Pension for employees without a collective labour agreement: what are your options?

Do you work in IT, at a startup, or in the creative sector? Then you probably don't fall under a collective labour agreement (CAO). And that often means: no pension scheme through your employer. However, you don't have to be left empty-handed. As an employee without a CAO, you actually have many options for building up your own pension, often with significant tax advantages.

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Who is not covered by a CAO?

Approximately 25 to 30 per cent of Dutch employees fall outside a CAO. These are not just freelancers, but specifically employees in sectors without a mandatory pension scheme. Think of IT, marketing, consultancy, e-commerce, media, and the creative industry. Many startups, scale-ups, and smaller employers without a trade association also do not offer a pension.

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At companies with fewer than ten employees, more than half do not have a pension scheme. In total, around 13 per cent of all employees in the Netherlands do not build up a pension through their employer.

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What does no CAO mean for your pension?

No CAO usually means no pension scheme, unless the sector falls under a legally mandatory industry pension fund. Without such a scheme, you miss out on the second pillar: pension through your employer. Your AOW remains intact, as everyone receives it. However, AOW alone is insufficient for most people. A single person receives approximately 1,500 euros gross per month, while couples living together receive around 2,200 euros combined. For most households, additional accrual is necessary.

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The Dutch Central Bank calculated that employees with ten years without pension accrual build up an average of 80,000 to 120,000 euros less in pension. This is particularly significant between the ages of 25 and 45.

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Building up a pension yourself as an employee without a CAO

The good news: without an employer's pension, you often have a larger annual allowance. Factor A is zero when you don't build up an employer's pension, meaning your full annual allowance remains available and you can make significant tax-efficient contributions. In 2025, the maximum annual allowance is 35,798 euros, plus potentially 42,108 euros in reserve space from previous years.

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You can deposit this amount into an annuity or pension account. Your contribution is deductible from your income, your wealths are not subject to box 3, and you only pay tax upon payout. Often at a lower rate than during your working years.

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What can your employer do?

More and more employers without a CAO are choosing to offer a pension anyway. Not through an expensive pension fund, but via a modern pension account. The employer determines the contribution themselves, often between 25 and 200 euros per month. This premium is fully deductible as labour costs and is not taxed for the employee.

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For employees, this means: personal pension accrual, transparent and flexible. You can make additional contributions within your annual allowance and you take your pension with you if you change jobs.

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Pension for employees without a CAO via Vive

At Vive, employees receive their own pension account. The employer pays a monthly contribution, and the employee can voluntarily contribute extra. The money is invested via a personal lifecycle strategy: more risk when you are young, automatically scaling down towards retirement.

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Not a collective fund, but individual ownership. Transparent costs, no mandatory minimum contribution, and everything accessible via the app. For employers without a CAO, it is an accessible way to offer a valuable secondary benefit.

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Want to know what the possibilities are? View the page on pension for employees or download the brochure for SME employers.