Negotiating your pay and benefits?

Pay is usually expressed on a monthly basis. Remember that in regular employment in Por­tugal, you are paid for 14 months per year (i.e. including holiday pay and Christmas bonuses, usually paid in May/June and November/ December respectively), although this is pres­ently taking other forms following excep­tional measures by the government. If you are recruited by a multinational company, pay may be negotiated as an annual package, including subsidies and other fringe benefits.

Annual productivity bonuses are not common, although there may be scope for a bonus pay­ment at the end of the year depending on prof­its. Only in medium-sized to large companies, mostly multinationals, are annual bonuses well integrated in remuneration policies.

Other benefits might be: improved health insur­ance cover or medical services, in the case of larger companies; and a mobile phone and company car, mostly for senior staff (man­agers and directors), although this practice is declining.