Contingent Labor Cost and Conversion Workbook

What would it cost to move your agency workers onto payroll? Compare four staffing options using your own numbers, see the potential savings, and review the source behind every default.

Staffing costs you can explain

One Excel workbook that opens with a worked example, plus a guide showing which steps to take first. Works in Excel or Google Sheets.

• Start Here. Two pages explaining how the tabs fit together and which to use first.
• Contingent Labor Cost and Conversion Workbook. Seven tabs: the single-role four-way calculator with breakeven results, the multi-role program model across pay bands, the burden builder, scenario compare with a recommendation cell, and an assumptions and sources tab showing the date of every default. Opens on a worked example. Works in Excel or Google Sheets.
• TrueStep HR Product License. Explains permitted uses and restrictions for the files, including the consultant and white-label tiers.
• Using This Workbook in Google Sheets. A two-minute guide to importing the workbook into Google Sheets instead of Excel.
• Quick Reference (PDF). The whole workbook on one page, including what each tab is for, what you enter, and how to read the result.

How the cost comparison works

Start with the cost of one role, expand the comparison to your full program, and test different scenarios before presenting the results.

• Compare four options for one role. Enter the pay rate, hours, and remaining staffing need. See the cost of the agency bill, a payrolling arrangement, and internal payroll with and without benefits, including the breakeven point.
• Calculate your employer burden. Replace the planning defaults with your rates. FICA and FUTA are fixed, while state unemployment and workers compensation vary by employer. The burden builder calculates each cost line by line.
• Calculate costs across your workforce. Model contingent workers across pay bands, using the markup and employer burden for each band. See the potential annual savings for the full program.
• Review three scenarios. Compare the status quo, partial conversion, and full conversion side by side. The recommendation cell uses your inputs, and you can print the results for your meeting.

Clear assumptions behind every calculation

A useful savings estimate starts with numbers you can verify. Every figure in the workbook can be traced to an input, and every input to its source.

• Sources for every default. The assumptions tab identifies the BLS benefits share, IRS statutory rates, and the agency markup range from staffing guides (Upwork staffing agency calculator, 2026), along with the date each was checked.
• Use your own employer rates. Enter state unemployment and workers compensation rates rather than relying on hardcoded averages. These costs depend on the rates shown on your employer notices.
• See when agency staffing costs less. A short remaining assignment or a high buyout can make staying with the agency the lower-cost option. The workbook shows that outcome alongside the potential savings from conversion.
• A worked example in every tab. The workbook opens with a realistic 40-worker program so you can see how the calculations work before entering your own figures.

Who this is for and other options

Built for

• Operations leaders and HR leads comparing agency and payroll costs for a staffing decision this quarter.
• Finance partners who want to see the assumptions behind staffing costs directly in the workbook.
• Consultants and fractional HR leads preparing payroll conversion cost comparisons for clients.

If you are looking for

• Comparing one crew? The free Staffing Agency vs Payroll Cost Calculator runs the four-way comparison in your browser.
• For worker classification and agency terms, the Contingent Workforce Cost and Compliance Kit includes this workbook alongside both resources.

Before you buy

How is this different from the free calculator?

The free calculator compares costs for one crew in your browser. This workbook adds the program-level rollup across pay bands, the burden builder using your actual rates, scenario compare with a recommendation cell, and the sourced assumptions tab. You can also save your work.

What burden figures does it use?

The workbook starts with an 18% statutory-only planning figure and a 30% with-benefits figure for a leaner package than the BLS average. BLS figures for June 2026 put private-industry benefits at 30.0% of total compensation, or about 43% of wages (calculated from the BLS dollar figures). Both planning figures are editable. The burden builder calculates your costs using FICA, FUTA, your state unemployment rate, your workers compensation class rate, and your benefits load.

Does it handle overtime?

Yes. Enter regular hours and overtime hours separately. Internal payroll uses time and a half, while the agency route uses the billed overtime premium. The worked example includes five overtime hours a week.

Is this legal or tax advice?

The workbook models staffing costs using planning figures and identifies worker classification and co-employment questions for review by qualified counsel. It does not provide legal advice.

Is it a subscription?

No. This is a one-time purchase with no recurring fee.

What happens when the figures change?

Each file carries a last-reviewed date so you can see when it was checked. The assumptions tab dates every default to its source, so you can update a changed rate in one cell.

What is the refund policy?

Digital products are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee. To request a refund, email support@truestephr.com or reply to your receipt within 30 days of purchase.

What happens after I buy?

Your download link appears immediately after checkout. Your receipt arrives by email with the same link. Open the Start Here page first for the recommended order. For setup questions, email support@truestephr.com.

Can I expense this purchase to my business?

A tool you use for work often qualifies as a deductible business expense, but that depends on your situation, so confirm with your accountant. Your receipt arrives by email at checkout and works as documentation.

Planning figures use sourced, dated defaults. Confirm your own rates and terms before acting on the outputs. General information, not legal or tax advice.

How the download works

Your files arrive as a single ZIP download, best opened on a computer. Save it, extract it (right-click and select Extract All on Windows, or double-click on a Mac), then open the Start Here file first. PDFs open in any reader, and editable files work in Microsoft Excel or free equivalents, including LibreOffice and Google Sheets. No other software is needed. Step-by-step help for every device is at truestephr.com/pages/download-help.