Why work at Hasselt University

The UHasselt personnel works by flexible working hours. In this way, time is accumulated in busy periods and leave can be taken to compensate for this at another point in time. Furthermore, these flexible working hours contribute to a better work-life balance.

Hasselt University encourages hybrid working which benefits our employees in a healthy work-life balance, optimisation of commuting traffic, autonomy, flexibility and a sustainable work organisation. Structural teleworking is possible for 2 days a week for all Administrative and Technical staff members who are at least 50% appointed and whose work is suitable for telework.

Hasselt University gives its personnel the opportunity to work part-time. Please contact the HR Department for more information.

UHasselt personnel are entitled to 35 days annual leave, 14 holidays and collective closure between Christmas and New Year.

For parents, it is often difficult to find day care for their children during the school holidays. Therefore, Hasselt University offers children day care at a moderate rate during Spring and Easter holiday (one week) and during Summer holiday (4 weeks) for children from 2,5 to 12 years of age.

UHasselt strives for sustainable, healthy and affordable food.
UHasselt staff receive a 40% discount on a lot of basic and healthy food in the university restaurants if they pay with PingPing.

Hasselt University sympathizes with its personnel at important family and career events. UHasselt personnel receive a present on the occasion of the birth of their child, wedding, career anniversary and retirement.

Staff members are entitled to a bicycle commuting allowance of 24 eurocent per kilometer for actual worked days on which the bicycle was used to commute.

Hasselt University offers bicycle leasing under certain conditions, an interesting fringe benefit where you convert your gross end-of-year allowance into a leasing budget.

Personnel who travel to work by train or bus, get their season tickets fully reimbursed.

The university disposes of a number of business cars and electric bikes which can be used by the staff members during working hours.

When UHasselt staff members use their own car for business trips, they will automatically have the comprehensive insurance of the university.

There are 7 staff categories at Hasselt University. Each staff category has its own specific salary scales:

• Tenured academic staff (ZAP): lecturers, associate professors, professors and full professors.
• Assistant academic staff (AAP): assistants, doctor-assistants and teaching assistants.
• Non-statutory academic staff (NSAS): researchers, researchers-experts, researchers-coordinators, IOF experts level 1 and IOF experts level 2.
• Administrative and technical staff (ATP): management, administrative and technical support.
• PhD scholarship holders
• Postdoc scholarship holders
• Visiting professors

Contact: Mathias Wijnants, Sarah Terium, Kara Smets and Jannick Geuens

Tenured academic staff (ZAP)

Tenured academic staff (ZAP) are lecturers, associate professors, professors and full professors.

Each staff category has its specific salary table. In each table, there are different salary scales and levels. Your salary will be determined based on your relevant experience.

• Salary scales tenured academic staff (ZAP) (pdf, 125 KB)

Assistant academic staff (AAP)

Assistant academic staff (AAP) are assistants, doctor-assistants and teaching assistants.

Each staff category has its specific salary table. In each table, there are different salary scales and levels. Your salary will be determined based on your relevant experience.

• Salary scales assistant academic staff (AAP) (pdf, 113 KB)

Non-statutory academic staff (NSAS)

Non-statutory academic staff (NSAS) are researchers, researchers-experts, researchers-coordinators, IOF experts level 1 and IOF experts level 2.

Each staff category has its specific salary table. In each table, there are different salary scales and levels. Your salary will be determined based on your relevant experience.

Salary tables NSAS :

• Salary scales NSAS researcher (pdf, 112 KB)
• Salary scales NSAS researcher-expert and IOF Business Developer (pdf, 115 KB)
• Salary scales NSAS researcher-coordinator and IOF Business Manager (pdf, 120 KB)

Administrative and technical staff (ATP)

The administrative and technical staff category (ATP) is divided into classes (former degrees). For each class, following salary scales apply:

• Salary scale Administrative and technical staff class 1 (pdf, 111 KB)
• Salary scale Administrative and technical staff class 2 (pdf, 136 KB)
• Salary scale Administrative and technical staff class 3 (pdf, 154 KB)
• Salary scale Administrative and technical staff class 4 (pdf, 154 KB)
• Salary scale Administrative and technical staff class 5 (pdf, 154 KB)
• Salary scale Administrative and technical staff class 6 (pdf, 152 KB)
• Salary scale Administrative and technical staff class 7 (pdf, 185 KB)
• Salary scale Administrative and technical staff class 8 (pdf, 186 KB)
• Salary scale Administrative and technical staff class 9 (pdf, 185 KB)
• Salary scale Administrative and technical staff class 10 (pdf, 149 KB)

^{* For classes 7-10, there is an additional salary scale for staff members with 10 years scale seniority.} 

The salary that you will be paid when starting at Hasselt University, is calculated based on your seniority and classification in the salary scale. During your career at Hasselt University, you will be able to progress to higher salary scales.

