Manual for Incentronauts

1. Everything that’s already fixed

Dutch law has already arranged a lot for us regarding the relationship between employer and employee. So we don't have to say anything about that. To make it easy, we summarized the main impact of these laws in this document. And we indicate where Incentro has implemented matters not determined by law. Nothing exciting: our main rule is and remains 'think'.

1.1 Pension

In the pension law, everything is already arranged. That’s great! Incentro makes 5% of an employee's pension base available as a pension contribution. This is your salary minus an amount covered by the state pension (known as the state pension franchise). In 2024, this amount has been set at €17,545 based on statutory ranges.

So, Incentro contributes 5% of the pensionable salary to your pension. Unlike other companies, this percentage does not increase as you age (principle of equality; everyone receives the same), and we do not require you to make a personal contribution (maximum freedom of choice). Especially for older colleagues, this may be a step back when they switch to Incentro, so keep that in mind when accepting your new salary.

It's also interesting to know that pension legislation is changing, and all companies must transition to a flat rate by 2027. With our approach, we are ahead of the curve!

Get advice
We understand that pension is not a hobby for many colleagues, but it is certainly important. Therefore, we recommend that you seek advice and make your choices regarding pension when you join us. You can seek guidance from our independent pension advisors at Het Pensioenbureau. They can assist you in considering your personal situation. The PensionBureau visits Incentro periodically, and your Office Manager has the necessary information. Additionally, revisiting this after a few years of employment is wise. Your personal situation may have changed, leading to new insights and choices.

1.2 Term of notice

We have the law for terms of notice, specifically Article 672. This means the employee has a full calendar month notice period. So if you cancel before the end of the month, the following month will be the cancellation period. The notice period from Incentro depends on the duration of your employment. But here too, good consultation is ultimately the basis for a nice farewell.

1.3 Leave of Absence

Full employment entitles you to 27 days off per calendar year. Further rules on holidays are laid down in Article 638 of the law. The right to leave concerning pregnancy, childbirth, adoption, and foster care are regulated by law. See the Work and Care Actfor this. This also covers care leave.

1.4 Illness

The law has laid down everything about illness; you can read more here. An important point during sick leave: think about a number of practical matters. Who should be informed? What must be arranged to prevent things from going wrong due to your sudden absence? In other words, a call or message to the right people. In addition, you must report sick on your first day of illness in AFAS and report better on your first working day. This way, we ensure that our absenteeism partner does not sound the alarm unnecessarily.

If you are ill for a long time, then the employer is legally obliged to pay at least 70% of your salary for the first and second years. At Incentro, we pay 100% the first year and only go 70% the second year. If we choose to deviate from this rule in favor of a colleague, no rights can be derived from this in the future.

2. Everything we agree on

2.1 Public holidays

The law leaves some leeway on how to deal with national holidays. You are free at Incentro on the following National holidays (and therefore do not cost you any vacation days):

• January 1st, New Year's Day

• Variable Easter Monday

• April 27th, Royal day

• Variable Ascension Day

• Variable Whit Monday

• 25th of December First Christmas Day

• December 26, Boxing Day

2.2 Flexible holidays

Why should you be obliged to enjoy a free day on one of these national holidays when you might prefer to be free on another holiday, such as Sugar Fest, Keti Koti, Pride, Diwali, or Chinese New Year? We want you to be able to celebrate what's important to you. 

Hours you write on a national holiday are converted into extra days off that you can use on another holiday earlier or later that year. Provided that you can continue your daily activities as you are used to.

2.3 Special leave

In the event of the death of your partner, your parents, or your children, you are entitled to paid leave from the day of death up to and including the day of the funeral. 

In addition, you will receive one day's leave in the event of the death of grandchildren, children of your partner from other relationships, grandparents, great-grandparents, parents-in-law, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, and sisters-in-law. 

You will receive one day's leave for the wedding or registered partnership of you, your children, or your parents. Banns (often done electronically) and other weddings are at your expense. 

We see a move as a private matter. You will not get paid leave for this.

2.4 Birth leave (partner leave)

When your child is born, you as a partner are given one week of paid leave (known as 'partner leave,' 'birth leave', or 'paternity leave') to enjoy your child. After that, from 1 July 2020, you have the option to take up to 5 weeks of additional leave:

• The government pays 70% of your salary during this period (this is regulated by law);

• To make it even more attractive, Incentro also pays your fringe benefits (think of your mobility allowance, your pension contribution, and profit sharing);

• The exception to the latter is the expense allowance (you don't make extra business expenses, so the tax authorities think something of that).

This additional leave 'costs' you only 30% of your gross salary. There are several conditions attached to this arrangement:

• The leave must be taken within six months after the birth of your child, and the maximum is five working weeks (regulated by law);

• If you want to take fewer days, that is, of course, also possible;

• You coordinate it in time with your Field Manager.

2.5 Paid parental leave 

You can take up to 9 weeks of paid parental leave when you become a parent. This gives you time to get used to the new family situation and make conscious choices about the division of work and care with your partner. 

