More companies let staff design own wage packages

More than half of Belgian companies - around 54 per cent - now give workers the choice of putting together their own salary packages, HR services group Acerta reports. This is a clear increase compared to 2021, when 46 per cent of employers offered this possibility.

After surveying 500 Belgian employers at the beginning of the year, the group has drawn conclusions about the most frequently offered forms of extra-legal remuneration. Transport and mobility options remain in the lead, particularly company cars: despite a decline in recent years, 62 per cent of companies allowed this option in 2021 compared to 59 per cent today.

Company bicycles are also gaining in popularity, with almost four in 10 companies offering them to their employees today, compared to only a third in 2021. A growing number of employers also claim to encourage sustainable mobility, with public transport passes gaining popularity.

Digital tools are also becoming a significant option. The smartphone, in particular, is experiencing notable growth. By 2021, 42 per cent of companies reportedly allowed workers to include a phone in their salary package, compared to 57 per cent today.

Furthermore, Acerta notes that more workers have access to extra-legal days off. Today, more than a third of employers allow their workers to buy extra days off, compared to 28 per cent in 2021.

^{© BELGA PHOTO HERWIG VERGULT}