Allowances for night work: January 2022

The threshold index for the public sector and the social benefits has been exceeded in December 2021. Consequently, several allowances, such as the allowances for night work, have been indexed with 2% in January 2022.

Furthermore, The National Labour Council has adopted a revaluation coefficient of 1.0026, which applies to the additional allowances referred to in Collective Agreement No. 46. These allowances are paid to employees whose contracts are terminated when a permanent return to a day regime is not possible.

Allowances for night work (CBA no. 49)

Workers who are employed under a work scheme normally consisting of work performances between 12 pm and 5 am are granted a special allowance.

This hourly financial allowance is provided for by the collective labour agreement (CLA) No 49. The joint committee or the company may set a higher hourly allowance.

Since 1 January 2022 this allowance amounts to €1.26 per actually worked hour within the limits of the night work system. This amount will be increased to €1.52 for workers of 50 years and older.

Additional allowance (CBA no. 46)

A worker of at least 55 years who can justify a professional career of at least 20 years in a work scheme with night work (see above), can under certain conditions and provided that a special procedure is satisfied ask to return to the day scheme. A worker of at least 50 years of age who meets the same conditions can also ask to return to the day scheme for serious medical reasons recognized by the occupational health doctor.

When his employment contract should be terminated because the employer cannot comply with his request, the worker is entitled to an additional allowance on top of his unemployment benefits during a period of 5 years.

This allowance amounts to €158.80 per month since 1 January 2022.

Source: CBAs no. 46 and 49 closed in the CNT (Belgian National Labour Council) - http://cnt-nar.be