Labor Standards & Staff Planning

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What is a Labor Standard?

A labor standard is at its simplest definition, the amount of time required to complete a task or set of tasks to an agreed upon outcome.  This could be the number of rooms or credits a housekeeper should complete in a shift to meet the expectations set by the property, or the number of covers a server should typically handle in a meal period while still giving the level of service agreed to for that restaurant.

Labor standards must be established for each job, and are the basis for determining how long it takes to perform tasks associated with a specific job. A study is often performed that records how long a task should take, to develop accurate labor standards. Once determined, the labor standards are associated with KBIs. Standards can be Shift Related, Task-based and/or Spread related.

Why Use Standards?

Standards provide a tool for consistent performance that can be tracked and measured.  They provide defined direction for the employee performing the task in that they know specifically what is expected of them.

How are Standards Developed?

Standards can be developed through a number of different means, the most common being through historical analysis of hours and volumes to simply determine how the operation has performed to date.  While this will give a baseline approach, it does not substantiate these standards as being correct.

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Over time, historical data helps you identify the percentage of a KBI that ordinarily occurs at any time, on any day. LMS uses this data to determine demand. Based on the labor standards, requirements are calculated and employees are assigned to work at the right time to meet the demand.

Types of Labor Involved in Standards

Labor standards can be based on combinations of different types of work.  The most common are referred to as Fixed and Variable.  Fixed work is a set amount of tasks and time required, regardless of any increase or decrease in volumes associated with the work.  For instance, there is a certain amount of cleaning required in a lobby and hallways simply to open the doors for any level of business.  This cleaning, which is not based on any predicted business level, is referred to as fixed.

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