Adding an HR & Safety Lead

This sheet helps you decide when to add an HR and safety lead: the signs to watch for, what the role owns, whether the math works and how to hire it right.

When hiring never stops and safety lives in the owner's head, it's time.

HR & safety coordinator · recruiting, training & claims

$3M–$5MTypical revenue range

40–50+Employees, including seasonal

$69KExample loaded cost per year

$114KAdded revenue to pay for it

Is it time?

Tick what's true for your company today

Signs it's time · check what's true today

The owner or managers do all the recruiting
Turnover is high and onboarding is inconsistent
Workers' comp claims are rising
Training isn't logged or tracked
Employee records are scattered or incomplete
Seasonal rehiring takes over the spring

What they own

Recruiting, hiring paperwork and onboarding
Safety training, tailgate talks and logs
Workers' comp claims and return-to-work
Employee handbook and personnel records
Retention and engagement surveys

Their scoreboard

Retention
Accident-free days
Training completion
eNPS

Does the math work?

Example pay · 20% burden · 60.3% gross margin

The example (per year)

Base salary (example)$55,000
+ Labor burden & benefits (20%)$11,000
+ Software & training materials$3,000
= Loaded cost per year$69,000
÷ Gross margin60.3%
= Added revenue to cover the role$114,428

Payback: Cutting turnover from 40% to 30% on 50 employees means 5 fewer hires to recruit, onboard and train each year.

Does the math work for you?

Put in the pay you would offer and your own gross margin.

Base salary ($)

Burden & benefits (%)

Software & training materials ($)

Your gross margin (%)

Loaded cost per year

Added revenue to cover the roleLoaded cost ÷ gross margin

Making the hire

Hire it right

Start with safety and onboarding, the biggest risk
Get the handbook reviewed by an employment attorney
Set up training logs that a buyer or insurer can read
Give them a seat in the weekly manager meeting

Common mistake

Making HR a paperwork role. Measure it on retention and safety, which show up in labor cost and insurance.

How to pay it

Salary plus a bonus on retention and accident-free days.

The first 90 days

Day 30: onboarding checklist. Day 60: safety training calendar and logs. Day 90: retention and eNPS baseline.

Ranges reflect common green-industry practice, not rules; your margins, service mix and the owner's strengths decide the timing. Salaries are examples only; use local market pay. Revenue needed uses the example company's 60.3% gross margin.

Key idea: People and safety records are part of what a buyer reviews. Keep them organized.