HS: Generating Labor – Hotschedules

Overview

Locations that use Labor Optimization (formerly Activity-Based Forecasting) can generate labor recommendations based on forecasted sales, guest counts, and configured labor rules.

After a forecast has been generated, labor can be generated for the selected week. HotSchedules will calculate staffing needs for each job and provide recommended shifts and labor hours that can be applied to schedules.

Note: Labor Generation is only available for locations using Labor Optimization. Locations that do not use Labor Optimization can use schedule templates and template groups to build schedules from forecasted sales.

Generate Labor

Navigate to Forecasting select Forecasting and Labor
Locate the week you want to generate labor for.
Select Generate Labor.

Fig. 1 – Generate Labor

Review Labor Recommendations

The Generate Labor page displays staffing recommendations for each job based on:

Forecasted sales
Forecasted guest counts
Configured labor rules
Existing scheduled shifts

The page provides a summary of:

Labor percentage
Recommended shifts
Total labor hours
Existing scheduled hours
Assigned shifts

Review Shift Details

To review recommended shifts for a specific job:

Select Shifts/Location.
Review the recommended start times, end times, durations, and assigned locations.

Fig. 2 – Shift Details

These recommendations can be reviewed before labor is generated for the schedule.

Review the Job Summary

To view a summary of forecasted labor requirements across all jobs:

Select All Jobs Summary.

The summary includes:

Forecasted sales
Forecasted guest counts
Recommended shifts
Forecasted labor dollars
Labor percentages

Fig. 3 – All Jobs Summary

Generate Labor for Selected Jobs

After reviewing the recommendations:

Select the checkbox next to each job you want to generate labor for.
Select Generate Labor.

HotSchedules will apply the generated labor information to the selected schedules.

Understanding Status Indicators

The checkbox color next to each job indicates the current scheduling status:

Color	Meaning
Green	No shifts currently exist for the schedule
Yellow	House shifts or unassigned shifts already exist
Red	Assigned shifts already exist in the schedule

These indicators help identify whether labor recommendations are being applied to a new or existing schedule.

After Labor Is Generated

Once labor has been generated, HotSchedules uses the forecasted labor information to:

Display recommended labor targets while building schedules
Provide suggested unassigned shifts based on staffing needs
Help managers compare scheduled labor against forecasted labor requirements

Important: Generated shifts are recommendations based on forecast data and labor rules. Managers should review generated schedules and make adjustments as needed before publishing.