

NI, pension and holiday pay not in the rate.

Labour target

% of sales

Week starting (optional)

Labour cost as a share of sales: 27.9%; Within your 30% target
Labour cost: £4,050
Wages before on-costs: £3,522
Hours: 256
Room left in target: £300 (18 h)

Weekly rota: hours per team member and day, with totals.
Team member	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Hours	Wages
								45	£743
								45	£630
								40	£528
								38	£485
								32	£408
								26	£332
								30	£398
Hours, then cost with on-costs	23£354	29£468	36£575	37£598	47£745	55£867	29£442	256	£3,522

Saved in this browser only. New rows start at the £12.71 National Living Wage.

How the planner works

Hours = the hours each person works across the week
Wages = hours × hourly rate
Labour cost = wages × (1 + employer on-costs %)
Labour % = labour cost ÷ forecast sales without VAT × 100

Employer on-costs are what you pay on top of wages: employer National Insurance, workplace pension contributions and holiday pay that is not already in the hourly rate. For salaried staff, enter their contracted weekly hours and an hourly equivalent (annual salary ÷ 52 ÷ weekly hours).

Worked example

A team working 390 hours for £5,000 in wages, with 15% on-costs, costs £5,750, or £14.74 an hour. Against forecast sales of £20,000 without VAT, that is a labour cost of 28.8%. With a 30% target there is £250 of room, about 17 more hours, before the rota goes over.

Build the rota from the forecast, not last week's rota

Start from covers. Use bookings and the same week last year to forecast each day's covers and sales.
Staff the shape of the day. Put people where the covers are: a strong Friday dinner and a quiet Tuesday lunch need different teams.
Check the percentage before you publish. If the week runs over target, trim hours on the quietest shifts first, not on the busiest.
Compare with what happened. After the week, put actual hours against actual sales and adjust the next forecast.

The rules the planner does not check

The planner adds up hours and costs; it does not check employment law. Before you publish, check rest breaks, daily and weekly rest, the 48-hour average week and the rules for under-18s, and give staff the notice their contracts require. Our rota template guide covers the Working Time Regulations.

Frequently asked questions

What labour cost percentage should a restaurant aim for?: There is no official UK benchmark. Many operators plan around 30% of sales without VAT, higher for full table service and lower for counter service. Your own history is the better target: compare each week's rota with the same week last year.
What counts as labour cost?: Gross pay for every hour worked plus what you pay on top as the employer: employer National Insurance, workplace pension contributions and holiday pay. Enter those as a percentage under employer on-costs. Tips paid on to staff are not your cost.
How do I work out employer on-costs?: Ask your payroll provider for your real figure. As a guide, employer National Insurance is 15% of each person's pay above £5,000 a year, employers pay at least 3% of qualifying earnings into a workplace pension, and holiday for irregular-hours staff accrues at 12.07% of hours worked if it is not already in the hourly rate.
Does the planner check Working Time rules?: No. It adds up hours and costs. Check rest breaks, daily and weekly rest and the rules for under-18s yourself before you publish; our rota template guide covers the Working Time Regulations.
Is my rota saved?: It is saved in this browser on this device until you clear it, and TablePort never sees it. Print it for the staff room or download the CSV to open in a spreadsheet.

Results are estimates for planning, based only on the figures you enter. They are not financial, tax or legal advice. The calculation runs in your browser and TablePort does not see or save the figures you enter.

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