The Minister wants to reform the employment legislation in order to increase the competitiveness of companies and to grant workers more flexibility in carrying out their work. Firstly, the Minister wants to annualise the working time, which is now still fixed on a weekly basis in most companies and sectors. As a consequence of this reform, the weekly (average) working time of 38 hours should only be respected on an annual basis. This reform should allow for more flexible working schemes between employers and employees (for example: by working more during busy times and working less in quiet periods). Furthermore, not all overtime work will have to be compensated with compensatory rest by the employer in order to respect the weekly working time on an annual basis. Employees would receive a credit of 100 hours for overtime work which they can voluntarily perform, after which they can ask to pay out these overhours or save them in a “career saving account”, which should allow the employees to, for example, work part time for a period of time, to take a sabbatical, etc. When and to which extent these reforms will enter into force, is temporarily uncertain, as negotiations between the social partners will have to take place first.
Belgium