Compare a permanent hire with temporary coverage.
For a short surge, temporary staffing is paid only for weeks actually used, while a permanent hire costs a prorated slice of salary plus its burden. Permanent hires look cheap hourly until benefits, gaps and fixed salary land, so comparing over the actual need window prevents over-hiring.
Permanent vs Temporary Staffing
Permanent cost = salary x weeks/52 x (1 + burden); temp cost = rate x hours x weeks
Permanent cost = salary x weeks/52 x (1 + burden); temp cost = rate x hours x weeks For a short surge, temporary staffing is paid only for weeks actually used, while a permanent hire costs a prorated slice of salary plus its burden.
Permanent hires look cheap hourly until benefits, gaps and fixed salary land, so comparing over the actual need window prevents over-hiring.
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Permanent annual salary, Temp hourly rate, Temp hours per week, Assignment in weeks, Burden on permanent hire. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.