Roughly a quarter of white-collar workers in Belgium received a bonus this year, according to a recent survey human resources company Acerta. It noted that the average bonus rose to €6,000 in 2023 – up from €5,924 last year (a 1.3% increase).
However in real terms (i.e. taking into account inflation) the numerical value of bonuses declined: Belgium posted an inflation rate of 2.4% this year, meaning that the average bonus actually fell by €70 in 2022-euro terms.
According to Karolien Van Herpe, a legal consultant at Acerta, Belgium's almost unique system of automatic wage indexations means that bonuses provide an especially effective way for businesses to motivate their employees.
"Due to the automatic wage indexation, companies have no control over when the fixed salaries of their staff increase, but with a bonus it is different," Van Herpe told De Morgen. "Employers can decide for themselves whether or not to award [a bonus], collectively or individually, and they can review their decision each year."
"The perspective is different on the employee side," she added. "Wages are seen as fixed and acquired, bonuses are not and that is exactly why they provide an additional motivational boost every time they are awarded."
'Transparency is a major asset'
The study also reported that the majority of bonuses (12.9%) came in the form of so-called "CCT 90" awards, in which a financial reward is provided on a one-off basis to an entire company or particular division for the achievement of pre-set tasks.
"The transparency of this type of bonus is a major asset," Catherine Langenaeken, another legal consultant at Acerta, told l'Echo. "Each employee knows what he or she has to do to receive it and receives the same gross amount."
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In addition, the survey noted that blue-collar workers (employees who work in manufacturing, construction, and other similar sectors) received significantly fewer financial rewards than white-collar workers.
In particular, it reported that just under one in ten (9.8%) blue-collar workers were paid a bonus this year. Their compensation was also on average just a fifth (€1,250) of that earned by white-collar workers.
