The True Cost of Employing a Florist in Ireland

The Gap Between Wages and True Cost

When you advertise a florist position at €14.15 per hour, Ireland's national minimum wage for 2026, that number feels straightforward. For a full-time florist working 39 hours per week, 52 weeks a year, it produces a gross annual salary of roughly €28,696. But once you add employer PRSI, paid leave, pension contributions, sick pay, training and recruitment, the true cost climbs well above that headline figure.

Use our True Cost of Employment Calculator for a quick answer tailored to your own numbers.

Employer PRSI: The Biggest Hidden Cost

Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) is Ireland's equivalent of National Insurance. As of July 2026, Class A employer PRSI is 9% where weekly pay is up to €552, and 11.25% where weekly pay is above €552. From 1 October 2026, those rates rise to 9.15% and 11.40%.

• Gross salary: €28,696
• Employer PRSI at 9%: €28,696 x 9% = €2,583

This is a mandatory cost with no way to reduce or avoid it. It funds the State pension, illness benefit, maternity benefit and other social welfare payments.

A florist on €14.15 per hour for 39 hours earns €551.85 per week, so this worked example sits just under the €552 lower-rate threshold. One extra paid hour, a higher hourly rate, or regular overtime can push the role into the higher employer PRSI band.

Annual Leave and Public Holidays

The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 sets the minimum entitlements for employees in Ireland:

• Annual leave: 20 days per year for a full-time employee (or 8% of hours worked, whichever is greater)
• Public holidays: 10 days per year (New Year's Day, St Brigid's Day, St Patrick's Day, Easter Monday, first Mondays of May, June and August, last Monday of October, Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day)

That is 30 paid non-working days per year, two more than the UK minimum of 28. During those 30 days, you are paying wages but receiving no productive work. You either cover the workload yourself, pay overtime to other staff, or hire temporary cover.

Our Staff Holiday Planner helps you plan around these absences and keep enough cover on the shop floor.

Pension: Auto-Enrolment

Ireland's auto-enrolment pension system began collecting contributions from 1 January 2026. The employer contribution starts at 1.5% of gross earnings and will rise over a decade to 6%. Employees earning €20,000 or more and aged between 23 and 60 are automatically enrolled if they are not already in a qualifying pension.

• Initial phase (1.5%): €28,696 x 1.5% = €430
• At full rate (6%): €28,696 x 6% = €1,722

The State will also contribute 0.5% initially, rising to 2%. This is a real long-term cost to factor into your planning.

Statutory Sick Leave

The Sick Leave Act 2022 introduced employer-paid sick leave in Ireland for the first time. From 2025, employees are entitled to 5 days of employer-paid sick leave per year at 70% of normal daily pay, capped at €110 per day.

• Daily pay at €14.15/hr x 7.8 hrs = €110.37
• 70% of €110.37 = €77.26 per sick day
• Estimated annual cost (5 days): 5 x €77.26 = €386

Employees must have completed 13 weeks of continuous service and provide a medical certificate from the first day. The entitlement will increase in future years.

Organisation of Working Time Act

Beyond leave entitlements, this legislation governs maximum working hours (48 hours per week averaged over four months), rest breaks (15 minutes after 4.5 hours, 30 minutes after 6 hours) and minimum rest periods (11 consecutive hours daily, 24 consecutive hours weekly). Florists working peak periods like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day need to watch these limits closely. Non-compliance can result in complaints to the Workplace Relations Commission and financial penalties.

Training and Development Costs

New florists need hands-on training in conditioning, design techniques, customer service and point-of-sale systems. Even experienced florists benefit from seasonal workshops and supplier demonstrations. Budget roughly €550 per year per employee for training, covering course fees, materials and the productive time lost while training.

Recruitment Costs

Advertising on IrishJobs.ie, Indeed or local media, plus the time spent interviewing and the slow first weeks while a new hire gets up to speed. Annualised across an average staff turnover cycle, budget roughly €1,250 per employee.

Other Employment Costs

• Employer's liability insurance: A legal requirement, typically €200 to €400 per year per employee
• Uniforms and protective equipment: Aprons, gloves, footwear, around €150 per year
• Admin and payroll processing: €100 to €200 per year if outsourced

The Full Picture

That is roughly 20% above gross salary in the initial pension phase, rising as auto-enrolment reaches the full 6% employer contribution or if weekly pay crosses the higher PRSI band.

Key Differences From the UK

• PRSI has a weekly threshold. The lower employer Class A rate applies up to €552 per week in 2026
• 30 days paid leave versus the UK minimum of 28
• Sick pay at 70% of normal pay, not a flat statutory rate
• Pension contributions will escalate from 1.5% to 6% over the coming decade

Common Questions

How much does it cost to employ a florist in Ireland?

On our worked example, a florist on €14.15 per hour for 39 hours costs about €34,346 a year, against a gross salary of €28,696. That is roughly 20% on top of the wage in the early pension phase, climbing as pension contributions rise.

What is the employer PRSI rate in Ireland?

As of July 2026, employer Class A PRSI is 9% where weekly pay is up to €552 and 11.25% above that. From 1 October 2026, the rates rise to 9.15% and 11.40%. On this €28,696 worked example, the current annual employer PRSI cost is about €2,583.

How many paid days off does a full-time florist get in Ireland?

A full-time employee is entitled to 20 days of annual leave plus 10 public holidays, so 30 paid non-working days a year. That is two more than the UK minimum of 28, and on each of those days you pay wages without getting productive work in return.

How much do employers pay for the new auto-enrolment pension?

The employer contribution starts at 1.5% of gross earnings (€430 on this salary) and rises over a decade to 6% (€1,722). The State adds 0.5% initially, rising to 2%. Build the rising rate into your costs now rather than later.

How much sick pay must Irish employers cover?

Employees get 5 days of employer-paid sick leave per year at 70% of normal daily pay, capped at €110 a day. On €14.15 per hour that works out at roughly €77.26 a day, or about €386 a year. Staff need 13 weeks of service and a medical certificate from day one.

Planning With Confidence

Use our True Cost of Employment Calculator to run the numbers with your actual hourly rate and working pattern. Pair it with the Staff Holiday Planner to plan cover across the year so you are never caught short during peak trading. Once you know what a florist really costs, the Digital Florists platform helps you get more from every paid hour, keeping orders, deliveries and tasks in one place so your team spends its time making up and serving customers.