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WorkforceGlossary Term

Labour Hoarding

Retaining trained field crews on payroll during slow periods to avoid rehiring and recertifying workers when activity resumes. Common in boom-bust cycles, it protects workforce continuity but strains cash flow. Subcontractors must weigh bench costs against the risk of losing certified tradespeople to competitors.

Related Terms

Utilisation Rate

Workforce

The percentage of available hours that crews or equipment are actively billable to a client. A low utilisation rate signals idle resources eating into margins. Subcontractors track this metric to assess workforce efficiency and bid competitiveness.

Utilisation

Workforce

The percentage of time your crew or equipment is actively deployed on billable work. Low utilisation means idle resources eating into your margins. Subcontractors track this closely to assess profitability and plan workforce levels.

Energy Wheel

Workforce

A visual planning tool showing seasonal cycles of activity across oil & gas and construction sectors. Subcontractors use it to anticipate busy periods, align crew availability, and time equipment investments. It helps field service companies reduce downtime between contracts.

Circadian Science

Workforce

The study of how the body's internal clock affects alertness, performance, and safety during shift work. Subcontractors use it to design smarter rotation schedules that reduce fatigue-related incidents. Regulators increasingly reference circadian principles in hours-of-service and fatigue management requirements.

BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Workforce

A U.S. federal agency that tracks wage rates, employment trends, and labour costs by trade and region. Subcontractors use BLS data to benchmark crew rates and support bid pricing. It also publishes injury and fatality statistics relevant to oil and gas and construction fields.

Fly-In/fly-Out (fifo)

Workforce

A rotation model where workers are flown to remote job sites for a set number of days, then returned home. Subcontractors must account for mobilisation costs and crew availability when bidding FIFO contracts. Rotation schedules vary widely, such as 14 days on and 14 days off.

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