Workforce Cost Control Bundle

Four workbooks, one question: what does this labor really cost. Burden first, then the contingent bill, then the overtime question, then the headcount plan.

Four workbooks that answer one question in order

Every model downstream depends on the burden number, so the bundle starts there. Each workbook keeps its own Start Here and worked example.

• START HERE, the bundle sequence. The four-step working order and why it runs burden first. One page, read it first.
• Know Your Burden Rate. The Labor Burden Rate Calculator: FICA, FUTA, your state unemployment rate, your workers compensation class rate, and benefits, assembled into the true cost per hour that anchors every other model.
• Model the Contingent Labor Cost. The Contingent Labor Cost and Conversion Workbook: the four-way single-role model, the program rollup across pay bands, and scenario compare.
• Overtime vs New Hire. The Overtime vs New Hire Planner: the real cost of standing overtime against the loaded cost of another hire, with the crossover read.
• Plan the Headcount. The FTE and Headcount Planner: how much staffing the work needs, so the decisions above land on a defensible plan.

The sequence the Start Here runs

Each workbook feeds the next: the burden rate anchors the contingent model, the overtime read informs the hiring call, and the headcount plan lands it.

• Know your burden rate. Assemble the true cost per hour from your rates. Every downstream model uses this number, so the bundle starts by making it defensible.
• Model the contingent bill. Price the agency program against payroll four ways, with the burden number you just built instead of a guess.
• Price the overtime question. Standing overtime versus another hire is a crossover, not a rule of thumb. The planner shows where yours sits.
• Land the headcount plan. Turn the decisions into a staffing plan with the FTE math stated, ready for the budget conversation.

Built on one burden number, used everywhere

Most labor-cost analyses die of inconsistent assumptions. The bundle runs every model off the burden rate you build in step one.

• One sequence, stated. The top-level Start Here runs the four workbooks in analysis order, and says why burden goes first.
• Certified files, byte for byte. Each workbook is the same certified file that sells standalone; nothing is abridged for the bundle.
• Sourced assumptions throughout. Every workbook dates its defaults to its BLS, IRS, or survey source on its own assumptions tab.
• Worked examples everywhere. Every workbook opens on a realistic example, never a blank grid.

Who it is built for and where to go if that is not you

Built for

• An operator or finance partner who keeps getting labor-cost questions and wants one consistent toolkit.
• An HR lead building the budget case for headcount, conversion, or overtime relief.
• A consultant delivering a labor-cost review with the models as the leave-behind.

If you are looking for

• The compliance layer of contingent labor. The Contingent Workforce Cost and Compliance Kit adds classification and agency terms.
• A single question. Each workbook sells standalone, including the Labor Burden Rate Calculator and the Overtime vs New Hire Planner.

Before you buy

What exactly is in the bundle?

The four standalone workbooks, byte for byte, each with its own Start Here and worked example, sequenced by a top-level Start Here, with the license and the Google Sheets guide shipped once.

How is the $99 price set against buying separately?

The four workbooks run $136 bought separately: $29, $39, $39, and $29. The bundle is $99 with the sequencing Start Here only it carries.

Do the workbooks share assumptions?

They share the method: build the burden rate first, then carry it into the contingent, overtime, and headcount models. Each workbook's assumptions tab dates its own defaults, and the burden rate you build in step one is the number you enter downstream.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. These are cost models with planning figures and sourced defaults. Where a decision touches classification or agreements, the files say so and point to the compliance-side tools.

Is it a subscription?

No. One-time purchase, no recurring fee. You keep the files.

Will it stay current as the rules change?

Each file carries a last-reviewed date so you can see how current it is, and meaningful updates are released as the rules and figures change.

What is the refund policy?

Digital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms.

What happens after I buy?

Your files are delivered as a digital download, and your receipt arrives by email. Open the top-level Start Here first; it sequences the whole bundle. Questions or want a hand getting set up? Email support@truestephr.com.

Can I expense this purchase to my business?

Most customers buy TrueStep HR tools for business use, and a tool you use for work often qualifies as a deductible business expense. Whether it does for you depends on your situation, so confirm with your accountant. Your receipt arrives by email at checkout and works as documentation.

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

How the download works

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