Offering the best Belgium compensation and benefits will help your company stand out from others in your industry, attract skilled candidates, and stay compliant. However, it’s easy to overlook benefits and compensation when you’re also running multiple company locations, learning complex tax laws, and hiring a new team.
G-P understands the complexities of an expansion, which is why we offer a solution. You can leverage our Belgium subsidiary to start working without going through the lengthy process of setting up your own entity.
Belgium compensation laws
Belgium’s legal minimum wage varies by region and level. The country also has many Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and trade unions that could change the minimum wage for certain industries or sectors.
According to Belgium compensation laws, employees receive a 50% premium for daytime overtime on weekdays or Saturdays and a 100% premium on Sundays or public holidays. Collective agreements sometimes provide more.
Guaranteed benefits in Belgium
Companies must give out all guaranteed benefits required by law to stay compliant. This includes 10 paid public holidays (with replacement days when holidays fall on Sundays or usual non-working days), and annual vacation leave at the start of each year (calculated based on how many months the employee worked the previous year).
Office employees get their normal gross remuneration during statutory vacation. This is single holiday pay (double holiday pay is calculated separately).
Pregnant employees are entitled to a generous maternity leave that includes 2 periods — a prenatal and a postnatal rest period. Prenatal rest starts up to six weeks before the expected birth date, or eight weeks for a multiple pregnancy. The final week is compulsory and the compulsory postnatal rest period is nine weeks, beginning on the date of childbirth. Unused prenatal leave can be added afterward. Non birthing parents receive 20 days of statutory birth leave. They can take it consecutively or separately within four months of the birth.
Belgium benefits management
Belgium is known for its generous benefits, and your Belgium benefits management plan should include supplemental benefits that employees may expect. Many employers choose to give out a 13th-month bonus at the end of the year, for example, and some also add half of a 14th-month bonus.
We recommend budgeting an additional 35–45% above an employee’s gross salary for employer costs and standard benefits.
Restrictions for benefits and compensation
You must establish a legal subsidiary in Belgium before you can give out compensation and benefits. Depending on your structure and where you choose to incorporate within the country, you could spend several months setting up your subsidiary before being able to pay employees.
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