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. 2021 Apr 23;4:39. [Version 1] doi: 10.12688/hrbopenres.13256.1

Table 21a. Estimated unit costs for a publicly employed, community based, Health Care Assistant, 2016–2019.

BASELINE (OVERHEADS 40%) 2016 2017 2018 2019
Cost component
A Wages/salary 30,107 30,857 31,497 31,917
B Salary oncosts 8,768 8,630 8,499 8,964
C Qualifications - - - -
D Overheads 12,043 12,343 12,599 12,767
E Capital overheads 5,153 5,234 4,201 4,294
F Travel - - - -
G Total costs (∑A–F) 56,071 57,064 56,795 57,942
Working time
H Number of hours worked per annum 1,689 1,679 1,683 1,684
I Ratio of direct to indirect time - - - -
Unit costs
J Unit cost per hour (G/H) 33 34 34 34
Cost component Description Sources
A Wages/salary Annual mean whole-time equivalent basic salary for Health Care
Assistant (HCA).
HSE (2020) Health Service
Personnel Census
HSE, 2020a
B Salary oncosts Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) Contribution, calculated at 10.75–10.95%
of annual mean WTE basic salary for HCA for the period 2016—2019.
Superannuation: weighted average of the public sector pension
contribution rates for pre-2013 and post-2013 pension cohorts estimated
by DPER (with adjustment for the Pension Related Deduction/
Annual Superannuation Charge). Average pension contribution of 15–19% over the
period 2016—2019 for publicly employed HCAs.
DEASP, 2019, DEASP, 2020
DPER, 2017a
DPER, 2017b
Personal communication with
IGEES, DOH, 04/01/2021
Personal communication with
IGEES, DOH, 22/01/2021
C Qualifications Not included in this analysis
D Overheads Estimated overhead costs for utilities (e.g., light, heat, telephone, internet),
accommodation costs, office facilities, and general supplies as well as
administrative and management staff costs using available guidelines.
Baseline estimate of 40% of basic salary.
DOT, 2009
HIQA, 2018b
HIQA, 2020
DPER, 2019
Curtis & Burns, 2019
E Capital overheads Estimated capital overhead costs based on average capital costs estimated
by the Personal Social Services Research Unit.
Estimate of 11–13% of total salary (basic plus oncosts) for the period
2016—2019.
Curtis & Burns, 2018;
Curtis & Burns, 2019
F Travel Not included in this analysis
H Number of hours
worked per annum
Total number of days worked per annum (number of working days in a
given year minus annual leave entitlement and estimated sickness absence
days) multiplied by number of hours worked per day.
Leave entitlement:
HSE, 2009a; Personal communication with HSE,
04/02/2021
Absenteeism:
HSE, 2017; HSE, 2018; HSE, 2019a
HSE, 2019b
Number of hours per
week/day:
Labour Relations Committee, 2013
I Ratio of direct to
indirect time
Not included in this analysis