Terms of employment
At the Faculty of Economics and Business, UG-wide terms of employment apply. Below is a list with information on some of the most important topics when it comes to, for example, salary and leave.
Worldwide data on faculty salaries at public universities compiled by researchers from Boston College and the Higher School of Economics, Moscow (2012), shows that average academic salary in the Netherlands is in the top 10.
Academic salaries and other terms of employment in the Dutch higher education system are settled by universities in negotiation with labour unions that represent academics. The resulting Collective Labour Agreement leaves room for individual universities to determine job tasks and tenure criteria, with salary increments annually based on an assessment of merit through performance reviews. You can find an overview of the standard University of Groningen salary scales here.
As a University of Groningen employee you will receive a holiday allowance equal to 8% of your gross annual salary (with a minimum amount, specified in the Collective Labour Agreement). The holiday allowance is paid once per year in May. You will also receive an annual end-of-year bonus equal to 8.3% of your gross annual salary. The end-of-year bonus is paid in December.
Working outside of your home country may incur extra expenses, the so-called extraterritorial costs. Under certain conditions, Dutch tax legislation will allow employers to reimburse (part of) these costs by reducing your taxable salary (including holiday allowance and end-of-year bonus) by up to 30% and paying this to you as a tax-free allowance.
Officially, a full-time appointment at the University of Groningen is 38 working hours per week. For such a full-time appointment, the University offers a generous leave allowance of 232 vacation hours. If you choose to work 40 hours per week, you will receive additional leave hours each year. You can also choose to work 36 hours per week, by giving up 96 leave hours per year. The University makes it easy to create a good work-life balance.
In addition to this holiday leave, the following days are public holidays:
- New Year’s Day (1 January)
- King’s Day (27 April)
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Liberation Day (5 May)
- Ascension Day
- Whit Monday
- Christmas (25 December)
- Boxing Day (26 December)
Mothers are entitled to pregnancy leave of at least 4 weeks and up to a maximum of 6 weeks before the expected date of childbirth.
Maternity leave begins on the day of childbirth and is 10 continuous weeks in length. If the pregnancy leave is shorter than 6 weeks, the number of days not taken may be added to the maternity leave.
A mother's partner is entitled to three days of unpaid paternity leave to be taken within 4 weeks after the birth of the child.
Both men and women are entitled to parental leave for a maximum period equal to 13 times the number of their working hours per week. If you have been employed by the University of Groningen for at least one year, this parental leave is paid at 62.5% of your salary.
Parental leave can be taken over a period not exceeding 6 months at a maximum of 50% of your working hours per week.
As an employee, you have the right to take short-term and/or long-term leave to provide care for your partner, parents or children; grandparents, grandchildren, brothers, sisters (second-degree relatives); housemates other than children or partners; or people who are dependent on your assistance.
Short-term care leave can be taken once every 12-month period, for a maximum duration of 2 times the number of weekly working hours. You are entitled to partial salary payment during short-term care leave.
The maximum duration of long-term care leave is 6 times the number of weekly working hours in each 12-month period.
University of Groningen participates in a sound pension scheme provided by ABP. Roughly one third of the pension premiums are paid by the employee, the remaining two-thirds are paid by the University.
The Terms of Employment Options Model allows employees to adapt part of the University’s terms of employment according to their own specific preferences. For example, you could offset the cost of a bicycle for commuting purposes against tax on salary or holiday payments (once every three years); 'purchase' additional leave days or 'sell' some leave days for extra salary; or save part of your annual leave for an extended period of leave at a later time.
You are entitled to an allowance to cover (part of) your moving costs, i.e. the cost of transportation of household effects to your new home. This includes costs for disassembling and reassembling cupboards, cabinets and wardrobes, and costs for temporary storage of household effects until the date of the move.
The moving allowance for employees with an appointment of 5 years or more is €2,500. In case of shorter appointments, the allowance is €750.
Travel expenses will be reimbursed for you and your partner/family.
| Last modified: | 27 February 2024 12.42 p.m. |