• The government pays 70% of your salary (this is regulated by law);

• To make it even more attractive, Incentro will continue to pay your fringe benefits (such as your mobility allowance, your pension contribution, and profit sharing), just as it does for additional partner leave;

• The exception to the latter is the expense allowance (you don't make extra business expenses, so the tax authorities think something of that).

This additional leave 'costs' you only 30% of your gross salary. There are several conditions attached to this arrangement:

• The condition is that you take these nine weeks in the first year of your child's life (regulated by law);

• If you want to take fewer days, that is, of course possible;

• You coordinate it in time with your Field Manager.

2.6 Overtime

Overtime is sometimes part of our profession. If you have spent over 100% of the hours paid for a client in a month, those hours will be paid out (100%). If it concerns hours on the weekend, you will be paid 150% of those hours. Working overtime occasionally is fine, but if this becomes structural, something isn't right. It is useless to anyone if you keep working and working until you are completely burned out. So take action if you recognize this, for example, by discussing this with your Field Manager. That is also professional behavior.

2.7 Conflicts

No friction, no diamonds. Conflicts occur everywhere, often contributing to an even better result. Sometimes not, then the conflict is no longer effective. In those cases, the true professional adequately solves the conflict. The single most important rule of conflict resolution is "think". Sometimes it helps to do this together with another colleague. Within Incentro, there are many ways in which you can get help in resolving a conflict. Of course, you can contact your own manager. But you don't have to. Choose the person you feel most comfortable with. This can be a consultant, another manager, a branch director, someone from the board, or the Works Council. And if desired, we could even engage an external person.

2.8 Confidant

At Incentro, we treat each other with respect. If you unexpectedly encounter sexual intimidation, aggression, discrimination, or bullying during your work (including with clients or partners), you can discuss this with a confidential adviser. Naturally, a confidential counselor has a duty of confidentiality. Read what our counselor can do for you and how you can get in touch:

• MORE ABOUT OUR CONFIDANT

2.9 Review

Incentro has a professional review process. Every year you and your manager determine the goals for next year and look back on how things went the past year. In addition, the daily feedback and continuous focus on further professionalization are of great importance. Talk to each other about professionalism, work with balanced feedback, and improve one another. 

2.10 Salary

Your salary is transferred every month before the end of the month. The annual salary range (how much will be raised on average) is determined (often collectively) at the branch level. Individual raises are determined by multiple peers, with the director keeping an overview and being able to veto. This only works in a setting where there is a high degree of transparency, be aware of that.

2.11 Expenses

In 2022, we conducted a large-scale study of the expense allowance, which resulted in an expense allowance of €83,- per month for full-time employment. This amount consists of working-from-home costs, reimbursement for your mobile phone, and the small costs you usually incur at work. Think of a cup of coffee on the way, a sandwich, or small parking costs. Please apply our main rule, "think".

2.12 Privacy

Part of working as a consultant is that you manage our clients' information professionally. You can read how we approach this. Please read this carefully because, as a consultant, you will be dealing with this daily.

• READ MORE IN THE ADDENDUM

2.13 Social media

You are perfectly capable of assessing what is and is not professional to post on social media. We don't need to make agreements about that.

3. Special terms and responsibilities

Incentro has several special terms with different goals. Some are designed to reduce our footprint on this planet; others contribute to even greater engagement among ourselves. One thing is the same for all these regulations: they are for everyone. Regardless of whether you are a junior or senior employee, whether you have been employed for a long or short time, and how much you earn. The idea behind that is that salary is how we distinguish market value, and the rest is the same for everyone. That way, we don't get any hidden salary differences and stay transparent. 

3.1 Profit Sharing

Every year Incentro pays out 10% of the annual profit to all employees. Everyone receives this profit share, provided you are still employed in the month of payment (May). In distributing the profit-sharing amount, only the percentage of employment and the number of months you were employed in the relevant year are considered. The payment date in May has to do with finalizing the financial statements. When that process is completed, we can confidently say how much profit is to be distributed. Want to do a little math already? The profit share is based on the consolidated profit of Incentro International after the income tax deduction. The total amount we reserve for this purpose includes employer and employee contributions that will have to be paid.

3.2 Becoming an Owner of Incentro

Every Incentronaut can become a co-owner of Incentro. We introduced this to increase the feeling of involvement further. To make this possible, a 'Stichting Administratie Kantoor' (STAK) has been established, which holds shares in Incentro. The STAK issues certificates, which Incentronauts can buy and sell during trading hours. Incentro deliberately allows certificate holders to have a say (for example, in paying dividends), making it more than just economic ownership.

A lot has to be organized around a system like this. In Google Drive is a special folder with all relevant files about the arrangement. It is important to realize that this form of ownership is also a form of investment. Results achieved in the past are no guarantee for the future. Think about this before you decide to participate. And make sure you stick to the timelines described if you want to buy or sell.

