Start with expected trade before shifts are placed.
Free hospitality planning tool
Hospitality labour budget spreadsheet
Use this web spreadsheet preview to plan weekly sales, labour budget, department split, wage percentage and variance before publishing.
ForecastPlan labourCheck wage %Review before publish
Web preview: use this before publishing
Edit the preview in the browser if useful, then print or export CSV. The public page does not store entered data server-side.
Weekly forecast
Start with forecast sales and the target labour percentage before adding department costs.
| Field | Example value | Formula or note |
|---|---|---|
| Week commencing | 2026-06-22 | Set the trading week. |
| Forecast sales | £22,000 | Use expected trade for the week. |
| Target wage % | 28% | Use your own target as a planning assumption. |
| Target labour budget | £6,160 | Forecast sales multiplied by target wage percentage. |
Labour cost by department
Illustrative department split. Replace hours, rates and on-cost assumptions with your own values.
| Department | Planned hours | Average hourly wage | Planned labour cost | On-cost percentage | Total labour cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar | 145 | £12.50 | £1,812.50 | 8% | £1,957.50 |
| FOH/floor | 86 | £12.20 | £1,049.20 | 8% | £1,133.14 |
| Kitchen | 132 | £13.25 | £1,749.00 | 8% | £1,888.92 |
| Manager | 45 | £17.50 | £787.50 | 0% | £787.50 |
| Other | 18 | £12.00 | £216.00 | 8% | £233.28 |
Variance
Use the variance as a review prompt before changing peak cover.
| Metric | Example value | Review note |
|---|---|---|
| Planned labour | £6,000.34 | Sum of department total labour cost. |
| Target labour budget | £6,160.00 | From weekly forecast. |
| Variance | -£159.66 | Under budget in this illustrative example. |
| Wage percentage | 27.3% | Planned labour divided by forecast sales. |
| Review note | Check peak cover before publishing | Use manager judgement. |
Use this before publishing
- 1Set week commencing, forecast sales and target wage percentage.
- 2Calculate the target labour budget before reviewing departments.
- 3Enter planned hours, average hourly rate and any on-cost percentage by department.
- 4Compare planned labour with the target labour budget and wage percentage.
- 5Review the variance before changing shifts, especially in peak service periods.
What to check
Check forecast sales, target wage percentage, department labour, variance and peak cover before changing shifts.
What to check
- Use this as a bridge if you are not ready to move away from manual planning.
- Spreadsheet formulas do not know when availability, open shifts or swaps change.
- This template does not replace payroll, HR or legal advice.
What RotaSmart replaces
See labour cost while the rota can still change.
Spot risk before the week goes live.
RotaSmart removes the manual formula work by putting forecast sales, rota cost, wage percentage and staff changes in one workflow. Live changes are easier to review because availability, open shifts and swaps stay connected to the rota.
Explore hospitality rota software or see labour cost control.
Planning note
Use this as a planning guide and check it against your own venue. This template does not replace payroll, HR or legal advice.
Review this result against a real rota week
Use the result as a prompt, then compare it with the forecast, rota draft, open shifts and venue context.
Related resources
Keep the same planning context connected across product pages, guides and tools.
Questions operators ask
Short answers for using the tool without treating the result as a fixed operational rule.
Can I use this instead of rota software?
It can help structure manual planning, but it will not track live availability, swaps, open shifts or rota changes automatically.
Is the on-cost percentage a payroll calculation?
No. It is a planning assumption only and should be checked against your own payroll and finance process.
Can I export the preview?
Yes. The page includes CSV export and browser print. It does not promise XLSX or PDF downloads.
Bring this week to a RotaSmart walkthrough
Use the public result as a starting point, then review forecast sales, planned labour, wage percentage, open shifts and rota risk with real context.