In horeca, flexi-jobs are not an edge case, they are how you cover service. The sector has used them since 2015 and still runs more of them than any other. The practical problem is that horeca shifts are split (a lunch block and a dinner block), staff are often called in at the last minute, and every one of those shifts needs a same-day Dimona filed before the worker starts. Paper cannot keep up, and since 1 July 2026 it is no longer allowed anyway. Suivo’s scheduling and time tracking handle the reality of a service roster: split shifts, last-minute calls, and a mixed team, all captured electronically so hours, DimDay and pay stay in line. See the full 2026 flexi-job employer guide for the rules behind this.
How do you register a split shift correctly?
A horeca flexi-job worker who does lunch from 11:30 to 14:30 and comes back for dinner from 18:00 to 23:00 has worked two blocks, not one long shift. If your record shows a single span from 11:30 to 23:00, you have paid for the gap and inflated the hours far beyond what was actually worked.
Electronic time tracking captures each block as the worker clocks in and out:
- The morning block is recorded as its own set of timestamps.
- The unpaid gap between services is not counted.
- The evening block is recorded separately.
- The day’s total is the sum of the blocks, which is the figure that must match the DimDay and feed payroll.
That distinction matters because the horeca flexi-wage is capped at EUR 21 per hour (indexed). The cap is checked as pay divided by hours actually worked, so an inflated hours figure or a padded span can push you over the line and cost the shift its flexi status.
What about last-minute flexi-job staff and DimDay?
Horeca lives on last-minute cover: a no-show, a fully booked terrace, a coach party that walks in. You call a flexi-job worker an hour before service. The rule does not bend for that: a same-day Dimona declaration (DimDay) must be filed before that worker starts. There is no grace period and it cannot be filed retroactively. SIOD inspectors check DimDay timestamps precisely because the last-minute nature of horeca is where declarations get forgotten in the rush.
This is where connected scheduling earns its place. When you add a flexi-job worker to tonight’s roster, Suivo’s scheduling can flag that the DimDay is not yet on file, so the manager files it before the worker picks up a tray, not after the inspector asks. The alternative, remembering to declare each call-in by hand during a Friday rush, is exactly how a missing DimDay happens.
What happens if a shift has no valid DimDay?
If a flexi-job worker starts service without a valid DimDay, Belgian social security law treats that day as regular employment:
- Full employer social security contributions apply to that day’s wages.
- The worker loses the flexi-job tax advantage for that day.
- Across a busy season with many call-ins, repeated gaps add up to a significant retroactive NSSO assessment.
The honest position is that horeca’s speed is the risk. The busier the service, the easier it is to skip the declaration, and the more shifts an inspector can question at once. A system that files or flags the DimDay as part of putting someone on the roster removes the human forgetting from the equation.
How do you handle a mixed kitchen and floor team?
On a single evening you might roster a permanent chef, two students clearing tables, and three flexi-job workers on the floor and behind the bar. Each category carries different obligations:
- Flexi-job workers need a DimDay before every shift and hours under the EUR 21 cap.
- Student workers are tracked against their annual contingent of hours.
- Permanent part-time staff need their variable schedule posted correctly.
Suivo’s scheduling distinguishes worker categories and applies the right rule to each, so one roster does not become one big classification error. For the wider view of running these categories side by side, see managing a mixed workforce. The clock-in method can flex to the venue too: a mobile app for a small bistro, badge scanning or a fixed check-in pole for a larger brasserie.
Does the 2026 expansion change anything for horeca?
Not really, and that is worth saying plainly. The 1 July 2026 reform opened flexi-jobs to almost all sectors, but horeca was already in and stays in. What did change for you is the same as for everyone: electronic time registration is now mandatory, so if you were still running flexi-job hours on paper or a spreadsheet, that has to move to a digital system. The FPS Employment publishes the current sector position, but for horeca the practical to-do is simply to make your hours record electronic and keep it aligned with every DimDay.
Run your horeca flexi-jobs without the paperwork panic
Suivo captures split shifts as separate blocks, flags a missing DimDay before service starts, and keeps flexi-job hours under the horeca cap, all on one platform that also handles your permanent and student staff. Spend the evening on service, not on timesheets.
