Employee turnover rate calculator
Calculate employee turnover from opening headcount, closing headcount and departures. See average headcount, the formula and a worked example for your chosen period.
Calculate employee turnover for a period you choose. Enter opening headcount, closing headcount and the number of departures during that same period. This free employee turnover rate calculator shows the average of the two headcounts and departures as a percentage of that average.
How to calculate employee turnover
- Define the period and group first, such as one store during a quarter or the whole business during a year.
- Enter how many employees were in that group at the start of the period.
- Enter how many were in it at the end of the period.
- Enter departures during the period using a consistent definition of who counts as a leaver.
- Select Calculate, or load Use example. Copy the result with the period and group written beside it.
The three inputs are whole-person counts. The average can be fractional, because it is the mean of two observations. At least one of the opening or closing headcounts must be above zero.
Employee turnover formula
Average headcount = (opening headcount + closing headcount) ÷ 2
Turnover rate = departures ÷ average headcount × 100
This is the start-and-end headcount method described in nibusinessinfo.co.uk's staff turnover guidance. It is a useful simple measure, but two snapshots may not represent a workforce that grows sharply, shrinks or changes seasonally in between.
Worked example
| Input or result | Value |
|---|---|
| Opening headcount | 40 |
| Closing headcount | 50 |
| Departures in the period | 9 |
| Average headcount | 45 |
| Turnover rate for the period | 20% |
Opening 40 plus closing 50 gives 90; 90 ÷ 2 = 45. Nine departures ÷ 45 × 100 gives an employee turnover rate of 20%. The rate is for the period behind these figures. The tool does not annualize it.
Make comparisons consistent
Record whether the departure count includes all leavers or only a subset, such as voluntary resignations. Use the same definition next time. A move between stores can be a departure from one location without being a departure from the business, so decide which group you are measuring before counting.
Keep the period, employee population and denominator consistent when comparing results. Published rates may use another method: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS technical note defines its separations and employment measures, which differ from simply averaging your opening and closing headcounts. An external percentage is not automatically a like-for-like benchmark.
For practical follow-up, review the onboarding checklist, offboarding checklist and employee availability form. A rate can suggest where to investigate; it does not identify why people left.
Frequently asked questions
Can employee turnover exceed 100%?
Yes. More departures can occur during a period than the average number of positions filled, particularly when people are replaced and replacements also leave. The calculator allows this and does not cap the result at 100%.
Is retention just 100% minus turnover?
Not with this calculation. Retention commonly follows a particular starting group, while this turnover calculation includes departures during the period and uses average headcount. New hires and repeat replacements mean the two measures need not add to 100%.
Can I calculate monthly or quarterly turnover?
Yes. Supply the starting headcount, ending headcount and departures for that month or quarter. Label the result with that period instead of presenting it as an annual rate.
Does it read employee records or save my figures?
No. The calculation uses only the three counts you enter and does not access a business workspace. Use Copy result before leaving the page to retain the result.
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