New rules on part-time work enter into effect

The new rules with regard to part-time work,  in application of the Legislation on Agile and Workable Work, enter into effect on 1 October 2017.

These changes aim at an administrative simplification and an increase in the so-called “credit of additional hours” in the framework of a flexible working arrangement.

In a nutshell, this implies the following:

- It will no longer be necessary to include in the work rules all the fixed part-time work schedules that fit in full-time work schedules. For flexible part-time work schedules, a framework must be inserted in the work rules. An additional period of 6 months is provided so that the necessary adjustments to the work rules can be made.  

- It is sufficient that the employment contract mentions the part-time working regime with a flexible working schedule; for the rest, the employment contract can refer to the work rules.

- The announcement formalities can be completed electronically from now on, which will make them more flexible. The supervision on the derogations from the work schedules are being modernised since the focus is now on a system of time registration.   

- The “credit for the additional hours” in the framework of a flexible work schedule is increased to 3 hours 14 minutes multiplied by the number of weeks in the reference period, with a maximum of 168 hours.

> Take into account the new rules

Take advantage of the new possibilities.

Change the work rules by 31 March 2018 at the latest if you are using variable part-time work schedules.