In 2025, employee benefits in Belgium remain a cornerstone of talent management, compliance, and workforce retention. Belgium’s labour market is highly regulated, with automatic wage indexation, collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), and strong worker protections shaping the benefits landscape. For global companies, offering compliant and competitive benefits is not just a retention strategy—it is a legal necessity.
Belgian labour laws, social security rules, and sectoral CBAs dictate statutory entitlements, while employers often add voluntary perks to stand out in a competitive market. However, navigating compliance is complex, especially for businesses without a Belgian entity. That is where Employer of Record (EOR) services in Belgium simplify benefits delivery, payroll processing, and cross-border compliance.
This guide walks you through everything global employers need to know about employee benefits in Belgium in 2025, including legal obligations, voluntary perks, compliance risks, and how to streamline benefits with an EOR partner.
Table of Contents
- What Are Employee Benefits in Belgium?
- Types of Employee Benefits in Belgium
- Emerging Benefit Trends for 2025
- Steps to Launch Employee Benefits in Belgium
- Estimated Timeline to Implement Benefits
- Legal Framework Governing Benefits in Belgium
- Key Compliance Challenges for Employers in Belgium
- How Asanify Supports Employers in Belgium
- FAQs
What Are Employee Benefits in Belgium?
Employee benefits in Belgium include all non-salary rewards provided to employees—ranging from mandatory statutory entitlements to voluntary perks. Unlike base pay, these benefits are heavily tied to social security and sector-level agreements.
For employers, benefits ensure compliance with labour laws in Belgium while strengthening employer branding. For employees, they represent financial security, health protection, and work-life balance.
Payroll processing in Belgium plays a central role in administering benefits: employers must calculate holiday pay, social security contributions, and withholdings correctly to stay compliant.
Examples of employee benefits in Belgium:
- Paid annual leave and double holiday pay
- Occupational accident insurance (mandatory)
- Meal vouchers and eco vouchers
Types of Employee Benefits in Belgium
Belgium has one of the most structured employee benefits systems in Europe, combining legally mandated entitlements with voluntary perks that employers provide to remain competitive. Below we break down the key categories.
Statutory Entitlements
By law, Belgian employers must provide a wide range of benefits that protect employees’ health, income, and work-life balance. These include:
- Paid Annual Leave and Holiday Pay
Full-time employees are entitled to at least 20 working days of annual leave plus 10 public holidays. Belgian law also requires “double holiday pay,” which gives employees an additional allowance when they take their main vacation. - Sick Leave
Employees who fall ill are entitled to their regular salary for up to 30 days, paid by the employer. After this period, Belgium’s health insurance system takes over. - Maternity and Paternity/Co-maternity Leave
Mothers are entitled to approximately 15 weeks of maternity leave. Fathers and co-mothers are granted 20 days of paternity/co-maternity leave, which can be spread out over a set period. - Occupational Accident Insurance
Every employer must take out insurance to cover workplace accidents and commuting incidents. - End-of-Year Bonus
Often referred to as the “13th month,” this additional salary payment is mandatory in many sectors as stipulated by collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). - Social Security Contributions
Employers must contribute to Belgium’s comprehensive social security system, which funds pensions, unemployment benefits, healthcare, and family allowances.
Compliance Reminder: Employers must complete mandatory filings such as Dimona (employment declaration) and DMFA (quarterly social security returns) to remain compliant.
Suggested Read: Employer of Record Belgium: A Comprehensive Guide 2025
Common Voluntary Perks
Beyond the statutory framework, Belgian employers often enhance their employee value proposition by offering voluntary perks. Many of these are structured to be tax-efficient, which makes them popular with both employers and employees.
Some of the most common voluntary benefits include:
- Meal and eco vouchers that supplement employees’ daily expenses.
- Group insurance and pension plans (second pillar) to boost retirement savings.
- Hospitalisation and dental insurance, often extended to employees’ families.
- Company cars or mobility budgets, with the latter growing in popularity as a sustainable alternative.
- Home-working allowances to cover internet, electricity, and office setup for hybrid and remote workers.
- Learning and development stipends, including training, upskilling, and language courses.
- Wellness programs, such as gym memberships, mental health support, and stress management initiatives.
- Equity and stock option plans (ESOPs, RSUs), especially common in Belgian startups and scale-ups.
