95.5
96
92
Access to Decent Work
100
100
80
100
100
100
100
100
100
75
| Question | Answer | Score | Legal Basis | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the legislation or collective negotiation set and determine the minimum wages in the country? | Yes | 1 | The Collective Bargaining Agreement No. 43 of 1988 | No Change |
| Does the law require regular and timely payment of wages? | Yes | 1 | Loi concernant la protection de la rémunération des travailleurs, 12 Avril 1965 | No Change |
| Does the law require overtime compensation to be at least 125% of the regular hourly rate? | Yes | 1 | §29 of the Labour Act, 1971 | No Change |
| Does the law require any additional compensation for working on a weekly rest day? | Yes | 1 | §26-bis and 29 of Labour Act 1971; §11 of Public Holidays Act 1974 | No Change |
| Does the law require additional compensation for night work? | Yes | 1 | §35-37 of Labour Act 1971; §79 of the Law on Flexible Work, 2017 | No Change |
| Question | Answer | Score | Legal Basis | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the law stipulate general weekly working hours as 48 hours or lower? | Yes | 1 | §19-29 of Labour Act 1971; §4 & 7 of the Law on Flexible Work, 2017; §51 & 52 of Law of 20 December 2020 | No Change |
| Does the law restrict maximum working hours, including overtime, to 56 hours per week? | Yes | 1 | §27 of the Labour Act, 1971 | No Change |
| Does the law require a paid weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours? | Yes | 1 | §3, 11-18, 32.2 and 66 of Labour Act 1971 | No Change |
| Does the law require paid public holidays? | Yes | 1 | §4 & 11 of Public Holidays Act 1974 | No Change |
| Does the law require at least three working weeks of paid annual leave? | Yes | 1 | Royal Decree on determining Annual Leave for Salaried Workers, 30 March 1967; §34-38 of the Law of 20 December 2020 | No Change |
| Question | Answer | Score | Legal Basis | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the law require a written employment contract or employment particulars to be given to a worker on commencement of employment? | Yes | 1 | 3 JUILLET 1978-Loi relative aux contrats de travail | No Change |
| Does the law restrict the hiring of fixed-term contract workers? | Yes | 1 | §10-11 of 3 JUILLET 1978-Loi relative aux contrats de travail; §32 of the Law on Flexible Work, 2017 | No Change |
| Does the law limit the length of the probation period, including renewals, to three months? | Yes | 1 | §48-49 & 66-67 of 3 JUILLET 1978-Loi relative aux contrats de travail | No Change |
| Does the law require a 30-day notice period before employment contract termination? | Yes | 1 | Arrêté Royal du 09 Janvier 2014; §4 & 5 of Collective Labour Agreement no 147 2020; Law of 13 February 1998 | No Change |
| Does the law require severance pay at the rate of at least two weeks of wages for every year of service? | No | 0 | §6-13 of Convention Collective De Travail N° 10 Du 8 Mai 1973 | No Change |
| Question | Answer | Score | Legal Basis | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the law require a four-month parental leave for parents? | Yes | 1 | Arrêté royal relatif à l'introduction d'un droit au congé parental dans le cadre d'une interruption de la carrière professionnelle | No Change |
| Does the law require at least one week of paid paternity leave for fathers*? | Yes | 1 | §30.2 of 3 JUILLET 1978-Loi; §221, Royal Decree on Compulsory Sickness and Indemnity Insurance law; §63 Law of 20 December 2020 | No Change |
| Does the law require flexible working arrangements* for workers with family responsibilities? | Yes | 1 | §68-75 of the Law on Flexible Work, 2017 | No Change |
| Does the law require paid nursing breaks? | Yes | 1 | Royal Decree Rendering compulsory Collective Agreement N° 80 on Nursing Breaks, 2001 | No Change |
| Question | Answer | Score | Legal Basis | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the law prohibit inquiring about pregnancy during recruitment? | Yes | 1 | §4 of the Act on Combatting Discrimination between Men and Women, 2007 | No Change |
| Does the law require maternity leave of at least 14 weeks? | Yes | 1 | §39 of Labour Act 1971; §5 of the Belgian Law of 25 April 2014 | No Change |
| Does the law require cash maternity benefits to be at least two-thirds (66.67%) of a worker's former wage? | Yes | 1 | §128 of Loi relative à l'assurance obligatoire soins de santé et indemnités coordonnée le 14 juillet 1994 | No Change |
| Does the law require cash maternity benefits to be paid through a contributory social insurance or a universal benefits system or such benefits are an employer's liability? | Yes | 1 | §128 of Loi relative à l'assurance obligatoire soins de santé et indemnités coordonnée le 14 juillet 1994 | No Change |
