21 November 2019

Prorated bonus and flexible remuneration

euro banknotes and coins stacked unevenly on a flat surface

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The bonus, which is paid twice a year, is sometimes preferred to be distributed proportionally over twelve monthly payments.. Those who choose this alternative do so to increase their purchasing power and make ends meet more comfortably.

Some of them, in addition to opting for a pro-rata bonus, they agree with their employer to take advantage of a model of flexible remuneration. The two options are compatible and the combination of the two makes more money available to the employee. Do you want to know how it works and what are the benefits of combining these two salary approaches?

A salary that goes further: pro-rata bonus and flexible remuneration together

The first thing to be clear about is that is charged the same when are received:

  • 14 monthly payments of the same amount, of which 12 are the normal salary and two are the extra pay.
  • 12 monthly payments of a higher amount, which already include the proportional part of the corresponding summer or winter bonus.

Although the Christmas bonus money, for example, arrives all together and is perceived as a higher amount, in reality it is the same as what the employee would receive when prorated over the previous or following six months.

There is, however, a difference. It has to do with planning and management. When you receive the same amount every month of the year, it is easier to manage that money, make provisions and save. This is the great advantage of the pro-rata bonus.

We all know that when you receive two extra payments a year, without prorating, they are used to cover specific expenses related to dates, Christmas celebrations and summer plans; perhaps to cover some “holes” and little else. As a result, the rest of the months end up being fairer than with the relief of pro-rata.

However, there are those who know how to get even more out of their salary, even in the case of a salary of one thousand. These are the wage earners who know how to what is flexible remuneration.

In this case, they decide to replace a part of their salary with a payment in kind of some kind, chosen by the employee and subject to change as their needs change, for example:

  • Payment of meals.
  • Payment of training and health insurance.
  • Payment of transport.
  • Childcare payment.

The advantage is that, on the one hand, the management of your expenses is simplified, the punctuality of payment is improved and debt surcharges are avoided. In addition, the most important benefit of flexible remuneration is that the expenses it covers are exempt from personal income tax. This can lead to savings of several hundred euros a year. Now that's a bonus.

So, it's time to adopt a more conscious and logical household accounting approach. Look for simplicity, convenience and savings. You already have the extra pay Have you ever considered flexible remuneration?

Edenred Spain