For more information about your salary when starting at Hasselt University, please contact us.

PhD scholarship holders

PhD scholarship holders receive a tax free scholarship subject to social security contribution.

The scholarship amount increases according to seniority (nett amounts):

EER

• 0 years of seniority: € 2590,50
• 1 year of seniority: € 2624,32
• 2 years of seniority: € 2658,81
• 3 years of seniority: € 2694,49

NEER

• 0 years of seniority: € 2510,97
• 1 year of seniority: € 2558,29
• 2 years of seniority: € 2606,55
• 3 years of seniority: € 2656,47

More information about PhD at Hasselt University is to be found at a separate web page.

Postdoc scholarship holders

Postdoc scholarship holders receive a tax free scholarship subject to social security contribution.

The scholarship amount:

EER

• Junior postdoc (4 years seniority): € 3035,34
• Senior postdoc (10 years seniority): € 3279,33

NEER

• Junior postdoc (4 years seniority): € 3039,21
• Senior postdoc (10 years seniority): € 3283,47

Visiting professors

Remunerated visiting professors are paid based on their employment percentage an the amount corresponding to the degree in which they are employed. For each degree, a fixed amount is set, calculated based on the level which is set for the degree.

Remunerated visiting professors are also entitle to holiday pay, end-of-year premium and eco vouchers.

Alternatively to remuneration through UHasselt payroll, visiting professors could also receive remuneration through a secondment agreement with another employer at which the visiting professor is employed.

UHasselt staff members are entitled to one eco voucher of 20 euro per month at full-time employment.

The total amount of eco vouchers is calculated based on:

• your employment contract (full-time or part-time)
• the number of months employment in the reference period (October last year until September current year)

Eco vouchers are paid each year in the beginning of December.

For example:

A staff member starts at Hasselt University on 01.02.2019 with a part-time contract of 80%.
He is entitled to 20 euro x 8 months (01.02.2019 until 30.09.2019) x 80% = 108,80 euro.

Contact: Kelly Croonen

The end-of-year premium is calculated based on:

• the listed percentage of the indexed monthly salary of November (for PhD students, the salary scale 502 is used)
• your employment contract (full-time or part-time)
• the number of months employment in the reference period (January to September inclusive)

The end-of-year premium is calculated and paid each year in the first half of December.

Contact: Kelly Croonen

The holiday pay is calculated based on:

• the indexed monthly salary of April x 80,8905% (for PhD students, the salary scale 502 is used)
• your employment contract (full-time or part-time)
• the number of months employment in the reference period (January to December last year)

The holiday pay is paid each year in May.

Contact: Kelly Croonen

Hasselt University staff members are entitled to a pension in the private or civil servant system.

Furthermore, contractual administrative and technical staff (ATP) and certains categories of the associate academic staff (BAP) are entitled to a supplementary pension system in the form of group insurance. More information about the group insurance at Hasselt University is to found here. (pdf, 457 KB) (document in Dutch)

Contact:
Group insurance: Kelly Croonen
Pension: Johan Thijs

UHasselt Employees of the university can optionally become a member of the Hasselt Limburg Library (Bibliotheek Hasselt Limburg). Unlike previous years, this is no longer done automatically. Those interested in a free BHL membership card can register via this web page. 
If you are already a member, you can renew your membership via the above web page. If you request a new card, BHL will notify you as soon as your membership card is ready. This process takes a few days. You can then pick up your membership card at the BHL front desk upon presentation of your ID card.
Membership is valid until October 31 of the following year and can be renewed every year as long as you are an employee at UHasselt.

Professors and assistants (teaching assistants and doctor-assistants) are entitled to a teacher’s card with accompanying benefits.

All personnel is automatically member of the university’s staff association VLUP. They regularly organize activities, such as feast of St Nicholas, a winter sports holiday, all kinds of workshops, etc. Through the VLUP association, UHasselt personnel receives discount in several shops and companies.

