Configuring StaffBrik
StaffBrik is designed to work out of the box with sensible defaults, but every hospitality business is different. This page covers all the settings you can customise to match your operation.
Navigate to StaffBrik > Settings to access these options.
Break Policy
Configure how breaks are handled across your organisation.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Default break type | Whether breaks are paid or unpaid | Unpaid |
| Break duration | Length of break in minutes | 30 minutes |
| Minimum hours before break | The minimum shift length before a break is required | 6 hours |
Under UK law, workers over 18 are entitled to an uninterrupted 20-minute rest break if they work more than 6 hours in a day. Your configured break duration should be at least 20 minutes to comply with this requirement. Many hospitality businesses offer 30 minutes as standard.
How it works: When a shift is created that exceeds the minimum hours threshold, StaffBrik automatically applies the configured break. If the break is unpaid, the break duration is deducted from the shift's paid hours when calculating costs.
Example: A chef is scheduled for an 8-hour shift (10:00 to 18:00) with a 30-minute unpaid break. StaffBrik costs the shift at 7.5 paid hours.
If your front-of-house team takes paid breaks but your kitchen team takes unpaid breaks, you can set the organisation default and then override it at the role or individual shift level.
Baseline Rate
The baseline rate is the entry-level hourly rate used as a reference point for the points-based weighting system in rota costing.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline rate | Entry-level hourly rate for your organisation | National Living Wage |
This rate acts as the anchor point - employees paid above it are weighted proportionally higher in cost calculations. It helps you understand the relative cost impact of scheduling senior vs junior team members.
Example: If your baseline rate is £11.44 and you schedule a supervisor at £14.00/hr, StaffBrik shows the cost weighting as 1.22x the baseline (£14.00 ÷ £11.44).
Pension
Configure employer pension contributions at the organisation level.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Pension rate | Employer contribution as a percentage of qualifying earnings | 3% |
The legal minimum employer contribution for auto-enrolment is 3% of qualifying earnings (between £120 and £967 per week). If you contribute more than the minimum, update this setting so that true cost calculations and reports reflect your actual pension spend.
The pension rate is applied in True Cost calculations, the Cost Calculator, and all cost-related reports.
Budget
Set your target labour cost percentage for wage monitoring.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Target wage percentage | Labour cost as a percentage of revenue | 30% |
This target is used in the Weekly Wage Report to highlight weeks where you are over or under budget. It also feeds into the rota builder, where you can see projected labour cost percentage as you add shifts.
Typical labour cost targets in UK hospitality:
- Quick-service cafe or bakery: 25-30%
- Casual dining restaurant: 28-33%
- Fine dining: 33-40%
Set a target that reflects your business model and review it seasonally - you may accept a higher percentage during quieter months if your revenue drops but you need to retain trained staff.
RTW Threshold
Configure when a Return to Work conversation is triggered.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| RTW threshold | Number of absence days before an RTW is required | 3 days |
When an employee's absence meets or exceeds this threshold (in calendar days), StaffBrik generates an RTW checklist and creates a dashboard alert. See Return to Work for full details.
You can set this to 1 day if you want an RTW conversation after every absence, regardless of length. Some operators prefer this approach as it ensures consistent management of all absences.
Setting the threshold too high (e.g. 7+ days) means you may miss the opportunity to have a timely conversation after shorter absences. The CIPD recommends conducting RTW conversations for all absences of 3+ days as a minimum.
Holiday Year
Configure your holiday year to match your business cycle.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Start month | The month your holiday year begins | January |
| Start day | The day of the month your holiday year begins | 1 |
| Entitlement (days) | Full-time annual holiday entitlement in days | 28 |
| Hours per day | Standard hours in a working day (used to convert between days and hours) | 8 |
The UK statutory minimum is 28 days (5.6 weeks) for a full-time worker, including bank holidays. If you offer more than the statutory minimum (e.g. 28 days plus bank holidays), set the entitlement accordingly.
StaffBrik uses these settings to:
- Calculate pro-rata entitlements for part-time and mid-year starters.
- Track used vs remaining days throughout the year.
- Manage carryover at year-end.
- Display entitlement information on time-off requests.
Common holiday year start dates:
| Start Date | Why |
|---|---|
| 1st January | Calendar year - simple and easy to communicate |
| 1st April | Aligns with the UK tax year (6th April) |
| 1st September | Popular with businesses that have a seasonal peak in summer - starts the new year after the busy period |
Roles
Roles define the positions in your organisation and are used throughout StaffBrik for rota building, cost calculations, and reporting.
Creating a Role
- Go to StaffBrik > Settings > Roles.
- Click Add Role.
- Configure the following:
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Role name | The name of the position | Head Chef, Barista, Front of House |
| Hourly rate | The default hourly rate for this role | £13.50 |
| Colour | A display colour used on the rota | Blue, green, orange, etc. |
How Roles Are Used
- Rota display: Each role has a colour, making it easy to see at a glance what mix of roles you have scheduled on any given day. For example, kitchen roles in red, front-of-house in blue, and management in green.
- Default rate: When you assign a shift to a role, the role's hourly rate is used as the default. You can override this at the employee level if an individual is paid a different rate.
- Reporting: Reports can be filtered and grouped by role, so you can see costs and staffing levels per position.
Keep your role list manageable. A small cafe might only need 3-4 roles (Barista, Kitchen, Supervisor, Manager), while a larger restaurant might have 8-10. Too many roles makes the rota harder to read - too few and you lose useful detail in reports.
Example Role Setup for a Cafe
| Role | Rate | Colour | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barista | £11.44 | Teal | Entry-level front-of-house |
| Senior Barista | £12.50 | Blue | Can run a shift unsupervised |
| Kitchen | £11.44 | Orange | Food prep and dishwashing |
| Head Baker | £14.00 | Red | Leads the kitchen / bakery |
| Supervisor | £13.00 | Green | Shift leader, key holder |
| Manager | £15.00 | Purple | Full management responsibilities |
Example Role Setup for a Restaurant
| Role | Rate | Colour | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front of House | £11.44 | Blue | Waiting and bar staff |
| Senior Waiter | £12.00 | Teal | Experienced, can manage a section |
| Kitchen Porter | £11.44 | Grey | Dishwashing and prep support |
| Commis Chef | £12.00 | Orange | Junior kitchen |
| Chef de Partie | £13.50 | Red | Runs a station |
| Sous Chef | £15.00 | Maroon | Deputy to the head chef |
| Head Chef | £17.00 | Dark Red | Kitchen leader |
| Manager | £16.00 | Purple | General management |