> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pluvel.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Payroll Analytics

> Understand your labor costs, headcount trends, and workforce metrics.

Payroll is usually your biggest expense. Analytics helps you understand where that money goes — by department, employee type, location, over time. Make better decisions about hiring, raises, and resource allocation.

## Dashboard

Go to **Finance → Payroll → Analytics** for the overview.

You'll see:

**Total labor cost** — What you're spending on people (wages + taxes + benefits)

**Headcount** — Current employees, how it's changed over time

**Cost per employee** — Average labor cost divided by headcount

**Labor as % of revenue** — If you have revenue data, see how much goes to payroll

Charts show trends over the last 12 months. Spot seasonality, growth, or anomalies.

## Labor Cost Breakdown

Understand where payroll dollars go:

| Category         | What's Included                                            |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| Gross wages      | Salary, hourly pay, overtime                               |
| Employer taxes   | Social Security, Medicare, FUTA, SUTA                      |
| Benefits         | Health insurance, 401k match, other employer-paid benefits |
| Total labor cost | Everything above combined                                  |

Filter by department, location, or employee type to see where costs concentrate.

## Headcount Metrics

Track your workforce:

**Headcount over time** — How many employees at any point

**Hires and departures** — Net change each month

**Turnover rate** — Departures as % of average headcount

**Growth rate** — Month-over-month or year-over-year headcount change

High turnover is expensive (recruiting, training, lost productivity). Analytics helps you spot it before it's a crisis.

## Department Analysis

If you've tagged employees with departments:

* Compare labor costs across departments
* See which departments are growing
* Identify cost disparities
* Benchmark cost per head by department

Example: Engineering averages $150k/employee. Sales averages $85k. Is that expected? Analytics surfaces the data so you can ask the right questions.

## Compensation Insights

**Salary distribution** — Min, max, median, average by role or department

**Overtime trends** — Who's working extra? Is it sustainable?

**Raise history** — Compensation changes over time

**Pay equity** — Compare compensation across demographics (if you track it)

<Info>
  Compensation data is sensitive. Only account owners and designated HR admins can access payroll analytics by default. Configure permissions in Settings.
</Info>

## Benefits Cost

See what benefits actually cost:

* Health insurance premiums (employer portion)
* 401k matching contributions
* HSA/FSA employer contributions
* Other benefits you provide

Benefits often add 20-40% on top of wages. Knowing the real number helps with budgeting and total compensation conversations.

## Reporting Period Comparisons

Compare any two periods:

* This quarter vs. last quarter
* This year vs. last year
* Post-hire vs. pre-hire (see the cost impact of adding someone)

Pluvel calculates the change in dollars and percentage. Useful for board meetings, budgeting, or explaining why costs moved.

## Export and Reporting

Export analytics data for:

* Board presentations
* Budget planning
* External HR analysis
* Compensation benchmarking

Available in **Reports → Payroll → Analytics Export**. Choose date range, metrics, and format (CSV, PDF, Excel).

## Common Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What's included in 'labor cost'?">
    Gross wages, employer payroll taxes (SS, Medicare, FUTA, SUTA), and employer-paid benefits. It does not include contractor payments — those are separate.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why doesn't my revenue match?">
    Payroll analytics only sees data from Pluvel. If your revenue is in a different system or you're not tracking it here, the labor-as-%-of-revenue metric won't be accurate. Connect your revenue sources or enter them manually.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I benchmark against other companies?">
    Pluvel doesn't have industry benchmarking built in. You can export your data and compare it to industry reports (from sources like BLS or Payscale).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Tips

**Review monthly.** Labor costs can creep up without anyone noticing. Monthly reviews catch drift early.

**Set budgets.** Use the budgets feature to set targets for labor cost. Analytics shows you actual vs. budget.

**Watch overtime.** Consistent overtime might mean you need another hire. Or it might mean inefficiency. Either way, you should know.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Payroll reports" icon="file-lines" href="/features/reports/payroll-reports">
    Detailed payroll reports for accounting and compliance.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Budgets" icon="calculator" href="/features/accounting/budgets">
    Set and track payroll budgets.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>