Event overtime cost scenario calculator
The AV crew quote looks fine at eight hours a day, and nobody has priced what a late finish or a long set-up would cost.
…
The short answer
The calculator costs each staffing role under each scenario using only the terms in your quote or contract: the normal hourly rate, the hours per person per day after which overtime applies, the overtime rate and any minimum paid hours. Overtime starts only above the threshold, so a day of exactly the threshold has none.
If a term is missing, that role is left out and named. No statutory rate, market rate or standard working day is filled in for you.
What to enter
- For each role: approved staffing units, the quoted normal rate per hour, the hours per person per day before overtime applies, the quoted overtime rate per hour and, if the contract states one, the minimum paid hours per person per day.
- For each scenario: the expected hours per person per day and the number of days. Put the plan first, because the other scenarios are compared with it.
- Leave a term blank if your quote does not state it.
The arithmetic
Normal hours are the lesser of the expected hours and the threshold, raised to the minimum paid hours if one applies. Overtime hours are anything above the threshold. Cost is units times days times (normal hours times the normal rate plus overtime hours times the overtime rate).
Each figure is rounded to the sen once, at the end, for each role and scenario. The table shows normal pay and overtime pay separately so the arithmetic can be checked by hand.
Reading the comparison
- The difference from the first scenario is shown only when both scenarios are costed for the same roles.
- A scenario with a role left out is marked partial: its total covers only the roles with complete terms and understates the cost.
- Questions for the supplier follow naturally from the gaps: does the quote define the threshold per day or per shift, and does the overtime rate apply from the first minute above it?
Limits
The calculator compares costs under the contract terms you enter. It does not give employment-law advice, working-hour limits or staff entitlements, so check those with the supplier and a qualified adviser. For the wider budget, see the contingency scenario calculator and the budget variance calculator.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional stage crew
Fictional rates and terms, to show the calculation.
A fictional quote gives 8 stage crew at RM 25.00 an hour, overtime from 8 hours a day at RM 37.50, and a 4-hour minimum. Registration staff are quoted without an overtime threshold, so that role is left out and flagged.
At 8 hours for 2 days the crew cost RM 3,200.00 with no overtime. At 10 hours for 2 days they cost RM 4,400.00, RM 1,200.00 more. At 12 hours for 3 days they cost RM 8,400.00, RM 5,200.00 more than the plan.
| Scenario | Hours per person | Crew normal pay | Crew overtime pay | Crew total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan, 2 days | 8 | RM 3,200.00 | RM 0.00 | RM 3,200.00 |
| Late finish, 2 days | 10 | RM 3,200.00 | RM 1,200.00 | RM 4,400.00 |
| Long set-up, 3 days | 12 | RM 4,800.00 | RM 3,600.00 | RM 8,400.00 |
Use this yourself
Overtime scenario worksheet
Copy the terms from the quote exactly. If the quote is silent on a term, write that it is not stated and ask the supplier.
| Role | Units | Normal rate per hour | Overtime from (hours per person per day) | Overtime rate per hour | Minimum paid hours | Cost in each scenario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terms not stated in the quote (ask the supplier) | ||||||
| Scenario hours and days |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The quote states the threshold and overtime rate clearly and only one or two roles are involved.
- The committee wants a quick sense of what a late finish would add.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several suppliers quote overtime on different bases and the terms are unclear or missing.
- Staffing decisions need approval and someone must settle the overtime terms before contracts are signed.
- The programme is likely to run late and the committee needs the cost and the decision rule agreed in advance.
Need the overtime terms settled before you sign?
An Event Blueprint can set out the staffing requirements and the questions each supplier must answer about hours, thresholds and overtime, so quotes arrive on one basis. A project lead can chase the missing terms with your suppliers while contract decisions stay with you.
Questions organisers ask
Does the tool use a statutory overtime rate?
No. It uses only the rate in your quote. If a term is missing, the role is left out and named.
What happens exactly at the threshold?
There is no overtime at exactly the threshold. Overtime applies only to hours above it.
What are the minimum paid hours for?
Some quotes charge a minimum number of hours per person per day. If yours does, enter it and shorter days are costed at the minimum.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.