Coronavirus: vital sector: partial extension

The government has taken various measures to be able to employ as many people as possible in the vital sectors. These measures have already been extended several times. Some of these measures have now been extended until 31 October.

Vital sectors

The vital sectors are currently the following:

• the agricultural sector (JC 144) if the employee is employed on the employer’s land;
• the horticultural sector (JC 145), with the exception of planting and upkeep of parks and gardens;
• forestry (JC 146);
• the temporary agency sector if the employees are employed in the sectors mentioned above. 

This list may be completed at a later date.

Extension until 31 October

Temporarily unemployed persons may be employed in a vital sector while retaining part of their unemployment benefit (see this infoflash for more details). This measure has been extended until 31 October 2020.

Temporarily unemployed persons with company supplement (RCC/SWT) as well may be employed in a vital sector while retaining part of their unemployment benefit (see this infoflash for more details). This measure is extended until 31 October 2020 for unemployed persons with company supplement who resume work with an employer from a vital sector that is not their former employer.

End on 31 August 2020

Until 31 August 2020, it was possible for an unemployed person with company supplement to resume work with his former employer if he was part of a vital sector. This measure has ended on 31 August 2020.

Source: Royal Decree of 13 September 2020 modifying article 7 of the Royal Decree of 23 April 2020 temporarily relaxing the conditions under which the unemployed, with or without company supplement, can be employed in vital sectors and temporarily freezing decreasing full unemployment benefits, Belgian Official Gazette, 17 September 2020.