Performance reporting and flexible budgeting
Response to the following problem:
Following is a partially completed performance report for a recent week for direct labor in the binding department of a book publisher:
Original Budget Flexible Budget Actual Budget Variance
Direct Labor $4,800 $5,330
The original budget is based on the expectation that 8,000 books would be bound; the standard is 20 books per hour at a pay rate of $12 per hour. During the week, 7,600 books were actually bound. Employees worked 410 hours at an actual total cost of $5,330.
Required:
a. Calculate the flexed budget amount against which actual performance should be evaluated and then calculate the budget variance.
b. Calculate the direct labor efficiency variance in terms of hours.
c. Calculate the direct labor rate variance.