Hasselt University stimulates its personnel and students to be sportive by organizing all kind of sports events, such as the Campus run and the traditional rowing regatta. Furthermore, UHasselt participates in ‘Sporten tegen Kanker’ (sports against cancer) and every year a UHasselt team participates in the running competition ‘Dwars door Hasselt’. Moreover, UHasselt personnel can make use of the city swimming pool for free.

We like to pay when we get a discount. That's why UHasselt employees will receive a discount on a number of purchases, thanks to an agreement between UHasselt and Benefits at Work, a platform which offers discounts and promotions. Booking an hotel room, a day out, movie tickets, shopping, … As UHasselt employee you benefit from quite a bit of discounts on well-known brands.

Hasselt University cares!

As a university, we help ensure the well-being of our staff in many ways. It is important to us that you should feel in top physical and mental condition at work. We have a range of options you can take up to support you in this.

In terms of health, we provide hospitalisation insurance and flu vaccinations and pay attention to ergonomics.

In terms of exercise, sport, culture and fun, we also offer our staff numerous leisure options.

You can participate in internal training courses on subjects such as resilience and hybrid working, and there are numerous other development opportunities to ensure that we put lifelong learning into practice.

We also offer flexible working hours, a home working scheme that supports your work-life balance, and much more besides!

As UHasselt personnel you are in the possibility to take out the collective insurance for education (‘collectieve verzekering gezondheidszorg Onderwijs van Ethias (pdf, 188 KB)’) for yourself and your family. You are entitled to a full reimbursement to the amount of the base policy of the hospitalisation insurance. Employees who prefer the extensive policy, pay only the additional charge of the extension.

The conditions to join the collective hospitalization insurance are:

• be employed at least 20% within UHasselt, and
• having an employment contract with UHasselt of minimum 3 months.

Please note that affiliation to the collective hospitalization insurance can start at the earliest on the first day of the month following the date the affiliation form arrives at Ethias.

PhD students and postdoctoral researchers are not entitled to the reimbursement.

Every year UHasselt personnel gets the opportunity to get a free influenza vaccine by the company doctor.

Hasselt University wants to be a learning organisation for a learning society. As a learning organisation, we want to create a culture of lifelong learning for every staff member and manager. We therefore provide an attractive range of training that reflects both significant learning needs on the part of our organisation and challenges facing society. All staff members also have access to a database of more than 150 online training courses in various fields.

As a committed employer, we pay attention to the well-being of all staff members through training and inspiration sessions on related themes. We offer training pathways for managers and independent academic staff aimed at developing their leadership skills. Lecturers with a teaching post are supported in their duties through professional development pathways focusing on teaching skills and education.

We offer all staff members the opportunity to work on their own personal development and career through a range of long-term training programmes.

Hasselt University aims to focus on a sustainable career policy in which our staff members are central. We use a variety of HR tools to ensure that, together with us, staff members can take control of their personal growth and development.

• Attracting talent through a high-quality recruitment and selection process

Informative job advertisement texts give applicants a clear picture of the objective, tasks and responsibilities of a position within Hasselt University. An overview is given not just of relevant knowledge and experience but also of the critical skills required to be able to fill the role successfully. In addition to the selection interview, Hasselt University uses psychometric tests and/or an assessment centre to gain as clear a view as possible of the applicant’s talents and areas where development is needed, so that these can be included in a personal development plan from the time of recruitment.

During our selection interviews we strive for an open dialogue between the applicant and the selection committee so that each side’s expectations can be discussed.

• Onboarding new staff members

New staff members are assigned a dedicated case manager whom they can contact at Hasselt University with regard to contractual and/or other practical questions before they take up their role. Everything is discussed at a reception meeting, and on your first working day you will be welcomed by your manager who will show you around the office or faculty.

• Talent retention and internal mobility

Hasselt University wishes to create opportunities for staff members. It focuses on self-management and autonomy, thus encouraging staff members to engage in lifelong learning and in this way to play a part in shaping their career at the university. Internal mobility is made possible by means of internal vacancies. In addition, staff members can also always apply for external vacancies.

Positions within the university are linked to a competency profile, which gives staff members a transparent view of which competencies are required for which role within the organisation. On this basis, they can make relevant training choices.

• Feedback cycle based on a personal development plan

The personal development plan that is drawn up at the time of recruitment is incorporated into the ongoing feedback cycle. Regular feedback, annual performance interviews and assessments in the context of permanent evaluation contribute to an open feedback culture. The aim of all this is to ensure motivated staff members who are deployed according to their talents, with opportunities for growth and development within the position or to a new position.