Labour market in Belgium

2022: Belgium is the first to introduce a four-day working week for all residents of the country

February 15, 2022 it became known that Belgium the first introduces a four-day working week for all residents of the country. This is part of a large-scale restructuring of labor legislation against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic announced COVID-19 by Prime Minister Alexander de Croo.

The reform package, agreed by the country's multi-party coalition government, will also give workers the right to turn off work devices and ignore work-related messages after the end of the day, without fear of reprisals.

Another reform approved by the Belgian multi-party Government included individual access to training for workers and a test programme allowing night work for e-commerce workers.

Belgium is the first to introduce a four-day working week for all residents of the country

We've been through two difficult years. With this agreement, we have established a beacon for a more innovative, sustainable and digital economy. The goal is to make people and business stronger, "said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Kroo at a press conference on the reform package. "The Covid period has made us work more flexibly - the labor market must adapt to this," he told reporters after an overnight discussion of changes between ministers.

According to the authorities, these measures are designed to improve the quality of life of Belgians and offer them a better work-life balance in both the public and private sectors of the economy.

Employees will be able to reduce the current five-day week to four days. In practice, this means maintaining a 38-hour working week with an additional day off compensating for longer working days.

The Government spokesman said that staff would be able to work four days a week for six months. After that, they could choose: continue the agreement or return to the five-day week without any negative consequences.

Workers will also be able to request a shift schedule. The minimum shift notification period is also changing: now companies must provide a schedule of at least seven days.

In practice, the new law will apply to all employers with more than 20 employees. Employers will have to negotiate with trade unions to include the right to refuse in a collective agreement.^[1]

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