I have been told about this 46-day "student" employment, which is the only employment that students will agree to due to the tax benefits of not working more than 46 days per year. As a result, do university students simply not work (except for a few days per year) in Belgium??
Belgium - 2 Answers
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1 :
It is more likely the law only allows them to work 45 days per tax year. And than it would be for the benefit of the employer who will not have to pay social cotributions for that employee. Employment laws in Belgium are archaic. Casual work is next to impossible wether you are a student or not. As a results there is a black work market because not all parents can afford to support their kids all the way at university.Many students will live at home till their late 20's and will get considerable financiel help from home to get them through their studies... And If you know somebody that knows of somebody that might be able to get you some cleaning or horeca work you are lucky. Many employers won't risk it though cause if they get caught by Social Inspection the fines will be astronomical...
2 :
When I was a student, it was still something like 22 days, so things have improved. :) Traditionally, students will usually find a short term job during the holidays and mostly in the summer. The laws have been relaxed somewhat, so that they can also work all year long (be it only a single day in the weekend for example). And as long as you stay under the 46 day limit, you're hardly taxed. So for a student, you can actually earn quite a lot of pocket money in a rather short time period. Students can work longer if they want, but few choose to do so as you're not exactly rewarded for it. For starters, parents would loose substantial tax benefits as they are no longer considered fiscally responsible for their child. Secondly, wages are heavily taxed in Belgium. So it's very likely that by working longer, you would be earning less. So you would have to work considerably more days to break even again, which is not really an option for most students as they are also expected to attend school as well. On the other hand, as long as parents can meet the living expenses of their children, most students can afford not to work during the rest of the year. Secondary school is free, and attending a year of university is an extreme bargain compared to say the US. Prices have naturally gone up, but I remember that in the late 90's, my tuition fee was about 40 euros a year. As you can imagine, student loans are practically unheard of over here and so for most students, there is little financial pressure to get a job. The only ones I knew who worked above the limit were those who didn't have, or want, the financial support of their parents, and so had to take care of their own living expenses.
