Employees · Negotiate
Check my employment contract: the points to reread before signing in 2026
Updated on
A non-compete clause is deemed not to exist if you earn €44,447 gross a year or less in 2026, the trial period is still abolished (but a contract starting on or after 1 August 2026 has only one week’s notice for six months), and a fixed-term contract not put in writing on the first day follows the rules of an open-ended contract. This questionnaire reviews your contract, point by point.
For each point, Indexo shows ‘compliant’, ‘to check’ or ‘problem’, with the rule and its source. It does not read your contract: you answer a few questions. This is information, not legal advice.
Check your contract
Answer the questions with your contract in front of you. The following questions adapt to your answers. Nothing is sent: everything happens in your browser.
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The rules checked
| Point | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Written contract | Fixed-term, clearly defined work, replacement, student: in writing by the first day at the latest, otherwise the rules of an open-ended contract apply (a student contract can then be ended without notice). Open-ended: essential information in writing on the first day. | Actualités du droit belge, FPS Employment, Infor Jeunes (Je m’informe), Lexgo (Loyens & Loeff) |
| Successive fixed-term contracts | 4 at most, of at least 3 months, 2 years in total; with the inspectorate’s approval, of at least 6 months, 3 years in total. | Droits Quotidiens |
| Replacement | Reason and name of the person replaced in writing; 2 years at most. | FPS Employment |
| Trial period | Abolished since 2014, except for students and temporary agency workers (first 3 days). Contracts from 1 August 2026: 1 week’s notice for 6 months. | Droits Quotidiens, Forum for the Future (Deg & Partners) |
| Salary | At least €2,233.61 gross a month for full-time work (minimum income), and the pay scale of your joint committee. | Securex, Indexo |
| Part-time | In writing with working pattern and schedule; at least 1/10 of full-time since 1 June 2026 (1/3 before); 3 hours per work period in principle. | Securex, Chamber of Representatives |
| Non-compete | Deemed not to exist at €44,447 gross a year or less; up to €88,895, only for roles set by CLA; 12 months and Belgium at most; compensation of at least 50%. | Partena Professional, Securex |
| Training repayment | Prohibited at €44,447 gross a year or less (except shortage occupations); training of at least 80 hours; 3 years at most; repayment of at most 80%, 50% then 20%. | Partena Professional, Centrale des métallurgistes FGTB (MWB) |
| Place of work | Stated in writing by the first day at the latest. | Lexgo (Loyens & Loeff) |
| Remote working | Regular: written agreement (frequency, availability, costs, place). Occasional: on request, no written agreement required. | Réseau IDée |
Example: a fixed-term contract following four other fixed-term contracts of 3 months, with a trial period and a non-compete clause, for €2,800 gross a month, gives 3 problems: the succession (you are deemed hired on an open-ended basis), the trial period (no effect) and the non-compete clause (deemed not to exist at €44,447 gross a year or less).
Contract type and written form
An open-ended contract can be concluded without anything in writing, but the employer must give you the essential information in writing by the first day at the latest: identity of the parties, place of work, job, dates, pay and working hours. After 6 months, you can ask for a more stable form of employment, once a year; the employer must give a reasoned reply.
A fixed-term contract, a contract for clearly defined work or a replacement contract must be in writing by the time you start work at the latest. Without anything in writing, it follows the rules of an open-ended contract: the employer will then have to give normal notice. A fixed-term contract can be ended during its first half (6 months at most) with the notice of an open-ended contract; after that, the party ending it owes the pay up to the end date, at most twice the notice of an open-ended contract.
The student employment contract must be in writing and signed by the time you start work at the latest. The first three days are a trial period.
Pay and joint committee
The guaranteed average minimum monthly income has been €2,233.61 gross for full-time work since 1 July 2026, pro rata for part-time work. Your joint committee often sets a higher minimum, depending on your job and seniority: check your joint committee’s pay scale. To find out what the gross pay offered gives in net, see gross to net.
Part-time work and schedule
A part-time contract must be in writing by the start of work at the latest and set out your working pattern and schedule, or refer to the schedules in the work rules. Otherwise, you can choose the most favourable part-time working pattern and schedule applied in the company. Since 1 June 2026, part-time work must be at least 1/10 of full-time (1/3 before). A work period lasts at least 3 hours in principle. Full-time work is in principle 38 hours a week at most.
Non-compete and training repayment clauses
| Gross annual pay | Non-compete clause | Training repayment clause |
|---|---|---|
| €44,447 or less | Deemed not to exist | Prohibited, except for a shortage occupation |
| Over €44,447, up to €88,895 | Only for roles set by CLA | Allowed |
| Above €88,895 | Allowed, unless excluded by CLA | Allowed |
2027 thresholds: not yet published (Belgian Official Gazette, usually in November).
Non-compete: the clause must be in writing, concern similar activities, be limited to Belgium at most and to 12 months at most, and provide for a one-off compensation of at least half your gross pay for that period. It does not apply if the contract ends during the first six months, nor afterwards in the event of dismissal without serious cause.