Would you like to do the math? The following formula determines the value of Incentro:

Value Incentro = 5 x (1 x profit of 3 years ago + 2 x profit of 2 years ago + 3 x profit from last year) / 6

3.3 Mobility Plan

Every Incentronaut is eligible for the mobility plan. We distinguish between a few options:

• Leasenie: Gross amount credited to your account + reimbursement of business travel expenses and private travel by public transport.

• Electric Lease: The rate depends on the year in which you sign the contract.

• Bicycle Lease: Deducted from your Leasenie or lease budget.
  

3.4 NS Business Card

To encourage sustainable mobility, all Incentronauts can receive an NS Business Card. Incentro pays for this, so ask yourself if you will use it.

There are no costs associated with the use of this NS Business Card. If you have a leased car, we expect it to be stationary when you travel by public transport.

Please note: the NS Business Card is only intended for work purposes.

3.5 Pick your own laptop

At Incentro, you will be given a budget of €2,250 (excluding VAT) every four years to purchase a laptop. For that amount, you can choose your own laptop.

To take into account

• The tax authorities require that you use the laptop for at least 90% of business purposes, otherwise, they will see it as a form of salary, and you’ll have to pay income tax.

• At the time of purchase, the invoice must be in the name of Incentro.

• If you choose a Windows laptop, you must activate a Windows Pro license on it.

• The laptop remains the property of Incentro for the first four years.

• Handle your laptop with care. Should you be negligent (think, for example, of a laptop left in the car and then stolen), the resulting costs are yours.

• Should you ever need specific software to work for a client, Incentro will reimburse you for the licensing costs.

• Be careful when using tools that make your job easier, such as browser plugins, as they can potentially jeopardize a non-disclosure agreement / NDA with your client.

• If you want to spend more than the budget, you may. This will then be deducted from your salary.

Standard Incentro laptop
If it doesn't matter what kind of laptop you use, you can choose a standard Incentro laptop. In that case, you receive a laptop we already have or a new laptop if there is no longer one in stock. You can choose from a standard Dell laptop, MacBook or Chromebook. The office managers are aware of the exact models.

Out of employment or end of the contract
If you have selected your own laptop, the device goes with you when you leave Incentro. You will be charged the current remaining value of the laptop. Incentro depreciates the laptop on a linear basis over a period of 48 months to a final value of 10%, so the residual value is easy to determine at any time.

Should you wish to keep your laptop at the end of the term and take it over yourself, this is of course, a possibility.

Sustainability
We want to avoid wasting laptops unnecessarily at all times. You can use Slack, for example, if you want to transfer your laptop to a colleague at the residual value. Laptops that are no longer usable for Incentro are discarded in the best possible way, for example, by donating them to the Cyberbank in Amsterdam. Your office manager can help with this.

3.6 Bonus Holidays 

If you want more than 27 vacation days, you can buy up to a maximum of 10 extra vacation days. Unlike part-time employment, this does not affect your profit distribution, lease allowance, or other employment-related aspects. After all, your employment percentage does not change due to additional vacation days.

3.7 Home office compensation

You should be able to work from home in a professional manner. Therefore, we provide a budget of 350 euros, excluding VAT, once every three years for furnishing/upgrading your workplace at home. Think of an office chair, desk, and/or a monitor. You may claim this amount for a home office (pick your own).

There are a few minor rules:

• You must be through your trial period

• If you purchase something, make sure you have an invoice in the name of Incentro, so we can reclaim the VAT. Submit your invoice via AFAS and state in the comments that it is an expense for your home office

• The declared remains the property of Incentro. If you leave within 24 months, a pro-rata settlement will apply 

3.8 Sports allowance

If you work hard, sport is often a very useful outlet. In other words, it's good for our health. To encourage this, we have introduced a sports allowance. As long as you are a sports club member (think of a soccer club, tennis club, fitness club, etc.), you will receive €10 per month of the contribution reimbursed. You can submit your invoice to your office manager. Your office manager will then arrange for the monthly sports allowance to be included in your paycheck. This arrangement will go into effect on 1/4/2021. After one year, we will determine if and how to proceed.

3.9 LoonGift

With LoonGift, you can make monthly donations to charity directly from your paycheck. With the tax advantage, you can give more with less money. This way, we can all contribute to a better world. You choose an important charity to you, and you decide how much you donate. 100% of your donation goes to the charity or charities of your choice.

As an employer, Incentro pays a small fee to The Social Handshake, the organization behind LoonGift. With this fee, they cover their operational costs. This makes LoonGift a fair and transparent way to donate money to charity: you are in the lead of whether, to what, and how much you donate; charities spend less time and effort recruiting contributors, and The Social Handshake fairly earns money. Win, win, win!

Click here to start contributing to a better world! You can read about all the cooperating charities and their stories on that link.

Concluding

No handbook can ever be all-sufficient, nor can it give a definite answer to all the occurring circumstances of being an Incentronaut. As such, this is by no means the purpose of this manual. We have to deal with the law; we have had to fill in a few things ourselves, but above all, use your common sense. Never let a rule, a procedure, a regulation, or a best practice blindly determine your actions. Think about it.