How much a meeting actually costs

Eight people for an hour is a day of work. Putting a number on it changes which meetings happen.

Meetings feel free because nobody invoices for them. Costing them in salary terms is a quick way to see which are worth holding.

Step-by-step

1. Enter attendees and their cost per hour.
2. Enter the duration.
3. Add preparation and follow-up time.
4. Read the total, and what it costs annually if recurring.

Use fully loaded cost

Salary alone understates it by 30–50%. Use the true cost of employment — the figure that includes employer contributions, equipment and overhead.

The recurring meeting is where the money is

A weekly hour with eight people, at a fully loaded £50 an hour, costs £400 a week and over £20,000 a year. That is a substantial annual expense, agreed once and never reviewed.

Every recurring meeting deserves an annual question: is it still worth what it costs? Many were created for a situation that no longer exists.

Interruption costs more than the hour

A meeting in the middle of the morning does not cost an hour; it costs the hour plus the focus either side of it. For work requiring concentration, a badly placed meeting can consume most of a morning.

Grouping meetings together protects unbroken time, which is why it is worth doing even when the total hours are unchanged.

Cheaper alternatives

• Fewer attendees. Invite decision-makers; send notes to the rest.
• Shorter by default. Meetings expand to their scheduled length.
• A written update where nothing needs deciding.
• An agenda, or no meeting. A meeting without one usually has no purpose either.

Frequently asked questions

What rate should I use per attendee?

Fully loaded cost, not salary — typically 30–50% above it once employer contributions, equipment and overhead are included.

Which meetings should I scrutinise?

Recurring ones. A weekly meeting is an annual expense agreed once, and many outlive the situation that created them.

Does the cost stop when the meeting ends?

No. Interrupting focused work costs the recovery time either side, which is why grouping meetings together is worth doing even when total hours are unchanged.