| Does the law protect workers from dismissals during or on account of pregnancy? | Yes | 1 | §40 of Labour Act 1971 | No Change |
| Question | Answer | Score | Legal Basis | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the law require employers to provide free personal protective equipment to workers? | Yes | 1 | Arrêté royal du 13 juin 2005 relatif à l’utilisation des équipements de protection individuelle | No Change |
| Does the law require employers to train workers on health and safety Issues? | Yes | 1 | §16bis-21 of Arrêté royal du 27 mars 1998 relatif à la politique du bien-être des travailleurs lors de l’exécution de leur travail | No Change |
| Does the law restrict work that is prejudicial to the health of the mother or the child? | Yes | 1 | §39-43 of Labour Act 1971; Arrêté royal du 2 mai 1995 concernant la protection de la maternité | No Change |
| Does the law provide for employment injury benefits in the event of an occupational accident or disease? | Yes | 1 | Coordinated law of 3 June 1970 on Compensation for Occupational Diseases; Work Accidents Act 1971 | No Change |
| Question | Answer | Score | Legal Basis | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the law provide for an old age benefit? | Yes | 1 | Royal Decree no. 50 of 24 October 1967 on Retirement and Survivors' Pensions; MISSOC Comp. Table for Belgium | No Change |
| Does the law provide for survivors' benefits? | Yes | 1 | Royal Decree no. 50 of 24 October 1967 on Retirement and Survivors' Pensions; MISSOC Comp. Table for Belgium | No Change |
| Does the law provide for unemployment benefits? | Yes | 1 | Royal Decree of 25 November 1991 on Unemployment; MISSOC Comp. Table for Belgium | No Change |
| Does the law require paid sick leave (and sickness benefits) for the first six months of sickness? | Yes | 1 | Coordinated Law of 14 July 1994 on Medical Care and Benefits; MISSOC Comp. Table for Belgium | Score adjusted due to a minor revision in methodology |
| Does the law provide for invalidity benefits? | Yes | 1 | Coordinated Law of 14 July 1994 on Medical Care and Benefits; MISSOC Comp. Table for Belgium | No Change |
| Question | Answer | Score | Legal Basis | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the law require equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value? | Yes | 1 | §4-5 of Loi du 10 mai 2007 tendant à lutter contre certaines formes de discrimination; 22 AVRIL 2012. — Loi visant à lutter contre l’écart salarial entre hommes et femmes | No Change |
| Does the law prohibit sexual harassment in employment? | Yes | 1 | §32bis & 32ter of the Loi du 4 août 1996; §101 & 119 of the Code Pénal Social 2010 | No Change |
| Does the law prohibit discrimination in employment matters? | Yes | 1 | §19-28 of the Anti-Racism Act 1981; §26-31 of the Gender Equality Act 2007; §21-26 of the Anti Discrimination Act 2007 | No Change |
| Does the law allow women to do the same job as men? | Yes | 1 | §23 of the Belgian Constitution 1831 | No Change |
| Does the law guarantee basic labour protection to the platform workers? | Yes | 1 | Royal decree No 72 of 10 November 1967; Royal Decree of 20 July 1971 | No Change |
| Question | Answer | Score | Legal Basis | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the law prohibit the employment of children? | Yes | 1 | §43-46 bis of Employment Contracts Act, 1978 | No Change |
| Does the law set employment entry age equal to or higher than the compulsory schooling age? | Yes | 1 | §43-46 bis of Employment Contracts Act, 1978; §1 of the Compulsory Education Act, 1983 | No Change |
| Does the law prohibit the employment of young persons in hazardous work under the age of 18 years? | Yes | 1 | §8, 9, 32, 34 & 34 bis of Labour Act, 1971 | No Change |
| Does the law prohibit forced labour? | Yes | 1 | §433 quinquies and 433 octies of Penal Code 1867 | No Change |
| Question | Answer | Score | Legal Basis | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does the law allow workers to form and join unions of their own choice? | Yes | 1 | §27 of the Belgian Constitution 1831; USDOS CRHRP 2021 (Belgium) | No Change |
| Does the law allow workers to bargain collectively with employers through their representative unions? | Yes | 1 | Organic Law on National Labour Council 1952; Law of 5 December 1968 on Collective Agreements and Joint Committees | No Change |
| Does the law provide the right to strike? | Yes | 1 | Loi du 19.08.1948 relative aux prestations d'intérêt public en temps de paix | No Change |
| Does the law prohibit imposing excessive sanctions against striking workers, including replacement of such workers? | No | 0 | §406 of the Criminal Code of Belgium, 1867; ILO CEACR, C87, Direct Request, 2023; ITUC Global Rights Index 2024 (Belgium Profile) | Score adjusted because of availability of a legal source |