From 1 July 2026, flexi-jobs will become available in almost all sectors of the Belgian economy. Yesterday, Parliament approved the expansion of the scheme, which has been in place since 2015.
Companies in the metal trade sector will thus be able to benefit from this new opportunity. During the social negotiations within the joint committee, Belmetal actively worked to ensure that the scheme remains as accessible as possible for the sector.
Maximum flexibility for companies
The new legislation allows sectors to exclude flexi-jobs or impose additional conditions. Within the joint committee, Belmetal advocated giving companies as much freedom as possible to decide whether and how to make use of flexi-job workers.
The social partners deliberately chose to place their trust in entrepreneurs and believe that companies themselves are best positioned to determine when and for which functions a flexi-job can add value.
As a result, the sectoral collective labour agreement does not impose additional conditions but includes a recommendation regarding the qualifications of flexi-job workers.
This allows companies to retain full flexibility in deciding when a flexi-job can be an appropriate solution for temporary staffing needs, peak workloads or hard-to-fill vacancies.
An additional tool in a tight labour market
In addition to employees who already work at least four-fifths for another employer, the flexi-job system also offers opportunities to keep newly retired professionals active in the sector. This is likely to become the most commonly used form of flexi-job employment within the metal trade industry.
Many companies maintain strong relationships with former employees who possess valuable technical expertise and years of experience. Through flexi-jobs, these retirees can easily support temporary assignments, assist during busy periods or pass on their knowledge to younger colleagues.
Flexi-jobs are not a solution to every labour market challenge, but they do provide companies with an additional source of flexibility. By supporting a practical and accessible framework during the negotiations, Belmetal helped ensure that companies in the metal trade sector can fully benefit from the opportunities created by the new legislation.
Belmetal will continue to monitor developments
The federal government will evaluate the system after one year. Belmetal will closely monitor its impact on the sector and continue to keep its members informed about the practical implementation of flexi-jobs and any future developments.