The average rates of basic pay vary from €429 per week (Care Assistant) to €767 per week (Electrician), according to the annual survey published today (20 February) by the Small Firms Association (SFA).
The survey entitled 'SFA Pay & Conditions of Employment Survey Report' showed the employment details of 576 small companies operating across Ireland. The companies were defined as those with with less than 50 employees and were drawn from manufacturing, distribution, retail and services).
It also highlighted respective range for salaried employees was €25,350 per annum (Junior Technician) to €89,616 per annum (Software Development Manager).
The survey found that 15% of employees earn up to €30,000, 35% earn between €30,000-€40,000, 28% earn between €40,000-€50,000, and 22% earn €50,000 or more.
The survey also queried employment benefits, finding 58% of small businesses provide sick pay schemes, 65% offer pension schemes, 42% offer health insurance schemes.
82% of firms provide support for formal training or education, and 56% of respondents offer flexible working arrangements for employees.
Commenting on the results SFA Director, Patricia Callan stated: “Over half the private sector workforce, some 800,000 people are employed in small firms (where the total number of employees is less than 50 people), and they are the biggest employer in 21 of the 26 counties. Our survey shows that they are offering attractive pay and conditions of employment and in 60% of companies, workers will receive on average a 2% pay increase this year. However, what is noticeable is the shift towards improving conditions of employment and other benefits rather than across the board pay rises.
“Most pay increases are productivity related and there is a notable increase in the percentage of companies offering non-pay benefits to employees such as sick pay, pension and health insurance schemes and top-up leave entitlements. The survey clearly indicates that employers have realised the benefits of assessing the overall remuneration package on offer, investing in employees through training opportunities, and meeting their requests for flexible working, rather than just increasing basic pay in order to retain and recruit top talent.”
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