Break-Even Calculator

    Break-Even Retention Calculator

    How many employees do you actually need to retain for an SLR program to pay for itself? For most employers, the answer is surprisingly small.

    40%
    10%80%
    $250
    $50$437.50

    Fully-loaded: recruiting, onboarding, ramp time, lost productivity.

    Break-Even Retention
    4.8

    employees retained per year

    Participants100
    Annual program cost$310,350
    FICA savings (7.65%)$22,950
    Net annual cost$287,400
    Required retention lift4.8%

    SHRM benchmarks place SLR retention lift at 15-25%.

    Why SLR programs usually break even on retention alone

    Replacing an employee is expensive. SHRM and Work Institute research puts the fully-loaded cost of turnover at 50-200% of annual salary, including recruiting, onboarding, ramp time, and lost productivity.

    Industry replacement-cost defaults

    • Healthcare (RN, NP): $60,000+ — NSI Nursing Solutions 2024
    • Law (associate): $80,000+ — ALM Intelligence
    • Tech (software engineer): $75,000+ — SHRM + Gallup Q12
    • Accounting (CPA): $55,000+ — AICPA talent studies
    • General / cross-industry: $45,000 — SHRM baseline

    How the calculator works

    1. Enter workforce size, expected participation, and contribution amount.
    2. Multiplied to get your gross annual program cost; setup and admin fees added.
    3. Subtracts FICA savings (7.65% of every contribution dollar is exempt under Section 127).
    4. Divides net cost by industry turnover cost → your break-even retention number.
    5. Compares the resulting lift to the SHRM 15-25% benchmark.

    Frequently asked questions

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