LABOUR COST ACCOUNTING

AGSB-MBA
RFD
Introduction
Labour cost is classified as direct and indirect.
They form the labour cost which in turn
forms a significant percentage of the total cost
of production in a manufacturing or service
organization and there is need to exercise
maximum care to minimize these costs.
Minimizing costs does not mean reducing cost
but means getting optimal and efficient
productivity from the employees
Purposes of Labour Cost
To calculate the correct gross and net wages
for each employee.
For financial accounting purposes.
For management accounting purposes (i.e.
stock valuation)
Decision making and control purposes
Elements of Labour Cost.
Labour Cost can either be direct, or Indirect
they include.
Basic Wages.
Overtime premium
Idle time
Labour turnover.
Remuneration Methods
Basic wages can be determined using various
methods that include:
Fixed salary per month.
Time based systems.
Piece works systems.
Bonus / incentive schemes.
Fixed Salary per month:
Mainly applies to permanent workers who receive a fixed salary every
month.

Time based systems

Wages are determined by the number of hours worked. If an employee
works more than their basic hours then an overtime payment might
Formula.
be made.
Total Wages=(No. of hours worked basic hourly rate) +
(Overtime hours worked overtime premium)
PIECEWORK SYSTEMS.
In this case wages depend on the level of
output achieved and is expressed as follows:
Basic earnings = Unit Produced x Rate of
Pay per unit
i) Straight Piece Work.
The basic rate per unit remains constant
irrespective number of units produced

ii) Straight Piecework with guaranteed

minimum wage.
Employees paid on number of units produced
bill one is guaranteed of a minimum wage since
there are occasions when production doesnt
take place due to unavoidable circumstances
e.g. power failure shortage of material machine
iii) Differential Piecework.
Employees basic rate of pay per unit changes
as the level of activity changes. The rate per
unit increases on additional units produced. It
doesnt provide security for a guaranteed wage
but it can enhance earning by providing higher
rates for higher production.
Bonus / Incentive Schemes
Bonus paid to employees to increase
efficiency and productivity. The term
Productivity is a measure of efficiency with
which output have been produced. An
increase in production without an increase in
productivity will not reduce unit cost.
If productivity is improved, it will enable a
company to achieve its production targets in
few hours of work and therefore at a lower
cost
Idle Time / Unproductive
Time.
This unproductive time paid for i.e. workers
are paid but no goods have been produced
e.g. when there is power failure, machine
breakdown, training etc. Idle time has a cost
because employees will still be paid basic
salary / wage for these unproductive hours
therefore should be a record of idle time. Idle
time can either be avoidable or unavoidable
Idle Time Ratio = Idle Time
100 Total Attendance time
LABOUR TURNOVER.

A measure of the proportion of people leaving

relative to the average number of people
employed over a period of time. This rate
should be kept as low as possible.
Management might wish to monitor labour
turnover so that control measures might be
considered if turnover rate is too high since
business is losing experience and valuable
staff at a fast rate.
Labour turnover is calculated for any given
period by using this formula.
Labour turnover = Replacement 100
Avg No. of employees
in the period

The labour turnover percentage calculated can be

compared with past figures, targets and industry
averages. It provides an indication of whether an
unacceptably high number of people are leaving
the organization.
Causes of Labour
Turnover.
Can be divided into two
Avoidable
Unavoidable.
Avoidable.
i) Poor remuneration.
ii) Lack of training opportunities
iii) Lack of promotion prospects.
iv) Poor working conditions.
v) Bullying in work place (Harassment)
Unavoidable.
i) Illness, death.
ii) Retirement
iii) Relocation, redeployment
iv) Family matters.
v) Natural Calamities
CONTROL
TIME KEEPING PROCEDURES
Accumulation of total number of hours by each
employees
Determination as to how they are spent to
distribute them by cost records

TOOLS
Time card=how many hours work
Payroll Procedures, from time card to payroll
register; regular earnings, OT, and total earnings
are computed.
Tools.
Weekly payroll register, gross earnings are
computed appropriate deduction are made
and net pay for each employees are
determined.
Semi monthly Factory Payroll, record salaries
of supervisor and managers. Fixed salaries in
2 instalments 15 n 30.
Earnings Deductions
Income taxes-WHT, employers act as collection
agent by BIR, collects then remit.
SSS certain amount deducted for the
protection of the employees and their families
in cases of disability, sickness and death.
Deduct, remit.
PhilHealth health insurance, deducted to
employess who are members of SSS.
Employees employer pa equal share.
PAG-IBIG equal contribution. It is a mutual
Fund.
Entries
Factory Payroll xxx
WHT payable xxx
SSS Cont. Payable xxx
PhilHealth Cont. Payable xxx
Pag-ibig cont. payable xxx
Payroll Payable (Net earnings) xxx
To record payroll
Payroll Payment
Payroll Payable xxx
Vouchers Payable xxx

Vouchers Payable xxx

Cash in Bank xxx
To record payment of factory payroll
Charging Labor Costs into
production
To be allocated between direct and indirect
labor costs.
Direct to WIP while Indirect to Manufacturing
overhead.

Time tickets/job time cards = show how time

was used on specific job.
Recording Labor Costs
Work in Process xxx
Manufacturing Overhead control xxx
Factory Payroll xxx
To charge labor cost to production
Overtime Premium
Gross Pay of employees are divided into 2
Regular rate = total hours x reg. rate
Overtime Premium = OT hours x pay rate as
determined by Labor
Example
Employee is required to work 8 hours; additional
compensation for overtime of 50% of his
regular rate; regular rate is 30 Pesos per hour.
Regular rate Peso 30
Overtime Premium (50%) 25
Overtime hourly Rate Peso 45
If 12 hours work:
Regular (8x30) Peso 240
OT (4x45) 180
Gross Earnings Peso 420
Charging
Specific Job (rush order, knowledge that
overtime is necessary)
Work in Process 420
Factory Payroll 420

Regular order which cannot be completed in

regular working hours
Work in Process 360
Manufacturing overhead 60
Factory Payroll 420