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, pension contributions, any extra absence cover, 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

For the worked employee earning €551.85 a week, Class A employer PRSI is 9% from 1 January to 30 September 2026 and 9.15% from 1 October. For weekly earnings above €552, the listed employer rates are 11.25% and 11.40% respectively. Check the official table for the employee's band and subclass.

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

This holds the July 2026 rate constant for illustration; it is not the exact PRSI bill for a calendar year with a rate change.

Use the rate for each pay period when budgeting a year that crosses a rate change.

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: most employees have a maximum statutory entitlement of four normal working weeks, or 20 days for a five-day week. The 8%-of-hours method is capped at four weeks; use the applicable method that gives the greater entitlement.
• 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)

The ten public holidays do not automatically mean ten days off. The employer chooses the appropriate public holiday benefit: a paid day off, paid time off within a month, an extra annual-leave day or an extra day of pay. Normal paid annual leave is already part of a salary paid across 52 weeks; add only extra cover or payments not already included.

Record planned absences in one calendar and check who can cover each role before approving leave.

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%. The MyFutureFund eligibility guidance covers employees aged 23 to 60 earning more than €20,000 across employments who are not contributing through payroll to an exempt pension arrangement. Contributions have an €80,000 earnings threshold; check the guidance for the pay-period treatment when that threshold is reached.

• 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. The statutory entitlement increased to 5 days in 2024. Those days are paid 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. Check the WRC sick-leave guidance before budgeting for a later year.

Organisation of Working Time Act

The WRC working-hours guidance explains the general 48-hour average working-week limit, daily and weekly rest, and breaks. Additional rules can apply, including shop-employee breaks and different averaging arrangements. Check the rules for your staff before planning peak rotas.

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. The example chooses €550 per year for training. Replace it with current course fees, materials and any additional cover needed.

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. The example uses a chosen €1,250 recruitment allowance for the year, not a measured staff-turnover average.

Other Employment Costs

• Employers' liability insurance: The Central Bank explains that this cover is not compulsory in the Republic of Ireland. Check the cover you need with your broker and use the quoted premium in your budget.
• Uniforms and protective equipment: Quote for the aprons, gloves and footwear the role needs
• Admin and payroll processing: Use the provider's quote if outsourced

The Full Picture

This illustrative budget includes €386 for additional cover during absence. The statutory sick-pay calculation above is part of wages when it replaces normal pay; do not add it again on top of a full salary. Replace the cover allowance with your expected extra cost.

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
• Four working weeks of annual leave plus ten public holiday benefits, which do not all have to be days off
• 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?

For the worked salary of €551.85 a week, employer Class A PRSI is 9% until 30 September 2026 and 9.15% from 1 October. Above €552 weekly pay, the corresponding rates are 11.25% and 11.40%. Use the official table for other pay bands and subclasses.

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

Most employees receive four normal working weeks of annual leave, which is 20 days for a five-day week. Ten public holidays carry a separate benefit, but the employer can provide extra pay instead of a day off. Do not automatically count 30 non-working days.

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. 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.