Call center shrinkage calculator
Add up the time agents are paid for but not available to take calls, and turn it into a single shrinkage percentage.
Each agent is available to take calls for about 28.3 of 40 paid hours a week.
| Where the time goes | Hours / week | Share of paid time |
|---|---|---|
| Paid breaks | 2.50 | 6.3% |
| Training | 2.00 | 5.0% |
| Meetings and coaching | 2.00 | 5.0% |
| Other off-phone time | 0.00 | 0.0% |
| Annual leave | 3.08 | 7.7% |
| Sickness and absence | 0.92 | 2.3% |
| Public holidays | 1.23 | 3.1% |
At 29.3% shrinkage you need to schedule 29 agents to keep 20 on the phones.
What shrinkage is
Shrinkage is the share of paid time that agents are not available to take calls. It is the gap between the agents your staffing formula says you need on the phones and the agents you actually have to schedule. At 30% shrinkage you need 10 scheduled agents for every 7 you want on the phones.
In-office and out-of-office
- In-office — the agent is at work but off the phones: paid breaks, training, team meetings and coaching.
- Out-of-office — the agent is not there: annual leave, sickness and public holidays.
Keep the two apart. You can plan breaks and training around the call pattern, but you cannot schedule sickness.
How it is calculated
Each item is converted to hours per week, with annual days spread over 52 weeks using the length of a working day. Shrinkage is the hours lost divided by the paid hours. Unpaid lunch is left out because it is not part of paid time.
Next step
Put the result into the Erlang C calculator to turn the agents you need on the phones into the agents you need to schedule.
FAQ
What is a normal shrinkage rate for a call center?
Most centers plan somewhere between 25% and 35%. It depends on leave policy, how much training and coaching you run, and how much sickness you have. Measure your own rather than relying on a benchmark.
Does shrinkage include lunch?
Only if lunch is paid. Unpaid lunch is not part of the paid hours the percentage is measured against.
How do I bring shrinkage down?
Start with the biggest line in the table. Leave and sickness are usually the largest, so planning leave ahead and tackling absence helps most. Schedule training and meetings in quiet periods so they cost less in service level.