Employee benefits in Belgium valued at 10 billion euro

The supplementary pension and meal vouchers are the most granted employee benefits in the Belgian private sector. This is shown by a study of the NSSO (National Social Security Office), based on data from 2019 and 2020. The value of all conditions together is estimated at 10 billion euro. The supplementary pension and the meal vouchers account for more than half of that amount.

The supplementary pension and the meal vouchers are used by 80% and 70% of the employees respectively. Next come eco vouchers and the employer's contribution for commuting with the own car, which are both used by half of the employees. 

In total, the value of all benefits is estimated at 10 billion euro, of which the supplementary pension (approximately 4.5 billion euro), meal vouchers (2.3 billion euro), share options (1.2 billion euro) and the private use of the company car (benefit in kind estimated at 1 billion euro) are the largest.

The study of the NSSO was carried out by SD Worx and is based on a sample of more than 600,000 salaried persons aged between 18 and 65 with a contract of indefinite duration. This way, the wage data of approximately 25 percent of the total wage-earning population in the private sector are brought into the picture.

The NSSO cautions that the total value of the benefits does not necessarily correspond to net benefits for the employee. Some of the benefits are subject to social deductions and taxes. Often, the value of a certain benefit does not reflect the actual value, but rather a lump sum that serves as a basis for calculating the contributions and/or taxes owed. Moreover, the different amounts are also subject to different charges.

(TOM)

© BELGA PHOTO LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