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Do belgians really work less:
One in ten Belgian exceeds 49 hours – Do belgians really work less
In 2023, almost one in ten Belgian workers (8.8%) exceeded 49 hours of work per week, according to Eurostat figures. However, It is well above the European average (7.1 %), and far behind good students like Bulgaria (0.4 %).
This phenomenon obviously affects the self -employed a lot: 76 % of them exceed 50 hours per week. Nevertheless, one in ten flirts even with the 80 hours. Therefore, This is what emerges from a barometer of the self -employed of Securex. produced in collaboration with the University of Ghent. On average, they work 57 hours, almost 50 % more than a classic employee …
And do belgians really work less it is not without consequences: two thirds of the self -employed say they are stressed. and 4 out of 5 believe that their work seriously disrupts their private life.
What are the rules in Belgium?
Officially, the weekly regime is set at 38 hours per week, with some exceptions. Derogations allow you to go up up to 50 hours per week. or even 56 hours in very specific cases, depending on the SPF Emploi. On the day side, the classic limit is 8 hours, but it can climb up to 10 hours in certain situations. Loin of what many independents are going through.
On a “normal” year. a Belgian employee bosses around 215 days, once the holidays and holidays have been removed, according to the site dinclock.be. And vacation level is generally 20 days paid per year, which is rather lean compared to certain neighbors.
It should also be added that the average retirement age in Belgium remains high. and the current reforms, such as the Bonus-Malus system, clearly grow towards a full career of 45 years, or even more. A young graduate will have to work up to 69 or 70 years to get there.
Working 38 hours per week on average is one thing. But to do it for half a century, with few leave as a bonus, it stings.
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