Other allowances
Alongside allowances for business travel, commuting and relocation, there are also a number of smaller allowances for which you may qualify. Find out more about the meal allowance, emergency response team allowance, computer glasses allowance and the trade union contribution.
Reimbursement of computer glasses
You can submit a request for reimbursement of computer glasses via the Service Portal, under ‘My staff movements’, ‘Computer glasses’. You will receive the allowance with your salary.
Request via Service Portal1. Meal allowance
You may be eligible for a meal allowance during business meetings and trips or if you work overtime. If you pay for a meal during a business meeting, you may submit an expense claim for this. However, you are expected to exercise reasonable judgment. You can submit expense claims for meals through Self Service.
Different rules apply to expense claims for meals during business trips. Find our more on the business travel page.
If you work at least two hours overtime and the University does not provide a meal, you are eligible for an overtime meal allowance of up to €30,74. You can find more information on the webpage about Bonuses and allowances.
2. University emergency response team allowance
If you are a member of the University emergency response team, you bear extra responsibility alongside the responsibility in your regular post. You attend a couple of (emergency response) exercises and will receive a gross annual allowance for this. This can be as high as € 320, if you attend a minimum of 6 exercises. Furthermore, you may be eligible for the following additional allowances:
- If you wear breathing apparatus, you receive an extra gross allowance of € 135 per year.
- If you are the team leader of the emergency response team, you receive an extra gross allowance of € 120 per year.
- If you have been a member of the emergency response team for five years without interruption, you will receive an extra gross allowance of € 220 per year.
3. Computer glasses
If you use a screen for at least two hours per day and have difficulty seeing the screen despite wearing regular glasses or lenses, you may be eligible for an allowance for computer glasses and the cost of an eye examination by an optician.
Conditions
- The optician's examination must focus on the eyes in relation to computer work. Normal eye correction devices will not be reimbursed.
- The display screen glasses must be purchased from an optician.
- You receive a maximum of € 375 (including VAT) towards to the cost of computer glasses.
- You must submit an original invoice from the optician, which states that it is for display screen glasses. The invoice from the optician states the costs of the eye examination, the costs of the frame and the glasses.
- The invoice must be from the year in which the declaration is requested.
- Does an eye examination by an optician show that you need new display screen glasses sooner (than after three years)? Then you can - if the optician thinks it is required - within three years, reapply for reimbursement of both the computer glasses and the eye examination.
University doctor
You will only need to visit the University doctor if your application exceeds the maximum of € 375, in which case you must take the results of your last eye examination with you to your appointment. The University doctor will need to provide a written statement confirming that these specific computer glasses are essential. Enclose the doctor’s statement with your claim.
For instructions about requesting the allowance please read this Knowledge Item.
4. Trade union contribution (Trade Union Month)
In the Collective Labour Agreement (CAO) of Dutch Universities 2023-2024, the unions and employers agreed that September will in future be Trade Union Month. An allowance is attached to this agreement. If you join one of the unions that are part of the CAO in September, the university will pay the first six months of your membership fees, up to a maximum of 100 euros.
Conditions for trade union contribution:
- You became a member in the month of September (please note: in 2023 only, the discount offer also applies to employees who became a union member in August)
- This is the first time you have become a member of the union
- You are a member for at least one year
- Your application is completed and signed by the FSSC by 15 November at the latest
If you want to apply for the contribution to your union membership fees, please complete this form. You can find more information and instructions on how to apply in the helpdesk portal.
Please note: this is a different scheme from the allowance via the Terms of Employment Individual Choices Model, where the union contribution is offset against your holiday or end-of-year bonus. If you make use of both schemes, the amount of the allowance will be deducted from the amount to be offset from the individual choice model.
Allowances for PhD candidates
Leiden Law School has a number of specific allowances for appointed doctoral researchers (PhD candidates, PhD fellows and contract PhDs). In some cases, the arrangements also apply to external PhD candidates.
Travel and training costs
(only for appointed PhD researchers and contract PhDs)
PhD researchers can reimburse up a maximum amount of €5,000 for travel and training costs. The exact amount may vary depending on the needs and nature of the research. Travel and training expenses may include costs incurred for accommodation, courses, conferences, study days and study tours, memberships of scientific organisations, translation costs, and a maximum amount of €1,000 for the purchase of academic literature.
PhD researchers can claim the expenses through the Self Service. The expenses are reimbursed by the institute to which the PhD researcher is appointed. Permission is advance is needed from the Academic Director (or Head of Department) and supervisors.
Printing costs PhD dissertation
(for all PhD researchers)
PhD researchers can receive a financial compensation of €500,- for the printing costs of their dissertation from the Leiden University Libraries. To qualify for the reimbursement by Leiden University Libraries you should fill out Appendix B and send it to the Library. More information.
In addition, should the invoice be more than €500, the Department of Research of Leiden Law School reimburses a maximum amount of €1,150. This arrangement applies irrespective of whether the book is published in the Meijers Series or not (see below). Appointed PhD researchers can claim the expenses through the Self Service. All others can do this by using a digital form (including the invoice). To find out which SAP number to use, please send an email. PhD researchers are expected to pay additional costs themselves (if printing costs are higher).
Lay-out costs PhD dissertation in Meijers book series
(for all PhD researchers whose dissertation is published in the Meijers book series)
The Department of Research reimburses a maximum amount of €2,500 for the lay-out costs of the dissertation published in the Meijers Book Series. The maximum amount is based on the lay-out expenses of a dissertation which falls within the 100,000 word limit contained in Article 16(8) of the PhD Regulations of Leiden University.
If this word limit is exceeded, additional costs are charged to the institute or department where the supervisor is employed, for which permission in advance is needed. External PhD candidates are expected to pay additional costs themselves.
Other
Departments and institutes may provide additional funds to cover costs which cannot be paid from the travel and training budget (in case of appointed PhD researchers and contract PhDs), or to financially support external PhD researchers.
The Leiden University Fund (LUF) is the university's leading fund. PhD researchers at Leiden University can apply to the LUF for various grants. Information can be found here.
The Department of Research offers a yearly budget to the Leiden Law PhD Community for the organisation of social activities and informative meetings.