Since 1 July 2026, any employer who engages a flexi-job worker in Belgium must register the exact start and end time of each flexi-job worker’s work electronically. This is a statutory obligation, not a recommendation, and paper timesheets or an after-the-fact spreadsheet no longer meet it. The record has to show the actual start and end of each flexi-job shift, so that declared hours can be checked against the DimDay declaration and the flexi-wage cap. Suivo’s time tracking solution does exactly this: it records verified timestamps per worker, links each shift to its same-day Dimona, and feeds the hours straight to your payroll, all on one connected platform. For the full flexi-job picture, start with our complete employer guide.
Key takeaways
- Since 1 July 2026, employers in Belgium must register each flexi-job worker’s exact start and end time electronically.
- Paper timesheets no longer meet the rule, because they are often filled in afterwards and can be edited without trace.
- The record lets inspectors check declared hours against the Dimona and the flexi-wage cap, per worker and per shift.
- Without a verified record you cannot defend your flexi-job declarations, and missing registration is itself an offence.
What exactly does the new rule require?
The rule is short in the law but specific in effect. If you use flexi-job workers, you must electronically register the exact start and end time of each flexi-job worker’s work. A day Dimona with start and end times counts as that registration; with a period Dimona you need an approved system, such as the RSZ’s ASA app, an electronic time registration system, a registered cash register in horeca or a digital tachograph. The detailed system requirements and retention period are still to be set by Royal Decree. It has to be a real, objective record, not a signature at the end of the week.
In practice that means the system must capture, per worker and per shift:
- The actual clock-in time, recorded at the moment work starts.
- The duration of the shift.
- The clock-out time when the worker leaves.
The point is verification. The state already knows a worker was declared for the day through the DimDay filing. What it could not previously check was whether the declared hours matched reality. An electronic record closes that gap, and it is the only evidence that reliably does.
Why are paper timesheets no longer enough?
A paper timesheet is filled in by hand, often at the end of a shift or the end of a week, and it can be edited without trace. For a flexi-job, where the whole classification depends on an accurate same-day declaration and a wage that stays under the cap, that is too weak to rely on.
Electronic registration is different in three ways that matter to an inspector:
- It is contemporaneous. The check-in is captured at the moment it happens, not reconstructed later.
- It is tamper-evident. Timestamps are logged by the system, so edits leave a trail.
- It is verifiable against other records. The same platform can compare the clock-in against the DimDay filing and the hours against the wage cap.
For flexi-jobs, that record must now be electronic: the RSZ lists the accepted registration options.
How does this connect to the planned rule for all employers?
The flexi-job rule may be the leading edge of a broader change. The government plans mandatory working-time registration for all employers, not just those using flexi-jobs, with a planned start on 1 January 2027 and a transition period to 1 April 2027. As of November 2026 this is still a preliminary draft bill: the National Labour Council gave a split advice on 30 September 2026, and the text is not law yet. So an employer investing in a system today to cover flexi-jobs is also preparing for an obligation that may later apply to their whole workforce.
This is the practical argument for choosing a platform rather than a point tool. If you buy something that only handles flexi-jobs, you may be buying again once the wider rule arrives. A system that registers time for every worker category, permanent, part-time, student, and flexi, solves both problems at once and lets you start modular and expand without a rip-and-replace. We explain the wider rule in managing a mixed workforce.
How does Suivo satisfy the electronic time registration obligation?
Suivo was built for Belgian field and shift operations, so the flexi-job case fits directly into the product.
- Multiple clock-in methods. Workers register through a mobile app, badge scanning, fixed check-in poles, or vehicle-based check-in, so the method matches your site rather than forcing one approach.
- Verified timestamps per worker. Every check-in and check-out is captured with a time and a worker identity, giving you the contemporaneous record the law now requires.
- DimDay support. The platform can flag when a scheduled flexi-job worker does not yet have a same-day Dimona on file, so you file before work starts rather than discovering the gap in an audit. See DimDay explained for how the declaration works.
- Payroll-ready output. Hours flow to your social secretariat through API integrations with Liantis, Securex, Partena, Group S, and SD Worx, so the verified record becomes the pay record without re-keying.
The thesis is simple: real-time data is only worth capturing if it leads to a decision or a saved euro. Here it does both. It keeps you compliant and it makes sure you never pay full social contributions on a day that should have qualified as a flexi-job.
What does non-compliance actually cost?
Two risks stack on top of each other. First, failing to register start and end times electronically is a breach in its own right: the worker is presumed to have worked full-time for that quarter unless you prove otherwise, and the fine (administrative EUR 1,000 to 10,000 or criminal EUR 2,000 to 20,000) is multiplied by the number of flexi-job workers involved. Second, and usually more expensive, without a verified record you cannot defend your DimDay filings. If an inspector cannot see that declared hours match hours worked, individual days can be reclassified as regular employment, which triggers full employer social security contributions on those wages and strips the worker’s tax advantage for those days. We cover the penalty mechanics in what happens with no valid Dimona.
Frequently asked questions
Do employers need electronic time registration for flexi-job workers?
Yes. Since 1 July 2026, employers in Belgium must register the start and end time of each flexi-job worker’s work electronically. It is a statutory obligation, and paper timesheets or a spreadsheet filled in afterwards no longer meet it.
What must a flexi-job time registration record?
Per worker and per shift, the record must show the exact time work starts and the exact time it ends. It has to be a real, objective record made as the work happens, so declared hours can be checked against the Dimona declaration and the flexi-wage cap.
Why are paper timesheets not enough for flexi-jobs?
Paper timesheets are often filled in at the end of a shift or week and can be edited without trace. Electronic registration captures the check-in when it happens, logs timestamps so edits leave a trail, and can be compared with the Dimona filing and the wage cap.
What happens if flexi-job hours are not registered electronically?
Failing to register is a breach of the obligation in itself and can lead to a fine. Without a verified record you also cannot show that declared hours match hours worked, which leaves your flexi-job declarations open to challenge in an inspection and can cost you the flexi-job treatment.
How does Suivo register flexi-job hours?
Workers clock in through a mobile app, badge scanning, fixed check-in poles or vehicle-based check-in, and every check-in and check-out is stored with a time and a worker identity. Suivo can flag a scheduled flexi-job worker without a same-day Dimona, and hours flow to your social secretariat through API integrations.
Ready to put compliant time registration in place?
Suivo gives you the electronic time registration flexi-jobs now require, ready for the planned all-employer registration rule too: verified hours, DimDay support, and records that hold up in an NSSO or SIOD audit.
