Mix of labor is a business concept which addresses having the correct ratio of skill, semi-skilled and unskilled labor in your business operation. This is a critical piece in controlling labor costs for any small business.
One of the basic business concepts is range of production. It means maximizing the capacity (range) of the assets in your operation. When the business operation goes beyond the maximum production range, costs associated with the marginal production generally exceed the revenue generated with the marginal increase. To maximize profit in any business, operate within your range of production.
There are two different forms of compensation provided to employees; direct and indirect. Direct forms of compensation have a multitude of types or methods, from salaries to bonuses. Indirect compensation is primarily the various types of benefits and long term incentives. This article is an introduction to the terminology of compensation.
One of the forms of compensation is direct remuneration for services rendered by the employee. The term used for this is wages. It consists of four different groups of payment from the employer to the employee. They are salary, hourly, commission and bonus types of wages.
I laugh at the definition of labor costs because in my opinion the so called experts only have it half right. Labor costs are more than just gross wages and benefits. It should include the costs of insurance, employer taxation, human resources management and incentives. All of the costs associated with delivering the human element of service should be included. Let’s explore these costs from the most expensive to the least.
What I learned was that equipment didn’t call in sick, it didn’t back talk me, it never got upset about how much it was paid and it just kept on humming. It was making us money and I didn’t have to deal with personnel issues. Boy, if only all production could be like this. Turn it on and make money.
There are two costs that stand out in the restaurant industry. Food and labor comprise more than 45% of the typical expenses of the restaurant. No other expense comes close to these two costs. This article is dedicated to controlling the labor costs in your food service operation.
