Looking to expand your company beyond borders? Belgians could be the key to your smooth and successful advancement. With deep knowledge across industries and a keen willingness to learn new things, Belgians would be a great addition to most any international team.

If you’re ready to hire Belgians in the near future, it’s imperative to learn all you can about employee benefits in Belgium. Adhering to labor laws governing the relationship between employees and employers is essential for both parties. Doing so keeps your organization out of legal trouble, and it also helps to ensure your employees’ well-being. 

By the end of this article, you’ll have a solid understanding of mandatory and supplemental benefits for Belgians, labor laws in the country, and helpful tips for benefits package creation. You’ll soon have the information you need to help you attract high-caliber workers from Belgium, avoid compliance issues, and exceed your hiring and expansion goals. 

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Belgium Labor Laws

The employment regulations in Belgium are not contained in one piece of legislation. They are spread out among various acts, decrees, etc. But among the most important of all the Belgium labor laws is the Act on Employment Agreements of July 3, 1978. In large part, it outlines what’s expected from employers and employees in a working relationship. 

In addition to this law, there are more targeted laws pertaining to maternity, worker well-being, collective bargaining agreements, and more. With a quick Google search, you can view the laws in PDF format.  

Then, there are legal resources and databases created by individuals and organizations that aren’t affiliated with the Belgian government. These can also be valuable if sources are appropriately cited and the source was created by an expert in the field of international law. 

REMOTE PEOPLE NOTE

For the purposes of this article, we will look at a combination of official labor law texts and legal resources that detail the laws in place at the time of this writing. 

Mandatory Employee Benefits in Belgium 

When you decide to hire one or more employees from Belgium, you may want to start the recruitment and hiring processes right away. Unfortunately, if you don’t take the time to learn about employer obligations, the legal authorities could catch on, or you could even be reported by an employee.

Luckily, you can avoid that mistake by learning about the mandatory employee benefits in Belgium and adhering to them to a T. We’ll cover those all-important non-negotiable benefits below.  

Minimum Wage

This may come as a surprise, but there is no law-mandated minimum wage in Belgium. However, there is a minimum wage set via collective bargaining between social partners. As of the time of this writing, it is set at €2070.48 per month. In USD, that comes out to $2,156.65 per month. When compared to other European countries, this minimum wage is on the higher side. 

Social Security Contributions 

Social Security contributions are mandatory in the country of Belgium. They are in place to keep the Belgian Social Security System running and ensure that employees can receive social insurance benefits like: 

  • Survivor pensions
  • Accident insurance
  • Occupational diseases
  • Family benefits

As an employer, you should be prepared to contribute 27% of the employee’s monthly pay towards Social Security insurance. Employees contribute about half of that. Payments are submitted through the ONSS. 

Employees must meet a specific set of requirements before using Social Security benefits. 

Belgian employees who are working full-time receive 4 weeks of annual leave. But this is just a general time estimate because different types of workers are entitled to different leave durations. 

REMOTE PEOPLE FURTHER READING

To learn about the different types of workers and their annual leave entitlements, use this Settling in Belgium resource.

Public Holidays

During the public holidays below, Belgian employees are not permitted to work in any capacity. And if the holiday falls on a non-working day, the employer has to give the employee another workday off as a substitute. 

  • January 1st (Monday) – New Year’s Day
  • April 1st  (Monday) – Easter Monday
  • May 1st (Wednesday) – Labor Day
  • May 9th (Thursday) – Ascension Day (40 days after Easter)
  • May 20th (Monday) – Whit Monday (the seventh Monday after Easter)
  • July 21st (Sunday) – Belgium National Day
  • August 15th (Thursday) – Assumption Day (Assumption of Mary)
  • November 1st (Friday) – All Saints’ Day
  • November 11th (Monday) – Armistice Day
  • December 25th (Wednesday) – Christmas Day

Depending on the region your employee resides in, they may want to take a few other holidays off. It’s up to you as an employer to determine which the worker is able to take (outside of those listed above).

