In 2016, 27 employees earned over 179,000 euro, the maximum salary for senior officials in the (semi) public sector. This was presented in the university’s annual report. All big earners are professors or deans. One even earned 303,525 euro in 2016. In 2015, just eleven people earned above the ‘Balkenende norm’.
Pension compensation
There are two important explanations for the increase. A person who earns over 100,000 euro per year does not accrue any pension above that 100,000 euro. This pension gap is compensated by the university. In 2016, the compensation for that year as well as for 2015 were both paid out, which meant that employees exceeded the Public and Semi-public Sector Senior Officials (Standard Remuneration) Act (WNT) norm. In addition, last year more bonuses were paid out than in 2015 to professors performing activities for both a faculty and for a university company.
Deans and professors may still currently earn above the maximum amount set in the Public and Semi-public Sector Senior Officials (Standard Remuneration) Act (WNT). This norm only applies to central Board members and Supervisory Board members. The university is, however, obliged to present in the annual report the functions and salaries of everyone who earned over 179,000 euro in 2016.
Transition year
Whereas no remuneration maximum applies to professors, Board members and Supervisory Board members may not earn above the WNT norm. Three members of the Executive Board earned above the 179,000-euro norm in 2016, but 2016 was a transition year. This means that they could earn up to 230,474 euro. The three university Board Members do comply with this norm.
