The Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) on Saturday welcomed the federal government’s approval of annualised working time, calling it a major milestone for the Belgian labour market after 20 years of discussion.
Under the reform, working time will be calculated over a full year rather than on a weekly basis.
The new system is intended to help employers cope better with seasonal fluctuations in activity, without having to rely as heavily on temporary unemployment.
FEB said individual annualisation would allow working hours to be organised and spread more flexibly and efficiently across the year, so that staffing better matches the real needs of businesses in a rapidly changing economic environment.
The employers’ organisation also stressed that the measure will be voluntary.
It said no employee could be forced to join the scheme. Workers who choose to do so will be able to reach an individual agreement with their employer to spread their working time over the year, with more hours during busy periods and fewer during quieter ones.
According to FEB, employees will continue to receive their full salary under the arrangement, meaning there should be no loss of purchasing power.
