Too many people on a quiet afternoon wastes payroll. Too few on a busy Saturday burns out your team and loses sales. Good scheduling starts with your sales data and ends with a schedule everyone can see in advance.
Step 1: Find your busy hours
Use your POS's sales-by-hour report for the last four weeks. Mark the hours where orders peak, typically breakfast, lunch, after-office and weekend afternoons, and the quiet hours in between. That's the shape your schedule should follow.
Step 2: Set a simple staffing guide
| Orders per hour | Counter | Bar / kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 1 | 1 |
| 20–40 | 1 | 2 |
| Over 40 | 2 | 2–3 |
Adjust the guide after a few weeks by watching wait times and how stretched the team feels.
Step 3: Respect pay rules when you plan
Labor costs change with the calendar, so check them before you finalize a schedule. At the time of writing:
- Minimum wage: in Metro Manila, Wage Order NCR-27 set the daily minimum at ₱755 for most non-agricultural workers, with a lower rate (₱718) for retail and service businesses with 15 or fewer employees. Rates differ by region, so check the latest wage order for your area.
- Regular holidays: employees who work get 200% of their daily wage for the first eight hours.
- Special non-working days: work is paid at 130% of the daily wage for the first eight hours.
- 13th month pay: rank-and-file employees receive at least one-twelfth of their basic annual salary, paid no later than December 24.
Step 4: Publish early and keep swaps fair
- Share next week's schedule by Thursday at the latest.
- Rotate weekend and closing shifts so the same people don't always get them.
- Allow swaps between equally trained staff, approved by a manager and recorded.
- Avoid "clopening" (closing late then opening early the next day) wherever possible.
Step 5: Review labor cost weekly
Labor cost percentage = total wages ÷ net sales. Track it weekly alongside your sales. If it creeps up, look at the quiet hours first. That's usually where small adjustments save the most without hurting service.
Key takeaway: schedule from your sales-by-hour data, plan around holiday pay rules, publish early, and keep the hard shifts fair.
Sources and further reading
- SweldoPH — NCR minimum wage under Wage Order NCR-27
- National Wages and Productivity Commission (official wage orders)
- GMA News — DOLE holiday pay rules
- Batas Natin — 13th month pay computation (P.D. 851)
This article is general information for business owners in the Philippines, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and rates change, so confirm the details that apply to your business with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Figures in worked examples are illustrative. Last reviewed October 2026.
