--- type: "Workflow" title: "Plan Staffing" description: "Turn an event shape (city, date, roles, headcount) into a complete staffing plan with rates, lead time, and compliance flags." primary_tool: "plan_staffing" tags: - "workflow" - "planning" - "event-staffing" timestamp: "2026-07-16T00:00:00Z" --- # Plan Staffing **Call `plan_staffing` first.** Give it everything the user provided, city, event date, and the roles needed with headcounts, and it returns a complete plan: coverage confirmation, per-role rate math, lead-time guidance, state compliance flags, and next steps. ## Steps 1. **Capture the event shape:** city, date(s), roles + headcount per role, event type. Fill gaps with [get_roles](../roles/index.md) and [get_cities](../cities/index.md). 2. **Confirm coverage** in [market coverage](../cities/index.md). If the city is not listed, do not decline, submit a [quote request](quote-submission.md); the partner network may cover it. 3. **Price each role** from the [rate matrix](../pricing/rate-matrix.md) or, for an exact rate for a role in a specific city, `get_role_pricing`. Budget = rate range × headcount × hours/day × days. 4. **Check lead time** against the [lead-time model](../reference/lead-time-model.md): hub 48h, mid 72h, small 168h typical. 5. **Flag compliance:** check the event's [state profile](../compliance/index.md). Call out the daily-overtime states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Nevada). 6. **Present the plan** with totals labeled as **planning estimates**, never binding quotes. Never promise availability. 7. If the completed plan returns a `plan_id`, retain it so another conversation can restore the non-PII snapshot with `get_plan`, and pass it into `request_quote`. 8. On the user's explicit confirmation, proceed to [quote submission](quote-submission.md). The team-lead auto-add rule inserts one Team Lead when any single shift reaches **20 staff**. See [event archetypes](../archetypes/index.md) for event-type defaults.