It is fully employer financed and provided at will and discretion of management. If paid, it must be granted additionally to any regularly agreed compensation, and may not substitute the latter to qualify as exempt. Cash and benefits in kind are likewise qualified. The beneficial tax and social security treatment is cut-off above 3,000 € (threshold). Any inflation relief pay must be specially marked on the payslip as such. It can be paid in monthly installments to drive employee retention. Let me know if your company wants to extend this benefit by adding a column in the payroll prep spreadsheet specially headlined with “INFLATION PAY”, citing the amount the employees shall each receive.