Participants submit labor hours for each fiscal quarter. This includes all hours worked by employees involved in sales and customer service activities.
Operational Survey data supplements the quarterly financial data collected through your trial balance. When reporting, please do so for a single fiscal quarter and be consistent in your approach, as this yields the most value in your benchmark reports.
Labor hours are used to calculate Sales per Labor Hour (SPLH). Analyzing SPLH helps retailers make informed decisions about staffing levels. A higher SPLH reflects an efficient use of labor in generating sales, while a lower SPLH may signal the need for operational improvements.
Operating labor hours include those departments and staff that directly support sales activity. Non-operating and Administrative include staff who contribute indirectly to sales. Please, do not include hours for employees not involved in sales activities at a retail location.
Essential tips for reporting Labor Hours
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Include department managers in their related departments.
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Report any salaried staff at 40 hours per week.
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Please report on hours worked, including overtime - do not report paid time off.
More details on how to submit the data
Operating Labor Hours
Submit labor hours for departments in which you report sales activity. If there is a department where you do not track labor hours, please enter zero.
- Grocery (include packaged groceries, refrigerated, bulk, frozen, and beer/wine)
- Produce
- Wellness (include body care and supplements)
- Deli (include cafe, juice bar, cheese, service counter, and kitchen)
- Meat and Seafood
- General Merchandise
- Front End
- Other Operating (include receiving and merchandisers)
Non-Operating and Administrative Labor Hours
Enter the total labor hours, including the store manager(s), customer service, pricing support staff, in-store shoppers, and delivery staff.