Questions about the labour deal?
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Last week, parliament gave the go-ahead for the labour deal. One of the most notable measures is the four-day working week: full-time workers are given the option of spreading working time over four days instead of the usual five. This offers full-time employees with an additional day off. Note: as an employer, you are not obliged to introduce the four-day working week.
Performing a full-time job in four longer days a week instead of five shorter ones. The labour deal will allow employees to request this from their employer, provided the option is provided in the company. If the employer agrees to the employee’s request, a written agreement will be concluded.
Introducing a four-day working week obviously means that the normal working hours of up to eight hours a day cannot be sustained. The employee will have to perform more hours in one working day to achieve full-time employment in four days. This deviation must be included either in the labour regulations or in a collective agreement:
1. Weekly working hours ≤ 38 hours
If the employee has full-time employment of up to 38 hours a week, the daily working hours can be increased from eight to a maximum of 9.5 hours through the labour regulations.
2. Weekly working hours > 38 hours (maximum 40 hours)
If weekly working hours exceed 38, daily working hours can only be increased by means of a collective agreement. For instance, a 40-hour working week can be performed at the rate of four 10-hour days after a collective agreement has been concluded.
Moreover, an employee who receives permission from the employer to perform a four-day working week retains the right to all statutory holidays. Voluntary overtime is prohibited in this system on days not worked. The aim of this scheme is to achieve a better work-life balance, thereby also preventing burnout.
Is a four-day working week even feasible in Belgian companies – particularly in small and medium-sized ones? In collaboration with ETION and VKW Limburg, we launched a survey among more than 500 SMEs:
The results of our survey reveal that four-day working weeks are not yet on the horizon in many companies. The threshold for introducing the four-day working weeks is presumably raised by factors such as SMEs still being relatively unfamiliar with the practicalities, as well as a fear of chaotic work planning and of business continuity being compromised.
Although a four-day working week is not yet feasible for everyone, we expect more and more companies to eventually opt for a policy such as this. This is because it entails several advantages:
Is your organisation considering introducing the four-day week? We advise you to make proper arrangements with your employees, to make sure this measure hits its mark.
Our experts are ready to inform, advise and support you.
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