These voluntary perks not only help companies stand out in a competitive labour market but also support employee satisfaction and retention.
Global Contractor Management and Benefits
Independent contractors in Belgium do not fall under the same framework as employees and are therefore not entitled to statutory benefits such as holiday pay or sick leave. Instead, they incorporate protections into their fees and manage their own social security contributions.
For global employers, this creates two key challenges:
- Misclassification Risks – Belgian labour law strictly enforces the distinction between contractors and employees. Misclassifying a worker can lead to fines and retroactive liabilities.
- Limited Benefits Offering – Contractors cannot easily access company-provided perks without being brought into an employment arrangement.
The practical solution is to work with an Employer of Record (EOR) in Belgium. An EOR can hire contractors as employees where necessary, ensuring they receive fair benefits while protecting global companies from compliance risks.
Emerging Benefit Trends for 2025
The Belgian benefits landscape is evolving rapidly, with employers moving beyond traditional offerings to adopt flexible and employee-centric perks. These trends reflect both local workforce expectations and global HR practices.
1. Mental health and stress-prevention programs
Burnout remains a critical issue in Belgium’s workforce. Employers are increasingly offering counselling services, stress management workshops, and wellness subsidies to support employee wellbeing.
2. Structured telework allowances
With hybrid work becoming the norm, companies are formalising remote work benefits by reimbursing home office expenses such as internet, utilities, and ergonomic equipment.
3. Mobility budgets over company cars
While company cars have long been a staple benefit in Belgium, sustainability concerns and government incentives are driving adoption of mobility budgets, which employees can use for public transport, cycling, or shared mobility.
4. Financial wellbeing initiatives
Employers are taking a proactive role in educating employees about retirement planning, savings, and investment. Workshops on pension awareness and financial literacy are becoming a standard part of benefits packages.
5. Flexible cafeteria plans
Customisation is key. Many employers now offer cafeteria plans where employees select their preferred mix of benefits, from vouchers and insurance to extra leave days or training budgets.
6. AI-powered benefits platforms
Technology is reshaping HR in Belgium. AI-driven tools enable personalised benefit recommendations, helping companies engage employees while managing costs more efficiently.
For global employers, keeping up with these trends can be challenging without local expertise. Partnering with an Employer of Record (EOR) in Belgium allows businesses to introduce modern perks quickly, while ensuring compliance with local labour laws and collective agreements.
Steps to Launch Employee Benefits in Belgium
Rolling out employee benefits in Belgium requires a balance of strategic planning and strict compliance with labour laws and sectoral agreements. Employers must first define a clear benefits strategy, ensure accurate payroll processing, and partner with local experts to avoid compliance pitfalls.
Define Your Benefits Strategy
- Align benefits with company goals and Belgian workforce expectations.
- Benchmark against sector-specific CBAs.
- Budget for statutory and voluntary benefits to attract multilingual and hybrid teams.
Understand Compliance Rules
- Adhere to labour laws in Belgium and applicable CBAs.
- Ensure correct payroll processing, including holiday pay and social security deductions.
- Avoid penalties for late Dimona/DMFA filings or underpayment of benefits.
Partner with Local Experts
- Work with an EOR in Belgium or HR outsourcing firm.
- Ensure compliant onboarding, payroll management, and benefit delivery.
- Minimise risks of contractor misclassification and payroll errors.
Estimated Timeline to Implement Benefits
| Implementation Step | In-House (Local Entity) | With EOR in Belgium |
| Entity setup & registrations | 1–3 months | Not required |
| Payroll & social security setup | 4–6 weeks | Immediate |
| Insurance & voucher enrollments | 4–8 weeks | 1–2 weeks |
| Full benefits rollout | 2–4 months | 2–3 weeks |
Partnering with an Employer of Record in Belgium significantly reduces setup time while ensuring compliance.
Legal Framework Governing Benefits in Belgium
Belgium has a highly regulated employment system where benefits are shaped by national labour laws and reinforced through collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Understanding the legal framework is essential for global employers to stay compliant.
Core Labour Framework and Institutions
Several key laws and institutions define the rights and obligations of employers and employees:
- Employment Contracts Act – Establishes rules for employment agreements, employee rights, and entitlements such as leave.
- Labour Act – Regulates working hours, rest periods, and conditions that directly influence benefits.
