Belgium is a highly developed, densely populated market with strong worker protections. Its culture of unions, social security, and strict labor laws support employees — and add complexity to your global talent plans.

A Belgium employer of record (EOR) enables global hiring, without the hassle of establishing a local legal entity. An EOR Belgium acts as the legal employer, managing payroll, benefits, taxes, and HR compliance — so you can focus on running your business. 

As a global EOR, G-P streamlines the full employment lifecycle, from onboarding to termination and everything in between. With G-P, you can quickly hire global talent in 180+ countries, including Belgium, while staying compliant with local labor laws.

Simplify hiring in Belgium with an employer of record

Complex labor laws and collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) create significant challenges for companies looking tohire talent in Belgium. An EOR Belgium gives you a compliant path to build your global team without setting up a local entity.

The EOR hiring process in Belgium:

  1. Partner with a global employment expert. Choose an EOR with deep expertise in Belgium as they’ll guide you through the local legal landscape.

  2. Source your ideal candidate. You find the best talent for your needs, and the EOR handles the rest of the employment process.

  3. Generate a compliant employment contract. Your EOR drafts a locally compliant contract that reflects all mandatory terms under Belgium’s labor laws, including salary, working hours, and notice periods.

  4. Onboard and manage your team. The EOR manages all aspects of the employment lifecycle. This includes registering the employee with Belgium’s tax authorities and social security system, Belgium payroll, and administering benefits.

Employment contracts in Belgium

In Belgium, some contracts, like open-ended, full-time agreements, can be verbal. However, it’s best to have everything in writing. The contract must include the employee's compensation, benefits, and termination conditions. All monetary amounts, such as the agreed salary, must be in euros (EUR). 

Contracts must also be in the official language of the region where the employer’s operational unit is based — that is, where the employee works or reports to — not where the employee lives. So, if an employee lives in a French-speaking area but works in a Dutch-speaking area, the contract must be in Dutch

An employer of record in Belgium can draft agreements on your behalf, in line with Belgium’s employment laws. 

Leave entitlements in Belgium

Working hours in Belgium

The standard workweek in Belgium is 38 hours. Anything above this is considered overtime and must be paid at 150% of the normal rate on weekdays and Saturdays and 200% (double pay) on Sundays or public holidays. However, these rates usually don’t apply to senior executives or managers.

Public holidays in Belgium

Employees in Belgium are entitled to 10 paid public holidays:

  • New Year's Day

  • Easter Monday

  • Labor Day

  • Ascension Day

  • Whit Monday

  • Belgian National Day

  • Assumption of Mary

  • All Saints' Day

  • Armistice Day

  • Christmas Day

If a public holiday falls on a non-working day, employees are entitled to a substitute day off.

Vacation days in Belgium

An employee's annual vacation days are based on how many months they worked in the previous calendar year. This means vacation accrual begins after the first year of employment.

However, new employees may be eligible for supplementary leave in their first year under the “supplementary” or “European” holiday rules.These days are treated as an advance on their future holiday pay allowance.

Full-time employees working a five-day week are entitled to a minimum of 20 statutory paid vacation days per year, based on a full year of work in the previous calendar year.

White-collar employees also get a vacation bonus, often equal to 92% of a month's salary. This is paid in addition to their regular salary during vacation.

Sick leave in Belgium

Employees get paid sick leave. For white-collar workers, the employer must pay a guaranteed salary during the first 30 days of illness. After this, the employee receives sickness benefits from their health insurance fund. Employers can request a medical certificate for any absences.

Maternity and birth leave in Belgium

A pregnant employee is entitled to 15 weeks of paid maternity leave, or 19 weeks for multiple births. This is divided into prenatal and postnatal periods. The other parent is entitled to 20 days of birth leave, which must be taken within four months of the birth. These days can be taken one after the other or spread out.

How an employer of record in Belgium helps manage leave entitlements

Between public holiday payments and vacation day build-up, there’s a lot to handle. Partnering with a Belgium EOR reduces the risk and complexity of leave management. An EOR Belgium ensures you comply with complicated laws applying to working hours, public holidays, and leave. 