Sick Leave 

If an employee falls ill or is injured and unable to work, sick leave kicks in. It’s an employment benefit mandated by Belgium employment law. The amount of paid leave and associated employer costs depend on the type of worker. We outline them in this table:

Type of WorkerSick Leave Benefit
White-collar workersReceive 100% of their salary during the first month of sick leave.
Blue-collar workers

– 100% of their salary during the first 7 days of incapacity for work.

– 85.88% of their salary from the 8ᵗʰ to 14ᵗʰ day.

– From the 15ᵗʰ to 30ᵗʰ day:

– 25.88% of salary below the ceiling set by the sickness and disability insurance scheme.

– 85.88% of salary above the ceiling.

The employer only has to pay for sick leave for the initial period (as illustrated in the table above). After that, the health insurance fund takes on the rest of the payments. After an employee has been on sick leave for a year, it’s no longer considered sick leave – it’s disability leave. 

REMOTE PEOPLE FURTHER READING

Learn more about sick leave benefits in this resource. 

Maternity leave 

Maternity leave for Belgian employees is 15 weeks for single births and 17 weeks for multiple births. The first 6 weeks (single births) and 8 weeks (multiple births) should be taken before the birth. The last 9 weeks should be taken after the birth. 

This leave doesn’t have to be paid by the employer, though the employee can claim a maternity benefit through social security. 

Supplementary Employee Benefits in Belgium

Aside from Belgium’s statutory benefits, employers looking to score the best talent often include supplementary employee benefits. And this serves two purposes: (1) to lure in the top candidates in a given industry, and (2)  to make their employees comfortable, healthier, and happier. If you want to  offer supplementary employee benefits in Belgium, here are a few options to consider:

  • Health insurance plan through a private company with far-reaching medical benefits. Vision and dental will likely be appreciated as well. 
  • A company car for employees that will do a lot of driving as part of their job. 
  • Food stipends or allowances for in-house workers. 
  • Remote work stipend or home office allowance for those who work outside of the office. 
  • Free or reduced travel for employees who travel for work. 
  • Gym and yoga memberships to promote health and well-being.
  • Paternity leave for expectant fathers, since this isn’t a mandated benefit through the Belgian government. 
  • Parental leave for child-related issues or occasions when the employee needs to be home with their child. This is also not a mandated benefit in Belgium. 

These are just a few of the options you have to choose from. Feel free to think things over and come up with your own alternatives.

Tips for Building a Good Employee Benefit Plan for Employees in Belgium

Now, it’s time to put this new information to work and build an effective employee benefit plan for employees in Belgium. At first, it may seem like an impossible task, given all the mandatory benefits you’re expected to provide as an employer. However, with a game plan in place, you’ll make it through just fine. Follow the below steps as you craft your benefits packages: 

  • Double- and triple-check Belgium’s employment laws regarding labor relationships in Belgium. Rules could change as often as every day. So, it’s essential to get familiar with the laws and ensure that you’re following the latest versions of each of them. If you need any assistance with this step, reach out to a legal professional with experience in international business.
  • Compile all the benefits you intend to offer your Belgian employees. Make sure that you get the mandatory employee benefits down first to ensure that your benefit plan is compliant with labor laws. Then, add your supplementary benefits and any associated information. 
  • Determine whether the benefits package is easy to digest, clear, and direct. These qualities are important in any benefit package, as it ensures that employees are able to get the information they need quickly.
  • Distribute as needed and update regularly. Email, pass out, or otherwise distribute the benefits plan to shortlisted candidates throughout the recruiting process and new hires during orientation. And remember that benefits packages are meant to be tweaked regularly. Keep an eye on regulations and update the plan as necessary. 

So, there you have it – everything you need to know about employee benefits in Belgium. We hope that you found all the information you needed in this employee benefits guide, and we wish you the best with your business expansion plans.