- Social Security Law – Governs employer and employee contributions to the national system (ONSS/RSZ), which funds pensions, healthcare, and unemployment benefits.
- National Labour Council CBAs – Country-wide agreements that add binding provisions on benefits such as holiday pay, bonuses, and allowances.
Together, these laws create the foundation for statutory benefits like holiday pay, sick leave, and insurance coverage.
Sectoral CBAs (Joint Committees)
Beyond national laws, Belgium operates a system of Joint Committees, which set industry-specific rules. Each sector may have its own mandatory benefits and allowances:
- In the IT and services sectors, agreements tend to allow more flexible arrangements.
- In manufacturing and logistics, CBAs impose stricter rules on pay scales, bonuses, and shift allowances.
- Gig economy workers are increasingly subject to regulatory debate, as policymakers look to expand protections and benefits.
This layered framework means that benefits in Belgium are shaped not only by legislation but also by sectoral negotiations, making compliance complex for global employers.
Key Compliance Challenges for Employers in Belgium
Administering employee benefits in Belgium is not without risks. The country’s layered system of labour laws, CBAs, and automatic wage indexation creates several compliance pitfalls that employers must watch out for:
- Misclassification of contractors – Treating independent contractors as employees can result in fines, back payments, and reputational risk.
- Holiday pay miscalculations – Errors in calculating single and double holiday pay are common and can lead to disputes.
- Missed Dimona or DMFA filings – Late or incomplete employment declarations and quarterly social security returns trigger penalties.
- Taxation of benefits-in-kind – Company cars, vouchers, and allowances require precise tax treatment; mistakes can be costly.
- CBA-related bonuses – Employers sometimes overlook mandatory end-of-year or sector-specific bonuses.
- Automatic wage indexation – Failing to update salaries and linked benefits in line with inflation adjustments creates compliance gaps.
Partnering with an Employer of Record (EOR) in Belgium helps mitigate these risks. An EOR takes responsibility for payroll processing, benefit administration, and reporting ensuring compliance with both national laws and sectoral agreements.
Suggested Read: Understanding Labour Laws in Belgium: A 2025 Complete Guide
How Asanify Supports Employers in Belgium
Managing employee benefits and compliance in Belgium can be complex, but Asanify makes it simple. Through its Employer of Record (EOR) in Belgium, global companies can expand quickly while ensuring full compliance with labour laws and sectoral agreements.
With Asanify, employers are able to:
- Onboard employees under the right Joint Committees to meet sector-specific rules.
- Streamline payroll processing and take care of mandatory filings such as Dimona and DMFA.
- Guarantee statutory benefits including holiday pay, sick leave coverage, and occupational accident insurance.
- Offer voluntary perks such as meal and eco vouchers, hospitalisation coverage, and group pension schemes.
- Administer modern benefits like mobility budgets and telework allowances.
- Provide multilingual payslips in French, Dutch, or English for a diverse workforce.
- Maintain compliance with collective agreements and Belgium’s automatic wage indexation system.
- Manage contractors compliantly by converting them into employees when needed through global contractor management solutions.
By partnering with Asanify, global employers reduce compliance risks, accelerate market entry, and deliver a seamless benefits experience to their teams in Belgium.
FAQs
Annual leave, double holiday pay, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave, occupational accident insurance, social security contributions, and in many cases a 13th-month bonus under CBAs.
White-collar workers receive holiday pay directly from their employer, while blue-collar workers are paid through sectoral funds. Double holiday pay equals roughly 92 percent of one month’s salary.
It depends on the sector. Many CBAs mandate an end-of-year bonus.
Meal vouchers support meals, eco vouchers cover sustainable purchases, and mobility budgets provide eco-friendly alternatives to company cars.
Maternity leave is approximately 15 weeks, while paternity/co-maternity leave is 20 days. Both are partially funded by the employer and social security.
Employer contributions can add 25–30 percent to gross salary.
Contractors are not entitled to statutory benefits but may access perks via an EOR arrangement.
Employers must submit Dimona declarations and DMFA returns.
All salaries and linked benefits automatically adjust with inflation, impacting cost planning.
EOR services handle compliance, payroll, CBAs, and benefits delivery, enabling fast and compliant hiring without setting up a local entity.
Not to be considered as tax, legal, financial or HR advice. Regulations change over time so please consult a lawyer, accountant or Labour Law expert for specific guidance.
