Wages, on-costs and total

The Labour Summary under the rota shows three money figures. Wages is paid hours times each person's hourly rate. On-costs is what an employer pays on top: employer National Insurance, holiday pay and workplace pension. Total cost is the two added together, and your labour percentage is worked out on the total. Click On-costs to see the breakdown.

Employer National Insurance

Employers pay 15% on each person's pay above £96 a week. Staff under 21, and apprentices under 25, cost no employer NI until they earn over £967 a week; add a date of birth to their staff record so this applies. If your business claims Employment Allowance (up to £10,500 a year off employer NI), switch it on in Payroll settings. The estimate spreads it evenly across the year.

Holiday pay

Choose a holiday pay type on each person's staff record. Staff with irregular hours build up holiday at 12.07% of the hours they work, so 12.07% of their pay is counted as a cost every week. Rolled-up holiday pay costs the same but is paid out each pay period. For staff on fixed hours, holiday is counted in the week they take it: mark those days as Holiday in Absences & holiday.

Pension

By law, staff aged 22 up to state pension age who earn over £192 a week are enrolled in the workplace pension automatically, and the employer pays at least 3% of their pay between £120 and £967 a week. Rota Done counts that for anyone set to Automatic, which is the default. Under-22s, older staff and lower earners only count if they have asked to join: set them to In the pension. Set anyone who has left the scheme to Opted out. You can change the percentage in Payroll settings.

Unpaid breaks

Set break rules in Payroll settings, for example 30 minutes unpaid on shifts over 6 hours. Hours and wages then leave the break out. To change the break on one shift, open the shift and fill in Unpaid break. With no rules, shifts are paid in full.

It is an estimate

The figures use the UK rates in force for the week you are looking at, worked out weekly. Your payroll software works out the exact amounts when you pay people. Rota Done does not calculate tax, employee National Insurance or sick pay.