Employment
Employment law in Belgium has more facets than an Antwerp diamond. Our very experienced employment team helps SMEs and multinationals as well as executive-level employees navigate complex and constantly changing regulations. True partners, our lawyers offer practical solutions to reduce possible legal risks and keep you focused on more important tasks.
Communication is key
Known as the go-to law firm when it comes to employment law, our proactive team is dedicated to working hand-in-hand with in-house HR specialists from SMEs and multinational companies. The team also has an excellent reputation assisting high-level executives with their labor issues. Clear communicators, the team concentrates on practical solutions to reduce legal risks and help your HR team make the right decisions when it comes to challenging employment issues.
Our priority is listening to our clients and their needs. As an HR partner, we are ready to answer day-to-day questions as well as working together to manage complex situations, ranging from structuring employment and collective labor issues arising from restructuring to hiring and firing, social inspection investigations, and international and cross-border employment issues, including migration law aspects.
In close collaboration with the Comp&Ben team of the Tiberghien tax law firm, the ALTIUS employment team gives expert advice regarding labor and social security aspects of incentive plans. The team is well-seasoned in employment, social security and pensions law litigation before the labour tribunals and courts. Clients can also count on a wide variety of handy tools, webinars, tailor-made inhouse workshops and newsletter updates.
How we can help
Setting-up of a business
Employment law and social security law advice regarding the setting-up of a business in Belgium and employing personnel
Day-to-day employment advice
On a wide range of employment-related topics, including:
- Hiring (including structuring of employment) and firing
- Working time
- Remuneration
- Employee lending
- Work incapacity
- Service agreements
- “False” self-employed
- Aspects of solicitation and unfair competition
- Etc.
Restructurings
- Implementation of insourcing, outsourcing and subcontracting projects
- Multiple and collective lay-off processes, including closures of companies or divisions and other scenarios of restructuring the workforce and the work organisation
- Transfer of undertaking (TUPE/ARD)
Compensation and Benefits
- Employment and social security aspects of incentive plans (e.g. stock option plans, warrants, CBA 90-plans, benefit participation plans)
- In collaboration with Tiberghien, international tax law firm
Collective employment law
- Negotiating and drafting of collective labour agreements and protocol-agreements
- Information and consultation processes with representative bodies
- Guidance through the social elections process
- Post-closing harmonization of employment terms and conditions in case of M&A
Compliance
- Drafting of work rules (employee handbooks) and HR related policies (including deconnection plans as part of the work rules or in a separate CBA as well as training programs)
- “whistle blowing”, data protection and privacy issues, ethical codes, etc.
- Assistance with internal investigations
Disputes
- Handling of collective disputes, including strikes
- Assistance with social inspection investigations
- Strategic guidance during settlement negotiations
- Litigation before the labour tribunals and courts
International employment
- Posting and secondments (download here our brochure on Posting workers to Belgium)
- Drafting of international employment contracts
- Employment law and social security aspects of international and cross-border employment situations, A1 forms, LIMOSA declarations, determination of applicable law and applicable social security regime, …
- Migration law compliance in case of international employment (single permit, work permit, visa)
End-of-career paths
- Early retirement schemes and the system of unemployment benefits with company allowance (“SWT/RCC”)
- Assistance with planning elder employees’ end of career (landing job time credit, garden leave, etc.)
- Supplementary pension issues
Well-being
- Legal aspects of re-integration tracks
- Termination for medical force majeure
- Handling of psychosocial risk claims (including claims for moral or sexual harassment at the workplace)
- Assistance with the legal consequences of occupational accidents
Our Experts in
Employment Law
Our latest employment news
Internal investigations: an employee’s right to be assisted during an interview.
Although employers have been proceeding with internal investigations for decades, nowadays they raise more and more legal questions. Driven by legislative initiatives and case law trends, there are many situations in which an employer may be forced to an internal investigation.
Read more
A significant reform of the Social Penal Code is anticipated
A new draft Act has recently been submitted to the Belgian Parliament that aims to amend the Social Penal Code which lists the infringements of labour and social security law that are punishable and the related penalties.
Read more
New protection for employees undergoing infertility treatment
The Belgian Parliament has adopted a new Act to better protect employees undergoing infertility treatment. The new Act aims to protect these employees against (i) dismissal, and (ii) discrimination. It therefore updates two well-known Belgian employment law Acts: the Labour Act of 16 March 1971 and the Gender Act of 10 May 2007.
Read moreBrussels Finest Lawyers
At ALTIUS, we look at your business from two different angles: legal
practice and industry sector. Our teams of specialised lawyers are
additionally grouped into dedicated, cross-specialty, industry-focused
teams. Whether you are looking for a dedicated legal specialist or a
team of industry insiders, at ALTIUS, we got your legal issue covered.
Choosing ALTIUS
as your Legal Partner
means…
At ALTIUS, we believe business is always personal. That’s why we’re so much more than just great lawyers; we are team players and relationship builders. Combining legal excellence with passion, optimism, and good judgement, we bring a fresh perspective and genuine commitment. Whatever your legal challenges, we think in new ways and find innovative solutions.