Who is responsible for Unfavourable labor efficiency variances caused by poor quality?
Sarah Martinez
Updated on January 01, 2026
The materials price variance is usually the responsibility of the purchasing manager. The materials quantity and labor efficiency variances are usually the responsibility of production managers and supervisors.
What is labor efficiency variance?
The labor efficiency variance is the difference between the actual number of direct labor hours worked and budgeted direct labor hours that should have been worked based on the standards. SH = Standard hours of direct labor for actual level of activity.
What would cause a labor efficiency variance?
Causes for favorable labor efficiency variance may include: Hiring of more higher skilled labor (this may adversely impact labor rate variance). Training of work force in improved production techniques and methodologies. Use of better quality raw materials which are easier to handle.
What does a Favourable Labour efficiency variance indicate?
Favorable variance If the efficiency variance of the labor is favorable, it will mean that the labor is working in the way it should and the hours used by labor in the production are the hours that are standardized by the company in the budget.
Who is generally responsible for the labor efficiency variance?
Generally, the production department is responsible for direct labor efficiency variance.
How is labor cost variance calculated?
To get the direct labor price variance, subtract the actual cost from the actual hours at standard. The difference between the standard cost of direct labor and the actual hours of direct labor at standard rate equals the direct labor quantity variance.
How do you find the direct labor efficiency variance?
The formula for this variance is:(standard hours allowed for production – actual hours taken) × standard rate per direct labour hour. (standard hours allowed for production – actual hours taken) × standard rate per direct labour hour.
How do you know if the labor efficiency variance is favorable or unfavorable?
Understanding Variable Overhead Efficiency Variance If actual labor hours are less than the budgeted or standard amount, the variable overhead efficiency variance is favorable; if actual labor hours are more than the budgeted or standard amount, the variance is unfavorable.
Which of the following is a possible cause of an unfavorable labor efficiency variance?
Question: Which ONE of the following is a possible cause for an UNFAVORABLE LABOR RATE variance? High factory machinery depreciation rates Low-quality materials Skilled workers doing jobs intended for less skilled workers Inexperienced workers Machines in need of repair.
Who generally has control over the direct labor cost variances?
The two direct labor variances are the direct labor rate variance and the direct labor efficiency variance. The personnel department would be responsible for the rate variance while the production department would be responsible for the efficiency variance.
What is the formula for direct labor cost variance?
Total direct labor variance = (Actual hours × Actual rate) – (Standard hours × Standard rate) or the total direct labor variance is also found by combining the direct labor rate variance and the direct labor time variance.
How much is the direct labor rate variance?
The actual hours of direct labor at standard rate equals $43,200. The standard cost of direct labors comes to $48,000. To compute the direct labor price variance, subtract the actual hours of direct labor at standard rate ($43,200) from the actual cost of direct labor ($46,800) to get a $3,600 unfavorable variance.
How do you calculate labor cost variance?
- Labour Rate Variance = (Standard Rate – Actual Rate) X Actual Hours.
- Labour Efficiency Variance.
- = (Standard hours for actual output – Actual hours) X Standard Rate.
- Direct Labour Cost Variance = Labour Rate Variance + Labour Efficiency Variance.
- DLCV = LRV + LEV.
Which of the following is indicated if there’s a debit balance in the labor efficiency variance?
A debit balance in the labor-efficiency variance account indicates that: budget at actual levels of activity reached and fixed overhead applied. The production volume variance is computed by the difference between the: budgeted selling price multiplied by the actual number of units sold.
Which variance is most useful for the purchasing department?
materials quantity variance
The variance that is usually most useful in assessing the performance of the purchasing department manager is: the materials quantity variance.
What are the two variances between the actual cost and the standard cost for direct labor who generally has control over the direct labor cost variances?
Who generally has control over the direct labor cost variances? Direct labor rate variance: The actual direct labor rate may differ from the standard direct labor rate due to increase or decrease in the direct labor rate. If the actual rate of direct labor increases, the firm experiences unfavorable rate variance.
What are examples of direct labor costs?
As with direct material costs, direct labor costs of a product include only those labor costs clearly traceable to, or readily identifiable with, the finished product. The wages paid to a construction worker, a pizza delivery driver, and an assembler in an electronics company are examples of direct labor.
What will result in an unfavorable direct labor cost variance?
Transcribed image text: Which of the following will result in an unfavorable direct labor cost variance? The actual cost per unit of direct materials exceeded the standard cost of direct materials. The actual cost per unit of direct materials was less than the standard cost of direct materials.
Who should be usually held responsible for labor variances?
The unfavorable labor efficiency variance indicates that direct labor workers were unable to manufacture the 600 beams in the standard time allowed. Once again, the production manager is responsible for worker productivity and usually is held accountable for the labor variance.
The labor rate variance is found by computing the difference between actual hours multiplied by the actual rate and the actual hours multiplied by the standard rate.
Who is held responsible for an Unfavourable materials quantity variance?
purchasing agent
In general, the purchasing agent is responsible for the material price variance. 5. When more hours of labor time are necessary to complete a job than the standard allows, the labor rate variance is unfavorable.
How do you find the Labor efficiency variance?
Labor efficiency variance equals the number of direct labor hours you budget for a period minus the actual hours your employees worked, times the standard hourly labor rate. For example, assume your small business budgets 410 labor hours for a month and that your employees work 400 actual labor hours.
How is labor efficiency variance computed?
Labor efficiency variance equals the number of direct labor hours you budget for a period minus the actual hours your employees worked, times the standard hourly labor rate. Your labor efficiency variance would be 410 minus 400, times $20, which equals a favorable $200.
When does unfavorable labor efficiency variance occur?
If the actual labor hours worked exceed the standard labor hours allowed, what type of variance will occur? Unfavorable labor efficiency variance. Which of the following statements is true? An unfavorable materials price variance could have resulted from actions taken by the purchasing agent.
Who is responsible for materials price and quantity variances?
In this situation, who should be held responsible for the materials price and quantity variances? Materials Price Variance: Production Manager Materials Quantity Variance: Purchasing Agent If the labor efficiency variance is unfavorable, then actual hours exceeded standard hours allowed for the actual output
What does an unfavorable materials quantity variance mean?
An unfavorable materials quantity variance indicates that: actual usage of material exceeds the standard material allowed for output. The materials price variance should be computed: when materials are purchased. A favorable materials price variance coupled with an unfavorable material usage variance would MOST likely result from:
Who is usually held responsible for labor price variances?
Purchasing agent Which manager is usually held responsible for labor price variances? Production supervisor Standards that do not allow for normal down time, waste of materials, or machine breakdowns are known as: