Employee Cost Calculator
See the full cost of an employee, including salary, payroll taxes, benefits, workers’ comp, paid time off, and overhead. The workbook calculates the fully loaded annual cost, monthly cost, and real hourly rate.
These previews show pages from the files you receive.
HR calculator
FTE Headcount Planner
Plan headcount around each team's workload. Enter annual volume and current staff.
Try the free browser version first. The workbook lets you plan FTE across multiple teams at once, model demand growth, separate the staffing gap from attrition replacement, and prepare a board-ready summary.
$29
- One-time purchase. Editable Excel workbook.
- Your download link appears on the confirmation screen and in your receipt. No account needed.
- Request a full refund within 30 days with one email.
- Licensed for one company's internal HR use. Resale and redistribution are not permitted. Read the license.
Checkout takes place on our store at shop.truestephr.com. Any applicable sales tax appears at checkout before you pay. These files provide general HR information, not legal advice.
Need approval first?
Ready to put your tool to work?
Add a one hour Setup Session, $149
Bring your purchased tool and the situation you are working through. A TrueStep HR practitioner will help you set the inputs, make the first decisions, and identify a practical next step.
See the Setup Session →Where to start
Build your staffing plan from annual workload hours.
The planner converts those hours into the full-time equivalents needed to handle the workload, giving you a clear starting point for headcount discussions.
DecisionControl labor cost
IndustryCross-industry
Files4 PDF guides, 1 Excel workbook
ReviewRead our published standard for how we develop our tools, and what we cover for their scope and limits.
Research and standardsRelated reference note: HR staffing ratios and span of control
Fit
Is this the right fit for your work?
A good fit
- You need to control labor cost.
- You want an Excel workbook you can run again as your figures change.
- You will enter your own figures and want each tab explained.
When to consider another option
- For a quick estimate, use the free FTE & Headcount Planning Calculator in your browser.
- For legal or tax advice about your result, consult a qualified adviser.
- For help running the analysis, explore our advisory services.
What is inside
Every file in the download, by name.
Taken from the kit’s own Start Here guide, so what you see here is what you open after checkout.
PDF · readStart Here: a guide to every file and the order to use them.
PDF · printQuick Reference: the whole workbook on one page, including what each tab does, what to enter, and how to read the result.
PDF · readTrueStep HR Product License: what you may and may not do with your purchased files.
PDF · readUsing This Workbook in Google Sheets: how to upload the file and what to check afterward.
Excel · useFTE and Headcount Planner: 5 tabs: Start Here, FTE Planner, Benchmark, Summary, and Notes.
How to use it
What this workbook does
Use your annual workload to estimate the headcount each team needs. The workbook calculates how many productive hours one full-time equivalent delivers in a year, accounting for holidays, PTO, sick time, and the share of the day spent on core work. It uses that figure to calculate staffing needs across your teams, compares them with current headcount, and shows the staffing gap. It then factors in attrition to give you a more realistic hiring number.
Your first 15 minutesOpen the FTE and Headcount Planner workbook in Microsoft Excel or a free equivalent such as LibreOffice. Start Here explains each tab. On FTE Planner, enter your working-time assumptions once: hours per week, holidays, PTO, sick days, on-task utilization, attrition, and any demand growth. The workbook uses these inputs to calculate productive hours per FTE. Enter your information in the amber cells. The white cells calculate automatically.
Before you buy
Questions about your purchase
Find details about file formats, delivery, licensing, and refunds.
What exactly do I receive?
You receive 4 PDF guides and 1 Excel workbook, all named in the What is inside section above. This is a one time purchase, delivered as a download, not a subscription.
Are these the real screenshots?
Yes. The first image shows the file set, and the second and third show actual pages from the current download.
Can I use the files in my business?
Yes. You can fill in the Excel workbook for your own internal operations and read or print the PDF guides.
What if I need help applying it?
For help implementing this tool, book a one hour Setup Session for $149. For broader HR support, advisory begins with a short request and a written scope at truestephr.com/pages/advisory. For legal questions, consult qualified counsel.
How do I get the files?
Right after payment, your download link appears on the confirmation screen and again in your email receipt. All files arrive as one ZIP. No account is needed.
What do I need to open them?
You can use Excel, LibreOffice on a computer, or Google Sheets in a browser. LibreOffice and Google Sheets are free alternatives. Any PDF reader opens the guides. See download help.
What if it is not right for us?
Email support@truestephr.com within 30 days for a full refund. No form or explanation is required. The full terms are in the refund policy.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is general HR information and a working method. It is not written to any one state unless the page says so. Where a decision turns on the law, use qualified counsel. See what we cover, and what we do not.
Who may use the files?
One license covers the internal HR work of one legal entity. You may edit the files, brand them, and issue them to your employees. Consultants and groups with several entities need the extended license. See the license.
Extend the system
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