Go back

(How) can your employees buy extra holidays?

16 August 2023 Florence Cordonnier Employers

What if your employees would like extra holidays on top of the agreed statutory and non-statutory holidays, and the work allows this? What are the possibilities? You can already assume that it will boost your employees’ motivation if you can respond to their requests for extra holidays. For that reason alone, it is worth looking at the options.

Reading time: Read later?

If statutory + non-statutory holidays are not enough

Traditional statutory holidays plus statutory holidays are pretty tight to balance work and home. Hence the success of non-statutory holidays. You can allocate these according to your own rules and choices:

  • As a collective or individual benefit;
  • Linked to certain conditions, such as age and seniority
  • Paid or unpaid.

But even with non-statutory holidays, an employee may not make up for it. Especially as the conditions for taking time credit were also recently tightened. At the same time, of course, there is a limit to what you as an employer are willing and able to give in terms of holidays. That is why this option also exists: exchanging salary for holidays.

Money for time: buying extra holidays could be advantageous

With labour systems that may vary, with school holidays, with chores that need to be done while some 'me-time' is also needed... it isn’t easy to put the puzzle together privately. That in addition to their statutory and non-statutory holidays 'buying' additional holidays is also an option you can offer as an employer. You can arrange that extra holiday in a budget-neutral way via a cafeteria plan or via an individual salary exchange (e.g. converting the end-of-year bonus into extra holidays). If the work allows it, why not allow it?

Interest in the 'pay for holiday' exchange appears to be high, our survey shows. Companies are increasingly offering the option as a choice: additional holidays are now an option at more than a third (34%) of employers with a cafeteria plan (up from 28% in 2021). Also, that extra holiday never becomes an acquired benefit: you continue to decide whether it is an option and, if so, how many days.

Extra holidays through the cafeteria plan

Do you also want to offer your employees extra holidays? With a smart compensation system such as a cafeteria plan, work out a package tailored to your employees.

Acerta gives you the support and advice you need!

Would you like to know more?

Contact us

Share this post

Written by Florence Cordonnier

Managing consultant

Related articles

Employers

Leasing a bike through work has never been more popular

19 September 2023 Charlotte Thijs

Company bikes are very much in evidence on our Belgian roads. As many as 25% more employees opted for a bike lease this year.

Read more
Employers

Profit bonus fast gaining popularity

14 September 2023 Liesbeth Goethals

In spite of the tough business climate, a slightly larger number of white-collar workers were paid a profit bonus this year, which also increased the average amount. This is corroborated by the scan conducted by Acerta. Which makes the profit bonus an advantageous way to reward your employees.

Read more
Employers

How do you keep older people working long and happily?

16 May 2023 Julie Rousseau

The ageing of Belgium’s population is a social challenge that companies are also facing. What are the benefits of hiring older workers? How do you keep your older workers healthy and happy at work? And what if you do have to say goodbye?

Read more