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

Table 22a. Estimated unit costs for a publicly employed, community based, Health Care Support Assistant, 2016–2019.

BASELINE (OVERHEADS 40%) 2016 2017 2018 2019
Cost component
A Wages/salary 28,779 29,529 30,151 30,554
B Salary oncosts 8,381 8,259 8,136 8,581
C Qualifications - - - -
D Overheads 11,511 11,812 12,061 12,222
E Capital overheads 4,926 5,009 4,022 4,111
F Travel - - - -
G Total costs (∑A–F) 53,597 54,608 54,370 55,468
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) 32 33 32 33
Cost component Description Sources
A Wages/salary Annual mean whole-time equivalent basic salary for Health Care Support
Assistant (HCSA), formerly Home Help.
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 HCSA 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 HCSAs.
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