Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure BE-2020-13/861 – Updated – measures in Belgium
Country | Belgium , applies nationwide |
Time period | Temporary, 27 March 2020 – 31 August 2020 |
Context | COVID-19 |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
Ensuring business continuity and support for essential services
– Smoothing frictions or reallocation of workers |
Author | Dries Van Herreweghe (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 20 May 2020 (updated 15 September 2020) |
In the entire country there are exceptional rules and relaxation of existing regulations to allow additional earnings in the horticultural and forest sector. That sector is in high need of additional seasonal workers, yet there is a shortage, because of the closing of borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a reduced inflow of foreign seasonal workers.
The Special Powers Decree No. 14 of 27 April 2020 provides that during the period from 1 April 2020, employers in critical sectors may conclude successive fixed-term employment contracts.
Workers on temporary unemployment benefits can work in the horticultural and forest sector and maintain 75% of their benefits in combination with that wage.
Several short, consecutive temporary contracts would normally automatically be transformed into open-ended contracts. In order to avoid this, there is a relaxation in the rules governing these contracts because of the crisis in critical sectors.
Employers in critical sectors may conclude successive fixed-term employment contracts for a minimum period of seven days, without being requested to utilize an employment contract of indefinite duration. Normally these successive fixed-term contracts would be changed automatically into a contract of indefinite duration.
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
09 June 2020 |
The measure has been extended until the 31 August. |
09 May 2020 |
On the ministerial council of the 9 May it was decided that people that receive a living wage (social assistance) are allowed to earn an additional income in the horticultural sector without a decrease in the social assistance. Normally they were only allowed to earn an additional €200 per month before their benefits would be reduced. The regulations for students were adapted as well in order to cope with the exceptional circumstances. Normally the number of hours they are allowed to earn an additional living is limited to €475. In the crisis, several exemptions apply, that exclude a number of hours from this €475 limit. Students are therefore allowed to work more hours in the horticultural sector. Seasonal workers that are working in the sector are also allowed to work for more days (130 days in gardening/landscaping and 60 in the agricultural sector). From the 1 April the temporary unemployed, early pensioners, people in time credit systems as well as in career break were allowed to earn an additional income in the horticultural sector while keeping 75% of their benefits. |
It is unclear (and probably too soon) to estimate the extent of the measures. The list of critical sector is however quite long, so in theory the possibility to create successive contracts applies to quite a large group.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Workers in non-standard forms of employment
Unemployed Seasonal workers |
Does not apply to businesses | Does not apply to citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
|
National funds
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | Informed | Informed |
Form | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
It is Unknown the degree of involvement of the social partners. But it is to be expected that they were at least informed.
It is Unknown the degree of involvement of the social partners. But it is to be expected that they were at least informed.
This case is sector-specific (only private sector)
Economic area | Sector (NACE level 2) |
---|---|
A - Agriculture, Forestry And Fishing | A1 Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities |
A2 Forestry and logging |
This case is not occupation-specific.
Citation
Eurofound (2020), Creating incentives for unemployed to work in horticulture and other essential services and flexibilisation of successive fixed-term contracts, measure BE-2020-13/861 (measures in Belgium), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/BE-2020-13_861.html
Share
30 January 2023
Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.
Article12 September 2022
Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Article12 September 2022
This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.
Article5 July 2022
This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.
ArticleDisclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.