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A seasonal staffing planner turns the volume you expect each week into the number of workers you need, the number you must source from outside your team, and the date each order has to go in. This free Excel workbook covers 16 weeks, so it handles the run-up to a peak, the peak itself and the January tail.
It is built for warehouses, manufacturers and food producers that bring in agency or casual workers for busy periods. Enter your forecast, your team size and your agency lead time. The workbook does the rest.
Enter your details below and we will send the Excel workbook to your inbox. It opens with example data so you can see how it works, then you replace the blue cells with your own figures. Prefer to work in Google Sheets instead? Make a copy of the planner and the same formulas carry across.
Why peak staffing plans fail at the order date
Most peak plans start with volume and end with a headcount figure, but they miss the step in between: the date the order has to be placed so that workers arrive checked, inducted and ready. If checks and induction are squeezed into the final days, the first shifts run short or the safety steps get skipped. Our posts on seasonal labour forecasting in manufacturing and the countdown to peak production cover the forecasting side. This planner covers the ordering side.
What is inside the planner
Inputs: units per labour hour, paid hours per worker, absence allowance, overtime capacity, first-week productivity of new starters, and your agency's lead time.
Weekly Plan: 16 weeks of labour hours, heads needed, your capacity, the agency gap, new starters, starters finishing, ramp-up cover and the latest order date. A chart compares heads needed with your capacity.
Order Schedule: your peak requirement split into a core crew order, a build-to-peak order and a top-up hold-back, each with a start week and a place-by date, plus a lead time timeline.
Read Me: step-by-step instructions and a note on what the planner does not cover.
A worked example
The workbook opens with illustrative numbers. In the example, a week with a forecast of 100,000 units at 22 units per labour hour needs about 4,545 labour hours. At 38 paid hours per worker and an 8 percent absence allowance, that is 131 heads. With a team of 60 and 10 percent safe overtime, the agency gap for that week is 65 heads. The planner then proposes a core order of 39, a second order of 19 and a hold-back of 7, with the order dates worked back from your lead time. These figures are examples only. Replace them with your own.
Who should use it
Operations and warehouse managers, production planners, HR and procurement teams who plan peaks such as the Christmas rush, back-to-school, harvest and end-of-financial-year surges. It also suits sites that want to test whether hiring or overtime covers a spike.
Related Resources
- seasonal labour forecasting in manufacturing
- when food manufacturers must start holiday hiring
- scaling a warehouse team for the Christmas rush
- hiring or overtime for peak seasons
- forecasting holiday staffing demand in food production
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead should I place a peak season labour order?
It depends on your agency and on how much checking and induction you need. Enter your agency's real turnaround for the shortlist, compliance checks and induction on the Inputs sheet. The planner adds them up and shows a place-by date for each order.
What does it mean to split an order?
You place the portion you are sure about first, then add the remainder as your forecast firms up, keeping a small hold-back for late changes and no-shows. The Order Schedule sheet suggests the split and the dates.
What unit should I use for forecast volume?
Any unit you already track, such as order lines, cartons, pallets or kilograms, as long as the units per labour hour figure uses the same unit.
Does it work for factories and food producers as well as warehouses?
Yes. It works from output per labour hour, so any site with a measurable throughput can use it. Add your own checks for skills mix, licences and hygiene training.
Can I use it in Google Sheets?
The file is an Excel-style workbook built on standard formulas, so it also opens in Google Sheets. After importing, check the Order Schedule sheet against the example before relying on it.
The cheapest hour in a peak is the one you planned for. Download the planner, load your forecast and see where the gap falls. When the Order Schedule gives you a place-by date, request staff from Chandler Personnel and we will work backwards from there.
