Tue, 19 May 2026 04:05:11 +0200 Tue, 19 May 2026 04:05:11 +0200 ContentFeeder 2.0 If both parties are in agreement and want to come to an end of the working relationship, the transition fee does not have to be given to the employee. The legislator granted freedom for the parties to make other arrangements which could mean providing the employee with a higher or lower compensation. Employers could also provide a study or...]]> Fri, 20 Jan 2023 15:13:07 +0100
Working in the Netherlands can provide some useful benefits in terms of compensations, thanks to employment laws that enforce positive relations between employees and employers. Knowing these potential benefits is important for both job seekers and employers to better understand what companies are expected to offer in the area of both direct and indirect benefits that make up compensation packages. In the Netherlands, there has been a growing trend of cultivating a work ethos that accommodates the ‘wellness’ of employees, including benefits such as flexible working hours and a higher national minimum wage.

Starting out with the basics, job candidates...]]> Tue, 06 Mar 2018 21:12:54 +0100
Many companies – large and small, seem to be driven by the concept “pay for performance”. The popular understanding of its meaning reflects the longstanding belief in the corporate world that financial incentives are the most powerful motivator of executive performance.
Yet the findings of various studies by behavioral psychologists suggest otherwise. These findings have profound implications, for they raise questions about the motivational rationale underlying incentive compensation programs.

A meta-analysis by Jenkins and co. tried to ascertain whether, and how strongly, financial incentives are related to performance quantity and quality. They were aware of the well-established view that financial...]]> Thu, 30 Nov 2017 22:20:12 +0100 A good salary can attract employees towards a job and incentivise them to work hard, but there are numerous other factors to take into consideration to keep workers happy and maintain a satisfactory work environment. Employee satisfaction is the emotional fulfilment of one’s personal needs within a job setting and can play an important role for employers to ensure good productivity from workers. The importance of employee satisfaction can arguably vary across different job sectors, where sectors which deal directly with customers, such as tourism, appear to benefit most due to their social nature; a satisfied employee will likely lead...]]> Mon, 29 May 2017 12:32:25 +0200 Employee shareholder plans, otherwise known as employee stock ownership plans (ESOP), are plans that offer employees part-ownership in the company through the allocation of shares. They are often used as a corporate finance strategy to align the interests of the employer with those of the company, and come in a variety of forms. Participants can buy stock directly, or it can be offered to them as a bonus. Participants usually benefit from a range of tax breaks on their stocks. So why are many companies jumping on the ESOP bandwagon?

From an employer’s perspective, shareholder plans are generally seen as...]]> Wed, 24 May 2017 11:45:43 +0200 A profit sharing plan, also known as a deferred profit sharing plan (DPSP), is a plan that gives employees of the company a share in the profits. It is essentially a collection of incentive plans that provide direct or indirect payments to employees on top of their regular salary and bonuses. There are usually restrictions as to how a person can benefit from such a plan, such as withdrawing funds, or the way in which shares are allocated. Payment into the plan is at the company’s discretion. Examples of companies which have such schemes include the financial services company First...]]> Mon, 06 Mar 2017 11:13:02 +0100 Maintaining a healthy team dynamic is a foremost challenge for many companies. Highly skilled employees are increasingly becoming an asset, and how to motivate them to achieve the goals set by organizations has become central to organizational strategists. The most important outcome of this sort of planning is that the employee works to the best of their ability both in an individual capacity, as well as in a group of his or her peers. The question is then how best to employ and motivate competent individuals to achieve these dual goals within a successful organization. Several competing schools of thought...]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2017 15:27:48 +0100 You may already have an employee rewards and recognition program in place to provide your employees with a fair return for their efforts and the motivation to maintain and improve their performance – in the long run. Aside from that, gifts given to your employees on occasions such as their birthdays, Christmases, or anniversaries, provide an immediate psychological boost. More than that, they show that you care and that you do not perceive your employees only as workforce, but that you relate to them on a human level.

If you are a very small company, maybe the process of giving...]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2016 13:24:26 +0100 Payments and compensations can be a difficult topic to bring up amongst employees. The whole idea of putting one’s efforts into a figure of currency can prove to be a struggle for employers. A survey done by the compensation research firm PayScale, found that 73% of company leaders “do not feel very confidence in their managers’ ability to effectively communicate with employees about salary related issues”. As difficult and as much of a struggle as it may be, these conversations tend to be “the most important conversations you have throughout the year” –V. G. Narayanan, professor of business administration at...]]> Mon, 03 Oct 2016 23:01:24 +0200

An extra little something is always welcome among your employees. In most cases they do not have to pay any taxes over the gifts received (so that they really remain gifts). As an employer, however, you might have to pay the so-called eindheffing (deduction at source). This is a tax construction that names you – the employer – responsible for paying taxes over the gift, rather than the person who actually receives the gift. And yet, since January 2015, there is a tax regulation in place that lets you be generous tax-free. Under certain conditions, that is.

