How to Manage Labor Rates
Govern person-level labor rates from one centralized place so work order costing, overtime calculations, and financial reporting stay accurate without relying on spreadsheets or scattered team-level edits.
Quick Summary
Go to Settings gear → Labor Rates to create labor profiles for team members with hourly rates, overtime rules, and loaded cost multipliers.
Why Centralized Labor Rates Matter
When labor rates live in spreadsheets or are estimated by managers during work order closure, the numbers drift. Cost reports stop matching reality, overtime calculations become guesswork, and finance teams spend time reconciling numbers that were never consistent to begin with.
Centralizing labor rates in Infodeck means:
- every work order calculates labor cost from the same governed rate
- overtime thresholds and multipliers apply consistently
- loaded rates reflect real overhead (benefits, statutory costs, equipment)
- reports match across operations, finance, and compliance reviews
- rate changes take effect immediately without updating multiple systems
Before You Begin
- You must be an Organization Admin or Owner
- Labor Rates are available on Professional plan and above
- Your organization's Currency must be set in Company Profile
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Open Labor Rates
- Click the Settings gear () at the bottom of the sidebar
- Under Organization Setting, select Labor Rates
You will see summary cards at the top showing governed profiles, active rates, average rate per hour, and any team members still missing a labor profile.
Step 2: Add a Labor Profile
- Click Add Profile
- Select the Member you want to govern
- Choose a Labor Classification / Wage Type (e.g., General Technician, Senior Engineer)
Step 3: Set the Base Rate
- The Currency is inherited from your organization settings
- Choose the Wage Type:
| Wage Type | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Hourly | Contractors, shift workers, or anyone paid by the hour |
| Monthly | Salaried staff where you want to derive an effective hourly rate |
| Annual | Annual salary that Infodeck converts to hourly for costing |
- Enter the Rate / Hour (or equivalent base for monthly/annual)
Step 4: Configure Overtime Rules (Optional)
Turn on the Overtime toggle if this person earns premium pay after a threshold:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Overtime Multiplier | Multiplier applied after overtime starts (e.g., 1.5 = 150% of base rate) |
| Daily Overtime Threshold | Hours worked in a single day before overtime applies |
| Weekly Overtime Threshold | Hours worked in a single week before overtime applies |
Step 5: Set Loaded Rate and Premium Multipliers (Optional)
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Loaded Rate Multiplier | Burden factor reflecting benefits, overhead, or statutory costs on top of the base rate |
| Weekend Multiplier | Multiplier for hours recorded on weekends |
| Holiday Multiplier | Multiplier for hours recorded on public holidays |
If your organization tracks the "true cost" of labor (base rate + employer contributions + overhead), set the loaded rate multiplier. A multiplier of 1.35 means the reported cost is 135% of the base hourly rate — useful for budgeting and contract pricing.
Step 6: Set Effective Date and Status
- Choose the Effective Date when this rate should apply
- Set Status:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active | Rate is in use for costing calculations |
| Draft | Rate is configured but not yet applied |
| Archived | Rate is no longer active (historical record preserved) |
Step 7: Save the Profile
- Review all fields
- Click Save
- A success message confirms the profile is active
Managing Labor Profiles
Profile List Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Member Name | Team member governed by this profile |
| Classification / Wage Type | Labor classification and pay structure |
| Rate / Hour | Effective hourly rate |
| Overtime | Whether overtime rules are active |
| Loaded | Whether loaded rate multiplier is applied |
| Effective | Date the rate takes effect |
| Status | Active, Draft, or Archived |
Edit a Profile
- Click the Actions menu on the profile row
- Select Edit
- Update fields and save
View the Member Record
Click Open Person Record to navigate to the team member's profile without leaving the labor rate context.
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Standard Technician Rate with Overtime
Situation: Your maintenance technicians earn $35/hour with time-and-a-half after 8 hours daily.
Solution:
- Go to Settings gear → Labor Rates
- Click Add Profile
- Select the technician, set wage type to Hourly
- Enter rate: $35.00
- Turn on Overtime, set multiplier to 1.5
- Set daily overtime threshold to 8 hours
- Save
Result: Every work order this technician works on calculates labor cost correctly — including overtime when shifts run long.
Example 2: Contractor with Loaded Cost
Situation: Your HVAC contractor charges $60/hour, but the real cost including insurance, travel allowance, and administrative overhead is closer to $81/hour.
Solution:
- Create a labor profile with rate $60.00
- Set Loaded Rate Multiplier to 1.35 ($60 x 1.35 = $81)
- Set weekend multiplier to 1.5 for weekend callouts
Result: Reports show the true cost of contractor labor, not just the face rate. Budgets and contract reviews reflect reality.
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