Training repayment: the clause, in writing by the start of the training at the latest, covers training of at least 80 hours or costing more than twice the monthly minimum income, and lasts 3 years at most. If you leave, you repay at most 80%, 50% then 20% of the cost depending on which third of the period has elapsed, never more than 30% of your annual pay. It is prohibited for compulsory training.
Place of work and remote working
The place of work is part of the information you must receive in writing. Regular remote working (structural, CLA No. 85) is based on a written agreement: frequency, times when you must be reachable, costs, conditions for returning and place. Occasional remote working is requested case by case, with no written agreement required. Commuting and remote working weigh on your real hourly wage: compare your offers.
Who can help you?
A ‘problem’ point is often settled by a simple discussion with the employer before signing: the questionnaire prepares an email with your questions. If in doubt, ask for advice from your trade union if you are a member, from FPS Employment (Control on Social Legislation inspectorate) or from a lawyer specialising in employment law.
Frequently asked questions
Does the trial period still exist in Belgium?
No: it has been abolished since 1 January 2014, except for students and temporary agency workers (the first three days). A trial clause in any other contract has no effect. Since 1 August 2026, new contracts have one week’s notice during the first six months.
Is a non-compete clause valid if I earn less than €44,447 a year?
No: in 2026, at €44,447 gross a year or less, it is deemed not to exist and does not bind you. Between €44,447 and €88,895, it is only allowed for the roles set by a collective labour agreement.
How many successive fixed-term contracts can an employer offer?
Four at most, of at least 3 months each, over 2 years in total. With the labour inspectorate’s approval: contracts of at least 6 months, over 3 years. Beyond that, unless justified by the nature of the work, you are deemed hired on an open-ended basis.
Does an employment contract have to be in writing?
An open-ended contract can be oral, but you must receive the essential information in writing by the first day at the latest. A fixed-term contract, a contract for clearly defined work, or a replacement, student or part-time contract must be in writing by the start of work at the latest.
Who can check my contract?
Your trade union, if you are a member, FPS Employment (Control on Social Legislation inspectorate) or a lawyer specialising in employment law. This questionnaire helps you prepare your questions; it does not replace their advice.
What next?
- Compare two job offersThe net pay and real hourly wage of each offer, with a negotiation email.
- Am I paid my joint committee minimum?The minimum pay scale of your joint committee.
- Notice and dismissalThe length of notice and the compensation, if the contract ends.
- First jobEverything that changes when you sign your first contract.
Sources
Parameters in force on 1 October 2026. Each parameter links to its source, the official one where it exists; a secondary source is flagged as such.
- Article 9 of the Act of 3 July 1978 (written form of fixed-term contracts or contracts for clearly defined work), Actualités du droit belge (secondary source).
- Contrat de remplacement, FPS Employment.
- Article 11ter of the Act of 3 July 1978 (replacement contract), Actualités du droit belge (secondary source).
- Le contrat d’occupation étudiant, c’est quoi ? (6 March 2026, modified on 10 March 2026), Infor Jeunes (Je m’informe) (secondary source).
- Conditions de travail transparentes et prévisibles : loi du 7 octobre 2022 et CCT n° 161, Lexgo (Loyens & Loeff) (secondary source).
- Puis-je signer plusieurs CDD chez le même employeur ? (updated on 18 May 2026), Droits Quotidiens (secondary source).
- Contrat de travail à durée déterminée (CDD) : règles, durée, rupture et renouvellement, Partena Professional (secondary source).
- Quelle est la durée normale d’une période d’essai ? (updated on 18 May 2026), Droits Quotidiens (secondary source).
- La période d’essai est de retour (ou presque) : ce qui change dès le 1er août 2026, Forum for the Future (Deg & Partners) (secondary source).
- RMMG national : montants en vigueur (2025-2026), Securex (secondary source).
- Travail à temps partiel : quelles sont les conditions de forme à respecter ? (updated on 2 June 2026), Securex (secondary source).
- Projet de loi portant des dispositions diverses relatives au travail, texte adopté en deuxième lecture (DOC 56 1324/008, 24 April 2026), Articles 5, 24, 25 and 27, Chamber of Representatives.
- Publication de mesures en matière d’emploi : délai de préavis limité à 52 semaines (Act of 18 May 2026, Belgian Official Gazette of 1 June 2026), Partena Professional (secondary source).
- Heures supplémentaires : voici ce que prévoit la loi en Belgique (30 April 2024), CNE (CSC/ACV) (secondary source).
- Contrat de travail : seuils de rémunération pour 2026 (adjustment published in the Belgian Official Gazette on 13 November 2025), Partena Professional (secondary source).
- Conditions de validité de la clause de non-concurrence (ouvriers et employés), Securex (secondary source).
- Quand la clause de non-concurrence ne produit-elle pas ses effets ?, Securex (secondary source).
- La clause d’écolage, Centrale des métallurgistes FGTB (MWB) (secondary source).
- Télétravail structurel ou occasionnel (INFOR’IDée n° 3/2021), Réseau IDée (secondary source).