Salary calculation Assistant Academic staff

Your appointment includes a monthly salary payment, which may vary depending on your personal situation.
Factors that influence your net salary as an AAP staff member include:

  1. Applicable salary scales
  2. Recognised scientific seniority: previous relevant work experience may increase your salary (this must be proven with official certificates and approved by your supervisor).
  3. Family situation – whether you have dependent children.
  4. Employment status of your partner – whether your partner works or not.
  5. Percentage of employment – full-time or part-time.

If you have seniority or dependants, your net salary will increase. Your partner and children must reside in Belgium and hold valid Belgian residence documents to be counted as dependants.

Whenever your family situation changes, ensure that you update your personal information and submit the required documents to HR:

  • Birth of a child → provide a birth certificate.
  • When your partner or children move to Belgium → provide Belgian residence documents.

Scientific seniority

The salary classification seniority of Assistant Academic Staff (AAP) is determined based on recognised scientific seniority, supplemented by the rules below.

What counts as scientific seniority?

The following periods can be counted (in full or partially), provided the activities are of a scientific nature.

  1. Fully counted (for employment of at least 50%)
  • Mandates as academic staff (as defined in the Higher Education Codex), including periods as a scholarship holder.
  • Appointments of at least 50% at:
    • a university within the Flemish Community,
    • another university or scientific institution (domestic or foreign), provided it is recognised by the university managment,
    • a university college within the Flemish Community, insofar as the activities are scientifically relevant,
    • a company or knowledge institution (domestic or foreign), provided the activities are scientifically relevant.
  • Voluntary scientific activities at a university within the Flemish Community, if:
    • the engagement amounts to at least 50% of a full-time assignment, and
    • these activities were explicitly approved in advance by the university board.

Partially counted (for employment of less than 50%)

When the above activities were performed with an appointment of less than 50%, half of the duration counts as seniority.

  1. Teaching assignments in higher or secondary education
  • Fully counted if they include at least half of a teaching assignment.
  • Counted for half the duration if they involve less than a half-time teaching assignment.

Calculation method

Employment periods at Ghent University

  • Employment at Ghent University as AAP or WP is counted automatically for financial seniority.
  • Employment as ATP or ZAP must be approved by the dean.
  • An incomplete month at the start is not counted. An incomplete month at the end is counted. Seniority always starts on the first day of a month. If employment does not begin on the first day, seniority begins on the first day of the following month.
  • The percentage of employment does not affect the calculation.

Employment periods outside Ghent University

  • All employment periods (except at FWO, FWO seniority is recognised after receiving the certificate) must be submitted for approval.
  • Incomplete months at the start or end are not counted.
  • Employment of less than 50% counts for half the duration.
  • Employment of 50% or more counts fully.
  • Student jobs are not eligible for financial seniority.

The total classification seniority can never exceed the actual length of service. Financial seniority is expressed in years and full calendar months.

Specific rules per category

  • Teaching assistants: Relevant experience in the private or public sector may also be counted as seniority, provided it is useful for the function. The department must justify which activities are relevant.
  • Post-doctoral assistants: Previous services may be counted if the experience is relevant for the position. The department indicates which activities are considered useful.
  • Assistants and post-doctoral assistants continuing from an assistant mandate:
    Private-sector experience or administrative-technical public services are generally not counted.
    However, on motivated advice of the Department Council and proposal of the faculty can the Executive Board deviate from this rule, if the experience is relevant for the intended research activities.

Adding seniority to your salary payment

You can increase your salary if you can prove relevant previous work experience. Follow these steps to have your seniority officially recognised:

Step 1 – Request certificates

If you have previous work experience that may be relevant, contact your former employer or institution to obtain the necessary certificates.

Step 2 – Verify the information

Check whether your certificates contain all required information (see list below).

Step 3 – Send certificates to your HR file administrator

Send your certificates to your HR file administrator for review. HR will check whether your earlier work experience is relevant for adding seniority. If certificates are incomplete or non-compliant, seniority will not be added.

Step 4 – Request approval by the dean

Your HR file administrator will request approval from the faculty dean.

Step 5 – Decision by the dean

The dean decides and informs the HR file administrator and will notify you by email.
If seniority is not approved, a brief justification will be provided.
If approved, seniority will be granted retroactively.

Required information on employment certificates

Employment certificates can be submitted up to 5 years after your start date.
If foreign documents are submitted, they must be translated into French, English or German.

Your certificates must include:

  • Your full name
  • Job title and job description
  • Exact period of employment (start and end date: day/month/year)
    Contracts or termination letters are not accepted as proof.
  • Whether the activities were remunerated (paid/unpaid)
  • Employment percentage (full-time or part-time, with % indicated)

For self-employed activities, you must submit a career certificate, obtainable from your Social Insurance Fund.

Additional allowances and benefits

In addition to your monthly salary, you are entitled to various benefits.