Belgium Bans Flexi-Jobs for Mayors and Aldermen
From 1 July 2026, Belgian mayors, aldermen, and chairs of Public Centres for Social Welfare (OCMW/CPAS) will no longer be permitted to work flexi-jobs. The National Social Security Office (RSZ) has determined that the legal basis allowing local elected officials to be registered as employees for flexi-job purposes was never legally valid, according to Het Laatste Nieuws. The decision has sparked immediate political controversy, with Flemish Minister of Internal Affairs Hilde Crevits (CD&V) calling the measure “discriminatory” and requesting urgent consultations with federal Minister of Social Affairs Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit).
The Flexi-Job System and Its Rules
Introduced in 2015, Belgium’s flexi-job system was originally designed to allow people already employed at least 4/5 time (80%) — or retired — to earn extra income in the hospitality sector without additional taxes or social security contributions. To qualify, a person must have worked at least 80% as an employee for three consecutive quarters.
The system has been progressively expanded. In a major development, the Council of Ministers gave green light on 30 April 2026 to extend flexi-jobs to all sectors, with an opt-out mechanism for sectors that choose to exclude themselves. The legislative bill was submitted to the Chamber of Representatives on 8 May 2026.
Why the Ban?
Local executive mandataries — mayors, aldermen, and OCMW chairs — are elected officials, not employees. They do not have employment contracts and do not work under the authority of an employer. Despite this, they were previously included in social security declarations through a specific administrative code that treated them as employees for flexi-job purposes.
The RSZ has now acknowledged that this practice was never legally correct. As a result, from 1 July 2026, local mandataries will lose their eligibility for flexi-jobs.
Political Backlash
Flemish Minister Hilde Crevits has strongly opposed the change. “I note with great surprise that the RSZ is of the opinion that local mandataries can no longer do flexi-jobs,” she said. “They apparently cannot verify that local mandataries are employed full-time because they have no employment contract. Yet they are registered with the RSZ. This shows a clear lack of understanding of practice.”
Crevits added: “Excluding them from a system precisely designed for flexible extra income is unreasonable and seems discriminatory to me. I want rapid consultations with Minister Vandenbroucke to rectify this situation.”
The Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG) has also criticised the ban. Spokesperson Nathalie Debast said: “This demotivates people from taking on a local political mandate. Many people with a local political mandate work more than four-fifths. It is illogical that they do not fall under that scheme.”
A Local Perspective
Maarten Forceville, alderman for Civil Affairs in Herent (CD&V+), currently works 5 to 10 hours per week as a flexi-jobber in the hospitality sector. He told VRT NWS that the flexibility of the system is what makes the combination possible. “It’s important to maintain a feel for another sector,” he said. “What if my alderman position ever ends? Then it’s important to maintain a feel for a certain sector, and for me that’s the hospitality industry.”
Forceville warned that without the flexi-job option, aldermen would be forced into part-time employment — jobs that are difficult to find in the limited 1/5 or 2/5 range and require fixed working hours. “You don’t know in advance when your municipality will face a crisis or flooding,” he noted. “Those are the moments you need to be there as an alderman.”
Broader Context and Implications
This ban is the third measure in a series that critics say makes local political mandates less attractive. Previous reforms include pension changes for local mandataries and the abolition of the special flat-rate deduction in personal income tax.
The timing creates a notable contradiction in government policy. While the federal government is expanding flexi-jobs to all sectors — a move championed by Minister of Work David Clarinval (MR) — the RSZ, a federal agency, is simultaneously closing the door to local mandataries. This highlights tensions between Flemish regional interests (Crevits, CD&V) and federal policy (Vandenbroucke, Vooruit; Clarinval, MR), revealing coalition dynamics within Belgium’s complex federal structure.
What’s Next
The ban takes effect on 1 July 2026. Crevits has requested urgent consultations with Vandenbroucke to seek a resolution. Key questions remain: How many local mandataries are currently working flexi-jobs? Will the federal government create a specific exemption? And could this lead to broader legal reforms regarding the status of local elected officials?
The outcome of the requested talks between Crevits and Vandenbroucke will be a crucial development to watch in the coming weeks.