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Your wages
The gross pay is the wages your employer owes you. social contributions and taxes (advance tax payment) are deducted from this amount. The remaining amount will be paid to your bank account. This is your net wage.
If you start work under a student agreement and do not work more than the hours provided for in your hours package, only a solidarity contribution will be deducted from your gross pay. This contribution is much lower than the normal social contributions.
If you only pay the solidarity contribution, in most cases you do not have to pay taxes either. You do, however, have to file a tax return.
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This depends on the sector in which you will work. Collective labour agreements can be settled within a sector (joint committee) in which the (minimum) wage is agreed upon. You can find the number of your joint committee in your student contract.
If no agreements were concluded within the sector, your wage is determined based on the guaranteed average minimum monthly income.
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If you start work under a student agreement and do not work more than provided in your hours package, you’ll only have to pay a solidarity contribution to social security. This contribution is much lower than the normal social contributions.
The solidarity contribution amounts to 2.71% of your gross wage. Your employer must also pay a solidarity contribution, equal to 5.42% of your gross wage.
In a regular job, you generally pay 13.07% social contributions. This is a general percentage, as there are a number of factors that make you pay less. A few examples:
- Your age: until December 31th of the year in which you turn 18, you pay fewer contributions.
- Your salary: if you earn little, you are entitled to the work bonus. This is a reduced social security contribution that ensures you keep more net without increasing your gross pay.
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The reduced social contributions scheme on student work is an exception provided for in the law. So you are not colouring outside the lines.
Still not convinced? Feel free to read it in the Royal Decree (RD).
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Your benefits
Holiday and holiday pay are reserved solely for workers who pay the normal social contributions. During the first 600 hours of your student job, you pay less social contributions (‘solidarity contribution’). Consequently you are not entitled to holidays and holiday pay.
At the federal government
Some services in the public sector are regulated differently. Learn more about the Apprenticeships and student jobs at the federal government on the website if FPS BOSA (New window)
You may be entitled to public holidays (Christmas, Easter, national holiday...). There are two options: the holiday falls either during or after your job.
During your job
Does the holiday fall within the period of your contract? Then your employer must pay you the wages for that day.
After your job
Does the holiday fall after the end of your contract? If so, you may still be entitled to the payment of your wages. It depends on how long you worked.
- Have you worked less than 15 days? Then your employer does not have to pay the holiday.
- Have you worked 15 days to a month without interruption? Then your employer must pay your wages for one public holiday that falls during the 14 days after the end of your contract or employment period.
- Have you worked more than a month without interruption? Then your employer must pay your wages for public holidays that fall during the 30 days after the end of your contract or employment period.
With the federal government
Some services in the public sector are regulated differently. Learn more about the Apprenticeships and student jobs at the federal government on the website if FPS BOSA (New window)
In principle, as a student, you should get the same benefits as a regular employee. An employer can, however, choose to give meal vouchers only to a certain category of workers. It is therefore quite possible that employees who have only been employed for a short time (yet) will not receive meal vouchers.
Check with your employer!
It depends.
An employer can:
pay his employees a kilometric allowance for commuting;
pay his employees a kilometric allowance for the business trips they make in their private car;
contribute to the cost of travel by public transport for his employees.
The agreements on this can be found in the joint committees. Check with your employer!
In principle, as a student, you should get the same benefits as a regular employee.
You do not have to pay social contributions:
- on a kilometric allowance of up to EUR 0,4265/km (amount applicable from (amount applicable from 01/04/2024 and 31/06/2024) for travel using your own car;
- on the reimbursement of your expenses if you take public transport.
Do you doubt whether you are entitled to reimbursement in your situation? Contact the regional directorates Supervision of Social Laws of the FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue at info.tsw@werk.belgie.be.
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Probably not.
Whether or not you receive an end-of-year bonus (‘13th month’) from your employer depends on the provisions of the joint committee or your contract.
Usually, you must have worked for your employer for at least some time (for example: six months) before you get an end-of-year bonus. As a job student, you usually do not work therelong enough.
Will you still get a bonus? Lucky you! Remember that social security contribution is deducted from this bonus just like your regular pay.