Summary of Conditions of Service for Established Staff Members
The following information is a summary of the EFTA Surveillance Authority's Staff Regulations and Rules, the full version is only available to staff members. It is intended for general guidance only.
Appointments
Without prejudice to the Authority's functions as an international organisation, staff members shall normally be nationals of one of the EEA EFTA States.
An appointment of a staff member shall be either temporary or for a fixed term.
Fixed-term appointments are usually granted for three years, and may normally be renewed once only, if this is in the interest of the Authority;
The first six months of an initial fixed-term appointment shall be a probationary period.
A staff member shall neither seek nor accept instructions from any government nor from any body or person external to the Authority in the performance of his duties.
No staff member shall accept any honour, decoration, favour, gift or remuneration from any government or from any source external to the Authority, without first obtaining the approval of the Authority.
Salary and benefits
The basic salary is specified in the employment contract and is payable in euros, as are all other benefits and allowances.
Salaries, benefits and allowances are paid in arrears, with the exception of the installation allowance which is payable on taking up duty.
Annual salaries
See the individual vacancy announcement
General working conditions
a. Medical and social benefits
The staff member is insured for medical costs and death & disability, and medical costs for all of his or her dependants. The social benefits provides paid sick leave (for six months full pay and six months half pay) and six month maternity leave on full salary.
Contributions to the medical scheme are deducted from the monthly salary at the rate of 1 per cent of the basic salary.
Compulsory death and disability contributions are deducted at the rate of 2.29 per cent of the total salary and benefits.
b. Savings fund
On taking up a position with the Authority, staff members usually leave their national social security and pension scheme. To compensate for this, the Authority has established a Savings fund. The staff member contributes to this at the rate of 9.50% of his or her salary, while the Authority contributes 19% of the salary. Contributions are deducted directly from the monthly salary. At the end of the staff member's period of service, he or she shall receive a payment corresponding to his or her and the Authority's contributions to the scheme, including interest.
c. Travel insurance
The staff member and his or her dependants will be covered by Travel Insurance.
d. Annual leave
A staff member shall be entitled to 30 working days of annual leave. Moreover, the following days shall be observed as official holidays: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, the Friday following Ascension Day, Labour Day, Whit Monday, All Saints day, Christmas Day, and one additional day during the Christmas season.
e. Language training
A staff member may get reimbursed up to EUR 1200 per fixed-term appointment of three years for courses in the official working language of the Authority (English), the languages of the host nation (French, Dutch and German) or in an official language of an EEA EFTA State (German, Icelandic and Norwegian).
f. Working hours
A normal working week is 5 days, a total of 40 hours, not including the lunch. Normal office hours are from 08:30 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, including the lunch break. Staff members are entitled to some flexibility in the timing of working hours within the 40- hour weekly total.
Working conditions linked to expatriate status (non-locally recruited)
a. Installation allowance
A non-locally recruited staff member shall receive an installation allowance. The installation allowance comprises:
· 26 days salary for the staff member
· 13 days salary for up to two dependants
· 13 days salary for all additional dependants
b. Dependency benefits
A staff member with dependants shall receive benefits as follow:
· 12% of the staff member's salary for dependant spouse, or
· if the staff member is a single parent, 12% of the staff member's salary + EUR 778 per annum for the first
dependant child, and
· EUR 3,464 per annum for each dependant child or, in the case of single-parent households, each additional
dependant child
c. Rent allowance
A staff member who pays rent exceeding 20% of his or her salary shall be entitled to a rent allowance. The rent allowance shall be 80% of the difference between 20% of the staff member's basic salary (less social benefit related deductions) and the actual rent paid, up to a maximum of 40% of the actual rent. Maximum allowable rents apply, according to the size of the household.
d. Resettlement allowance
After two or more years of continuous service, a non-locally recruited staff member leaving the Authority shall receive a resettlement allowance. The resettlement allowance shall be calculated in the same way as the installation allowance.
e. Social security after departure
A staff member who, upon departure from service, finds himself without adequate national security coverage for death, permanent invalidity and temporary incapacity, shall be covered by the Authority's insurance scheme. The maximum duration of such insurance coverage shall be 3 years.
f. Taxation
Under a special agreement with the Belgian authorities, staff members are exempted from Belgian tax on all salaries, and benefits paid to them by the Authority. However, for taxation of other revenue it will take into account salaries and benefits paid by the Authority.
Staff members are liable to an internal tax on salaries as well as on certain benefits paid to them by the Authority.
g. Removal expenses
Under certain conditions, a staff member who is non-locally recruited shall be paid the cost of removal of his or her household goods and personal effects to and from Brussels and to and from his or her designated home.
h. Education allowance
A staff member may be granted an education allowance to cover the cost of school attendance in respect of each dependant child.
The education allowance shall be payable from the beginning of the school year in which the child reaches his or her 5th birthday up to the end of the calendar year during which the dependant child becomes 21 years old.
Included in the calculation: all compulsory items (registration, enrolment, and tuition fees), books and, subject to conditions, midday meals, public transport or daily group transportation, board and lodging.
The maximum amount of the education allowance shall be 90% for all children, with a maximum of EUR 30.420 per child.
i. Registration with the Belgian authorities
Staff members and their dependants are entitled to special identity cards issued by the Belgian Foreign Ministry. The registration procedure is carried out by the Administration department of the Authority.
j. VAT exemption
For a period of 12 months following their first taking up employment in Belgium, staff members enjoy the right to import or acquire, duty-free, furniture and a car for their personal use.
k. Home leave
A non-locally recruited staff member shall be entitled to home leave in the country of his or her home, once in every calendar year after the first 6 months of service. When taking home leave the Authority shall pay travel expenses and subsistence allowance.
