Hiring a full-time, in-house Executive Assistant can seem like the most sensible choice. They’re available from 9 to 5. They’re on payroll and are part of the team. And on paper, you’re paying for 37.5 to 40 hours of productive support every week. But are you really getting 37.5 to 40 hours of focused, high-value Executive Assistant work?

Probably not. Because being present and being productive are not the same thing.

Just because someone’s available for the full working day doesn’t mean every hour is used productively. In fact, a UK office productivity survey by Vouchercloud.com found that the average office worker reported being productive for just 2 hours and 53 minutes per day.

That’s a long way from the traditional 8-hour day many businesses still use as their benchmark.

And this is where the idea that an in-house EA is automatically better value starts to fall apart.

When you employ someone full-time, you’re not just paying for the work they complete. You’re paying for everything that comes with that role – salary, employer National Insurance, pension contributions, equipment, software, desk space, holidays, and sickness absence. Not to mention downtime, internal meetings and general office distractions.

Some of those costs are obvious, while others quietly become part of the business until you stop questioning them.

But normal doesn’t always mean efficient.

A senior Executive Assistant is a highly skilled professional. Their value lies in their judgement, discretion, organisation, communication and ability to take responsibility off your plate. They are not simply there to ‘do admin’. The best EAs protect your time, anticipate problems, manage complexity and help you show up professionally.

So the real question isn’t ‘Do I need someone full-time?’ It’s ‘How many hours of focused, high-calibre support do I actually need?’

For many senior leaders, founders and business owners, the answer may be fewer than they think.

The hidden cost of full-time support

UK Executive Assistant salaries vary depending on location, experience and seniority. Indeed currently places the average UK Executive Assistant salary at around £39,000 per year, while Reed lists an average of around £43,000. London and senior C-suite EA roles can be significantly higher.

But salary is only the starting point.

Employers also need to factor in employer National Insurance. For the 2025/26 tax year, the employer National Insurance secondary threshold is £5,000 per year, with employer contributions charged above the relevant threshold.

Then there are workplace pension contributions. Under auto-enrolment, eligible employers must usually contribute at least 3% of qualifying earnings, with a total minimum contribution of 8%.

Add office space, laptop, phone, software, training, management time and holiday cover, and the true cost of a full-time EA can be far higher than the salary figure alone suggests.

And that still doesn’t account for the time paid but not necessarily productive.

Meetings are one of the biggest culprits. Atlassian’s research into workplace meetings found that 80% of respondents said they would be more productive if they spent less time in meetings, while 54% said meetings dictated the structure of their day instead of ‘real work’ taking priority.

Then there’s commuting. In Great Britain, the average commute in 2024 took 28 minutes each way, according to government transport statistics. That’s nearly an hour a day before someone has even properly started or decompressed from their working day.

Sickness absence is another hidden cost. The ONS estimated that 148.8 million working days were lost to sickness or injury in 2025, averaging 4.4 days lost per worker. CIPD’s employer survey reported an even higher average absence figure of 9.4 days per employee.

None of this means in-house EAs aren’t valuable. Far from it. It simply means the traditional full-time employment model may not always be the most efficient way to access that value.

Why a virtual EA can be better value

A flexible virtual Executive Assistant changes the equation because instead of paying for availability, you’re paying for focused delivery.

You’re not paying for the commute, the desk, the quiet moments between tasks, internal office distractions or any ‘just in case’ hours. You’re paying for skilled, proactive support that is structured around what you actually need.

That might be diary and inbox management. It might be travel planning, client communication, document preparation, event coordination, project support or operational organisation.

And because a high-calibre virtual EA is used to working independently, they don’t need hand-holding. The right person can take ownership, anticipate what needs to be done, and become a trusted extension of your business without becoming another full-time overhead.

This is where the quality of the match matters.

At Executive PA Solutions, clients are carefully partnered with an experienced virtual Executive Assistant who complements their business, understands their working style and can build a long-term relationship.

Because effective delegation isn’t just about handing over tasks.

It’s about trust. It’s about knowing the details will be taken care of and freeing you up to focus on the work only you can do.

The real question is value, not hours

The old way of thinking says more hours equals more support. But that isn’t always true. A full-time EA who’s distracted, pulled into unnecessary meetings or underused during quieter periods may cost more than a flexible virtual EA delivering focused, senior-level support for the hours that genuinely matter.

So before assuming you need someone in-house and full-time, ask yourself:

Do I need 40 hours of support, or the right support delivered well?

Because the most valuable EA isn’t necessarily the one sitting closest to your office. It’s the one who reduces the pressure, protects your time, raises your professional standards and gives you the confidence that everything is being handled properly.

And for many business leaders, that doesn’t require a full-time employee. It requires a proactive, proficient and trusted virtual Executive Assistant who knows how to step in, take ownership and make your working life feel lighter.

If you’re ready to protect your time, improve productivity and get the right support in place, Executive PA Solutions can help.  Why not drop us an email and find out how a trusted virtual Executive Assistant could help you work more efficiently, delegate with confidence and focus on the things that matter most.