ITN: Can fringe benefits be regarded as part of the living allowance if the employment contract does not provide for this but according to the collective agreement, all employees are entitled to receive this fringe benefit?

Fringe benefits should be explicitly mentioned (if not agreed upon) in the employment contract. However, if they are a usual practice stated in the organisation’s official documents (e.g., internal regulations), the Fellow should carefully look for relevant references in the signed contract. In any case, there must be a legally binding document for the organisation to verify the regularity and legality of the fringe benefits, in order to be included in the living allowance.