Simplification of the provisions on working time schedules in the Work Rules

Background

The legislation in question implements measures set forth in the government agreement, aimed at modernizing the organization of work.

One of the significant reforms contained in the legislation concerns the inclusion of work schedules in the Work Rules.

Previous system

Previously, the Work Rules were required to specify:

1. All weekly work schedules for full-time employees and part-time employees working under a fixed schedule;

2. For part-time employees working under a variable schedule:

• the daily time range within which work assignments may be scheduled;
• the days of the week on which work assignments may be scheduled; and
• the minimum and maximum daily working hours.
• In addition, when the part-time work arrangement itself is variable, the minimum and maximum weekly working hours must be specified.

This system required employers to provide for a wide range of work schedules and, in the event of organizational changes, to frequently amend the Work Rules.

Rules applicable from June 1^st, 2026

The Act introduces the possibility to establish a general framework for normal working hours, which determines the periods during which work is carried out for the employer.

This framework must specify:

• The days of the week on which work may be scheduled;
• The daily time frame within which work may be scheduled;
• The minimum and maximum daily working hours;
• The minimum and maximum weekly working hours.

It is not merely a formal guideline. It defines the schope within which work schedules may be set.

In practical terms, this means that:

• If an individual work schedule (full-time or fixed part-time) falls entirely within this framework and complies with legislation on working hours, it will no longer be necessary to amend the Work Rules to implement it. This change provides greater flexibility and allows for greater adaptation to operational needs;
• Conversely, if the employer wishes to implement a full-time work schedule that does not fully fall within this framework (and is not specifically mentioned in the work rules), or a fixed part-time schedule that does not fully fall within this framework, or a (full-time) work schedule included in the work rules, then the Work Rules must first be amended in accordance with the applicable procedure.

For the application of variable part-time work schedules, the Work Rules must continue to specify the framework within which the employer may set work schedules.

One final important point: the aforementioned framework must reflect the employer’s actual operations and cover the normal performance of work within the organization. An excessively broad and purely theoretical framework (covering, for example, 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, when in reality the business’s operations are limited) could be considered equivalent to the absence of a framework and expose the employer to a level 1 penalty under labor criminal law. The framework must therefore correspond to the actual organization of work within the employer’s organization.

Source: Act of May 18, 2026, containing various provisions relating to labor, Belgian Official Gazette, June 1^st 2026.