Additionally, as an extra feature to our article on "Total Compensation," we've included a pair of downloadable worksheets: one for Fully Loaded Cost for Field Employees , and one for Hard Cost of Labor .

It's inherent in the concept of total compensation that the cost of employee benefits will limit employee wages. Health insurance, in particular, is so expensive that the hourly cost to most remodelers is equal to as much as $4 per hour. So what do you do if an employee declines coverage and then asks for the money to be applied to wages? We discuss the issue in "Would You Like Some Insurance With That?"