One in four Belgian companies still pays men and women differently for the same work, according to a new study by HR services provider Randstad.
The findings are based on an analysis by Randstad of more than 375,000 salary packages covering over 400 white-collar positions across 1,121 organisations.
The proportion of Belgian companies paying men and women differently for equivalent work has increased from 20% to 25% in just one year. Meanwhile, the average difference in gross salaries has risen from 1.79% in 2025 to 2.21% in 2026.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the largest disparities are found at the highest levels of management. Women in senior management positions earn an average of 8.28% less than their male counterparts, although this represents a slight improvement compared to last year.
Randstad compensation expert Wouter Beuckels attributes the widening gap to companies adopting a wait-and-see approach ahead of new European legislation on pay transparency.
The EU directive requires companies to provide greater transparency about their remuneration policies. It also introduces measures requiring employers to address unjustified gender pay gaps of at least 5%.
As Beuckels explained to Het Laatste Nieuws, companies cannot resolve these differences by reducing the salaries of higher-paid employees. Instead, they would have to increase the pay of those earning less.
Belgium was required to transpose the European directive into national legislation by June 2026, but the process has been delayed. The findings highlight the persistent inequalities in remuneration between men and women in Belgium, despite existing legislation requiring equal pay for equal work.
