In addition to a challenging position in a social organization, the eployment conditions are important. VU Amsterdam has excellent primary and secondary employment conditions.
COLLECTIVE LABOUR AGREEMENT
When you are employed by VU Amsterdam, you are subject to the collective labour agreement for Dutch Universities.
This includes agreements on terms and conditions of employment, personal development, leave, occupational health and safety, employment contracts and pensions.
PRIMARY & SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS
Salary, holiday allowance & year-end bonus
VU Amsterdam offers a competitive salary, as specified in the collective labour agreement. Salaries are divided into different salary scales. If you perform well, you can progress upwards within your salary scale. At VU Amsterdam, in addition to your base salary you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
Flexible working hours
A standard full-time employment contract is 38 hours. To provide flexibility, your contract can be converted into a longer (plus) or shorter (minus) version. In the ‘plus version’, you work a 40-hour working week, with two hours of additional leave you built up per week. Under the ‘minus version’ you work a 36-hour work and two hours leave will be deducted per week. The plus and minus versions of your contract are also applicable for part-time employees, after consultation with your supervisor.
Leave
You are entitled to 232 hours (29 days) of leave if you are employed full-time. By using a variable working week, you can extend this to a maximum length of 328 hours, 41 days per year, with a full-time employment contract.
Commuting, working-from-home and internet allowance
In the context of hybrid working, you make agreements with your manager about the number of days you work at the VU and at home. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers employees a commuting, working-from-home and internet allowance.
The commuting allowance of €0.075 per kilometre is for those who travel to the university mainly by public transport, bike or other mode of transport that is not a motor vehicle. In addition there is the option of a tax exchange, which increases the allowance up to €0.20 per kilometre. VU Amsterdam strives to offer the greenest possible travel allowance.
On the working days that you work at the VU you are entitled to the commuting allowance. For the working days that you do not work at the VU, a working-from-home allowance of €2 per day applies. The Collective Labour Agreement (CAO) of the Dutch Universities also stipulates that employees receive an allowance of €25 per month for Internet costs, regardless of their working hours.
Student assistants, employees with deferred duty to perform and trainees are not covered by these allowances.
Pension
At VU Amsterdam, pensions are arranged by the Algemeen Burgerlijk Pensioenfonds (ABP). The ABP is the largest pension fund in the Netherlands, which provides pensions for the entire public sector, including education.
VU Fit at Work
As a staff member, you can use the VU Fit at Work sports programme at the VU Sports Centre, on campus and in Amstelveen, free of charge. Both locations offer many different classes and forms of training, including yoga, broga, kickboxing, badminton, basketball and spinning. Of course there are also excellent facilities for unlimited general fitness (with or without personal supervision).
Group insurances
The VU has agreements with several providers that allow various insurance policies to be offered at a discount. Perhaps this is also of interest to you? Look and compare.
For example, you can take out additional occupational disability insurance through Loyalis Schade NV. Nationale Nederlanden, OHRA or Zilveren Kruis you can take out collective health insurance with up to 20% discount on supplementary policies. Via Aon Verzekeringen you can take out car insurance, (electric) bicycle insurance, travel insurance, home contents insurance, liability insurance or legal assistance insurance, among other things, all at discounted rates.
Griffioen Cultural Centre
The Griffioen Cultural Centre offers an attractive programme of films, dance, music and theatrical performances, as well as a varied range of courses. You can attend any performance and course at a discounted rate.
Employee Theatre Plays
In addition to the extensive range of performances and courses at the Griffioen Cultural Centre, there are also special performances for VU Amsterdam staff members. VU Amsterdam staff members are able to attend dozens of enchanting performances every year, for a very reasonable price. In the theatre at the Griffioen Cultural Centre, the VU Amsterdam auditorium or on the roof of the main building during the On the Roof film festival.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT
VU Amsterdam offers their employees, within certain limits, to choose for particular options within the fixed set of employment conditions (in collective labour agreement called: individual choices model). This means that you can determine certain elements within the package of employment conditions yourself. By using sources such as your salary, holiday leave hours or the end-of-year bonus, you can opt to purchase a bicycle at a discounted price, additional holiday leave, extra pension payments or extra salary. You can also make a tax-free donation to the UAF Foundation for Refugee Students.
BENEFIT OF 30% TAX RULING AT VU AMSTERDAM
The Netherlands has beneficial regulations for employees who are recruited or hired from abroad. One of the benefits is the 30%-rule: this means that 30% of the gross taxable salary can be reimbursed free of tax.
What is the 30% tax ruling?
The reimbursement of 30% on your regular employment income (known as the 30% ruling) is a tax advantage for highly skilled migrants moving to the Netherlands for a specific employment role. The resulting tax free allowance is considered as compensation for expenses that a foreign employee experiences when working outside their home country. This means that, when you meet certain conditions, VU Amsterdam can grant a tax free allowance equivalent to 30% of the gross salary subject to Dutch payroll tax.
Requirements and applying
Application of the 30% rule requires the permission of the Dutch Tax Administration: you, as an international employee, and VU Amsterdam as your employer will have to file a joint request to the tax authorities to arrange this benefit. The Tax Administration will assess whether the employee has outstanding expertise, depending on their education, experience and income.
In order to qualify for the 30% ruling, certain conditions have to be met. Find more specific information about the requirements to find out if you are eligible.
RELOCATION SUPPORT
To support international academic talent in their step to start working at VU Amsterdam, we offer relocation services. As we find it important to welcome new international talent and make sure your move to Amsterdam runs smoothly, we support you in arranging residence and work permit, housing, personal financial plan, health and medical care, partner support, childcare and school, etc. Feel free to contact us at relocations@vu.nl if you need any further information.