Almost half of Belgian employees think they are paid a fair salary in comparison to their colleagues. The other half either disagree, are neutral or do not know where they stand.
Satisfaction with salary fairness has increased slightly (2%) since last year, according to a survey published by human resources company SD Worx on Wednesday.
47% of respondents believe their salary is fair when compared to that of their colleagues.
Confidence in fairness across the market has also increased by 3% since last year: 47% believe they are paid fairly compared to people doing the same job as them in a different company.
Money isn't everything
When asked about what made a job attractive, the majority of respondents (51%) listed salary as one of the top three most important factors. Distance and accessibility was the second most popular response (47%), followed by financial security (43%) and a positive work environment with amicable colleagues (38%).
Transparency about pay ahead of beginning a job is another important point highlighted by SD Worx. 42% of respondents expressed satisfaction in this area, while 22% were unsatisfied with their company's transparency policy.
"Salary remains an important factor in choosing an employer," said Virginie Verschooris, Reward Content Manager at SD Worx. "That is why it is important to communicate clearly about the entire salary package. After all, if employees don't know what their remuneration package consists of, they cannot assess it properly."
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As it stands, only one in three employers in Belgium offer an entirely transparent view of salary details to candidates, meaning that one in five Belgian employees are unaware of the conditions before starting the job.
SD Worx notes that Belgium must transpose an EU Directive on salary transparency by 2026 at the latest. The Directive obliges EU Member States to relay salary details in a transparent manner ahead of employment in a bid to ensure "fair, gender-neutral pay for equal work."
