Indian QSR and casual dining chains run 30-40% annual staff attrition, and because no invoice ever says 'attrition', the cost hides in overtime, recruitment fees, training hours and three months of a new hire at half speed. This calculator adds it up per exit, then multiplies by your team size and attrition rate, the number that turns retention from an HR sentiment into a budget line.
Cost per staff exit = recruitment cost + training cost + overtime cover during the vacancy + the productivity gap while the replacement ramps up. For a typical restaurant role this lands between one and three months of that role's salary; multiply by your annual exits and the number gets attention.
| Monthly salary of the role | 20000 ₹ |
| Recruitment cost per hire (ads, referral, agency) | 5000 ₹ |
| Training days (trainer + trainee time) | 10 |
| Days the position stays vacant | 15 |
| Months to full productivity | 2 |
| Team size | 20 |
| Annual attrition rate | 35 % |
For QSR and casual-dining floor and kitchen roles, yes, industry surveys put annual attrition at 30-40%, with the first 90 days the highest-risk window. Fine dining and hotels run lower but pay for it in salary. The point of costing it: a measure that cuts attrition even 10 points usually pays for itself several times over.
The exit-interview evergreens, in order: scheduling dignity (real week-offs that survive busy weeks), transparent tip and service-charge maths, decent staff meals and accommodation where provided, and a visible path from commis to CDP or steward to captain. Pay matters, but predictability and respect out-retain small raises.
Divide your annual attrition cost by 12 and compare it against a monthly retention budget: a staff meal upgrade, an attendance bonus, a festival advance policy. When the retention spend is a third of the attrition bill, which it usually is, the decision writes itself.
Work out how many waiters, kitchen staff and bussers you need for an expected number of covers, using role-specific service ratios.
Track total payroll cost as a percentage of revenue, one of the fastest signals of an operation running out of control.
Calculate total pay for a shift including overtime hours at 1.5x or 2x, for accurate payroll and staff scheduling in hotels and restaurants.
Distribute a tip or service charge pool across staff using role weights and hours worked, the points system used by well-run floors, with every share visible.