How many FTEs would it take to staff a kitchen with 12 workers who work 8 hours a day 7 days a week?

How many FTEs would it take to staff a kitchen with 12 workers who work 8 hours a day 7 days a week?

• A. 16.8
• B. 12
• C. 20
• D. 18

Answer: (A)

FTEs measure how many full-time workloads are needed based on total hours worked. To find it, add up all the hours that must be covered and divide by the weekly hours of a full-time employee. Here, 12 workers each work 8 hours per day for 7 days, so total weekly hours are 12 × 8 × 7 = 672. Dividing by the standard 40-hour work week gives 672 ÷ 40 = 16.8. So you’d need the equivalent of 16.8 full-time staff (roughly 17 full-time positions in practice). The other numbers would only fit if you used a nonstandard definition of a full-time week.

FTEs measure how many full-time workloads are needed based on total hours worked. To find it, add up all the hours that must be covered and divide by the weekly hours of a full-time employee. Here, 12 workers each work 8 hours per day for 7 days, so total weekly hours are 12 × 8 × 7 = 672. Dividing by the standard 40-hour work week gives 672 ÷ 40 = 16.8. So you’d need the equivalent of 16.8 full-time staff (roughly 17 full-time positions in practice). The other numbers would only fit if you used a nonstandard definition of a full-time week.