Werkkostenregeling (WKR) allows...]]> Tue, 06 Sep 2016 10:29:51 +0200 As of 2016 onwards, employers and Labour Offices should include the taxes on special allowances such as holiday pay, bonus or the 13th month in a different way. This makes the net wage different from what people were accustomed to.
Employers and Labour Offices are taking the tax on the wages of their employees or beneficiaries, and then paying it to the tax authorities: the payroll tax. Withholding income tax is done according to certain tables.
As holiday pay or other special remuneration is paid at once, the employer or benefits agency will withhold deductions, same as of the monthly...]]> Mon, 27 Jun 2016 12:52:46 +0200
Salary Upgrade Over Non-financial Benefits

In your professional life, you will on occasion find yourself in a position to negotiate the rewards you will receive in return for your work. Generally speaking these rewards, or better said—incentives—come in either financial or non-financial form, and deciding which one to reach out for can be a bit more complex than it seems.

In terms of financial appreciation, we can talk about bonuses, retirement benefits, allowance, or – the most common one – a salary raise. While many would argue in favor of the straightforward logic that more money = good, others would...]]> Mon, 13 Jun 2016 10:56:23 +0200 In human psychology it is well researched that people have an increased work ethic when a reward is on the line. With increased work ethic comes increased competition and motivation for the rest of the workforce. Companies can offer an array of compensations to lure people onto the payroll and to achieve higher margins; a common compensation is the sales bonus.

A sales bonus acts as an incentive for employees to meet goals. Bonuses can be either fixed or on commission, these in turn van have advantages and disadvantages to both employers and employees. For example, fixed bonuses can show...]]> Tue, 07 Jun 2016 12:16:30 +0200

As much as incentive and payment schemes can improve the productivity of your workforce, so can a well-developed workspace. Inspire the workforce by offering your employees the right workspace. Simple things like desks with rounded edges, communal discussion areas, and comfortable chairs can make all the difference to your workforce, both for their productivity, and their happiness.

Here are some tips to help you create a more dynamic workspace for your employees to keep yourself and them inspired, creative, and prolific.

Design Tips

The first thing to look at it is whether your space is designed to be worker friendly....]]> Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:19:47 +0200 In the modern age of 21st century, an employer is required to adapt themselves to workplace changes and trends if they hope to remain competitive in today’s market. To minimise today’s heightened risk, businesses must reduce their investment into fixed costs and maximise the use of variable costs, and considering that employee compensation is usually a company’s single biggest expense, a company should strive to optimise the balance between fixed and variable pay.
Two leading economic ideologues in the discussion of worker compensation are the concepts of ‘variable pay’ or ‘pay-at-risk’, and ‘objectives-based-incentive-pay’ or simply ‘objective based risk’.

‘Pay at...]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2016 10:22:50 +0100
There is many ways which an employer can entice their employees. In modern day employment employers usually offer:
• Cash bonuses.
• Gift cards.
• Pay schemes.
• Pay rises.
• Promotion.
• Recognizing achievement.

When taking into consideration the types of rewards in regards to boosting employee morale, it would come down to internal and external factors to entice employees.

Bonuses/Pay rise – Most employees tend to appreciate bonuses or pay rise in regards to their performances. As an outcome it genuinely proves that employees continue with their hard work and dedication to show appreciation for their bonus and...]]> Tue, 05 Jan 2016 10:53:20 +0100 Being on probation means your supervisor or other company manager can easily evaluate your progress closely, while making sure you are using your skills as a newly hired worker efficiently. As well as this, probation periods are also used to determine appropriate assignments for new workers, and to monitor other aspects of the employee such as their honesty, reliability, and how they interact with both their peers and customers.

However, probabtion is not only for newly employed personnel. Some employers can place permanent employees on probation, particularly if their performance is seen as being below the company standards, or if...]]> Mon, 30 Nov 2015 12:41:55 +0100 As the economy is starting to pick up again, new staff must be recruited for jobs in the Netherlands. Companies would pay all sorts of extras get good staff, and to keep them interested in their company during the recruitment process. Think along the lines of an unlimited number of vacation days or a reduced fee for transporting your children to school.

"Dutch companies look to successful foreign companies such as Google when it comes to ways to recruit and retain good staff," says Noor Hendrikx in Metro. She is the Human Resources Manager at Tentoo, a business that handles the...]]> Thu, 29 Oct 2015 13:04:06 +0100 During one of the team lunches, when we were talking about experiences, one of my colleagues mentioned: “You should not save money on experiences.” The most obvious translation of this is that experiences are more important/valuable/beneficial/etc. than money. Why is that and how to measure to which extend are experiences more important than money? If you were about to get a reward and were faced with a choice between money and experiences (not limited to a specific type of experience), what would you choose and more importantly, why?

You might also ask me why you have to make a choice on...]]> Thu, 01 Oct 2015 10:39:19 +0200