Health insurance in Belgium

Employers and employees contribute to Belgium's mandatory health insurance system through social security. This covers health insurance, pensions, unemployment benefits, and family allowances. Employees must register with a health insurance fund (mutualité/mutualiteit) of their choice to access these benefits.

Supplementary benefits and bonuses in Belgium

Many Belgian salary packages include supplementary benefits. A 13th-month bonus, paid at the end of the year, is common and often part of a CBA. Performance-based bonuses, meal vouchers, company cars, and supplemental health insurance are also popular perks. These benefits are usually taxable. 

When budgeting, we recommend allocating an additional 30–35% on top of the employee’s gross salary to cover all employer costs, including social security and benefits.

How an employer of record helps with benefits in Belgium

A Belgium EOR manages social security contributions for employers and employees, and administers supplementary health insurance if it applies.

Termination and severance in Belgium

Probationary periods were abolished in 2014 for most contracts. Since then, notice periods apply to all employees, based on their seniority. Notice periods are calculated in weeks and increase with years of service. For example, during the first three months of employment, the notice period for employer dismissal is two weeks. By the fifth year, this increases to 18 weeks. The rules are complex, and employers often pay out the employee instead of giving them notice. 

Employees with notice periods of 30 weeks or more are entitled to specific benefits and treatment.

A Belgium EOR handles everything related to offboarding and terminations. This includes the special treatment of employees with 30-week notice periods, as well as any severance payments. 

Payroll and payroll taxes in Belgium

In Belgium, employees are taxed based on how much they earn. As of 2025, tax rates range from 25% to a top rate of 50% on annual income exceeding EUR 46,440. 

Employers and employees contribute to social security. Employees contribute 13.07% of their gross salary, and employers contribute between 25–27%. For employers, these contributions were uncapped. However, since July 1 2025, employers only pay contributions on an employee’s base salary up to EUR 85,000 per quarter — any salary above that amount is exempt. 

An employer of record Belgium manages payroll and payroll taxes, and ensures compliance with the country’s progressive income tax system.

Choosing the right EOR in Belgium

When partnering with an EOR Belgium, consider the following for a compliant and hassle-free global expansion:

  • Compliance expertise: The EOR should have in-depth knowledge of Belgian labor laws, including the Labour Act of 16 March 1971, CBAs, and local tax regulations. This ensures that all employment practices, from contracts to termination, are fully compliant.

  • Comprehensive service offering: A best-in-class EOR should manage all aspects of employment, including payroll, taxes, benefits, leave, and offboarding.

  • Local market understanding: Look for an EOR with a strong local presence or proven experience in Belgium. This often means they have a solid understanding of market norms and cultural nuances that can impact employee relations.

  • Scalability and flexibility: The EOR should be able to accommodate your hiring needs, whether you're hiring a single employee or a global team, and scale with your global expansion strategy.

  • Technology and integration: Confirm that the EOR integrates with your existing HCM, PEO, or payroll systems to avoid operational delays.

  • Transparency and communication: Choose an EOR that offers clear communication channels, transparent pricing, and regular updates on compliance changes.

  • Reputation and references: Research the EOR's reputation, customer testimonials, and industry recognition to ensure they have a track record of reliability and success.

  • Data security and compliance. Ensure your EOR follows strict data security protocols like GDPR. This is critical for protecting sensitive employee information and maintaining compliance.

Use G-P EOR for global hiring in Belgium

G-P EOR is the award-winning, AI-enabled global hiring solution that empowers startups, SMBs, and enterprise businesses to build global teams with ease. Onboard, manage, and pay top talent in over 180 countries in minutes, without the complexity of entity setup. 

G-P EOR is the preferred partner for leading HCM, PEO, and payroll platforms. Bring your workforce data together in one place to maintain existing workflows while keeping consistent and accurate data across your integrated systems.

Request a proposal to start hiring in Belgium today.