a Sift Media publication
Over 23,000 pages of accounting passion and insight!   |   Sift Media logo

Training is it G&A or overhead?

Training on the job for new shop workers. The cost of labor is very high for our finish goods when we have a new shop worker. Can I allocate the hours above the standard hours to Training Expense in G&A or does it go into indirect labor on the specfic job, as Overhead?

I plan to allocate, all hours above the standard, to training expense for the first three months for all new employees.

Eric Otten



Training

I certainly would not assign it to any specific job - the training a new worker receives is usually for all jobs. For example, if a manufacturing worker was trained on an industrial sewing machine, one job could be sewing awnings and another job could be sewing seat covers for lawn chairs. You don't want to have all of the costs of the training on the first job the employee works (or trains on). You may not want to expense it in G&A, either, because it is directly related to the finished goods - in the long run. In general, without knowing other specifics of your company, I would tend to put it with the overall indirect expenses of manufacture, just as you would maintenance on machinery - a necessary evil to be allocated over the costs of all jobs - and I would allocate it over all jobs in that worker's first 3 months.

Welcome Visitor!
Sign up for the Weekly Insight newsletter to stay informed of future content in this category.
Email:
Already have an account? Sign in:
Forgotten your password?
Join us FB Connect with us LI Follow us
Voice of the Editor
Amidst a certain amount of controversy, the AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants have launched a new designation for global management accountants, the CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant). The designation is available to members of both organizations.
Read more >>

Gail Perry, CPA
Editor-in-Chief, AccountingWEB
editor@accountingweb.com