Flexi-Jobs Expanded to All Sectors in 2026: Is Your Sector In or Out?

Since 1 July 2026, flexi-jobs are open to almost all private and public sectors in Belgium, a major change from the old list of roughly twelve named sectors. That is the headline, but it is not the whole story. Sectors can request a full or partial exclusion, and during a 2026 transition they can opt out on a quarterly basis, with each opt-out fixed by Royal Decree. So the honest answer to “is my sector in?” is: almost certainly yes, but you must confirm your joint committee (paritair comité) has not opted out before you hire. If your sector is in and you plan to use flexi-jobs, Suivo’s workforce management solutions give you the electronic time registration the scheme now requires. For the full picture, see our complete flexi-job employer guide.

What actually expanded on 1 July 2026?

Flexi-jobs started narrow and grew in stages. Horeca was first in 2015. Retail and hairdressing and beauty care followed in 2018. Healthcare and care homes, sports, culture, and events were added from 2023. Each expansion added named sectors to a closed list.

The 1 July 2026 reform changed the model entirely. Instead of a list of sectors that are allowed in, the scheme now applies across almost all private and public sectors by default. The question flipped: it is no longer “is my sector on the approved list?” but “has my sector opted out?” That is a far wider door, and it is why so many employers who never considered flexi-jobs are now eligible to use them.

The framework and current position are published by the FPS Employment and the Belgian social security portal.

How does the quarterly opt-out work?

The reform includes a transitional arrangement for 2026 that lets sectors opt out rather than being forced in.

• Full or partial exclusion. A sector can request to be fully excluded, or excluded only in part.
• Quarterly during the transition. During the 2026 transition, sectors can opt out on a quarterly basis, so a sector’s status can change from one quarter to the next.
• Set by Royal Decree. Opt-outs are formalised by Royal Decree, which is the legal instrument that lists who is out.

The practical consequence is that eligibility is not a permanent fact you can check once and file away. A sector that is in this quarter could opt out next quarter. If you run flexi-jobs regularly, you should re-confirm your joint committee’s position each quarter during the transition, not just before your first hire.

How do I check whether my sector is in or out?

There is no shortcut around this, and guessing is the expensive option. To confirm your position:

• Identify your joint committee (paritair comité). Your social secretariat can tell you which committee your activity falls under.
• Check that committee against the current opt-out list. The list of excluded sectors is set by Royal Decree and reflected in FPS Employment guidance.
• Confirm with a primary source. Verify with the FPS Employment or your social secretariat rather than relying on secondhand summaries, because the position can move quarter to quarter.

Only once you have confirmed your committee has not opted out should you sign a framework agreement and start filing DimDay declarations. Getting this wrong does not just risk a penalty: it can mean the flexi-job classification never applied at all, so every day is reclassified as regular employment.

What about construction and transport?

This is where honesty matters most. Construction and transport and logistics were not qualifying flexi-job sectors before mid-2026. The 2026 reform removed the blanket exclusion, so they are no longer automatically out. But whether flexi-jobs are actually available to you depends entirely on whether your specific joint committee has opted out during the transition.

If you run a construction or transport business, do not assume the expansion applies to you, and do not assume it does not. Confirm your paritair comité’s current position with the FPS Employment or your social secretariat before you plan any hiring. We would rather tell you to check than see you build a roster you cannot legally use. If your committee has opted out, flexi-jobs simply are not available to you this quarter, and no amount of time registration changes that.

What must you have in place once your sector qualifies?

Being eligible is only the first step. Once your sector is confirmed in, the same obligations apply to you as to every other flexi-job employer:

• A written framework agreement (raamovereenkomst) signed before the worker’s first day.
• Worker eligibility, meaning the 4/5 rule for non-retired workers or legally retired status.
• A same-day Dimona (DimDay) filed before every shift.
• Electronic time registration, now mandatory for all flexi-job employers since 1 July 2026.

That last point catches out newly eligible sectors most often, because they have never had to register flexi-job hours electronically before. A connected platform that records verified hours and links them to each DimDay is the cleanest way to comply. See how the rule works in flexi-jobs now require electronic time registration, and get the wider staffing view in managing a mixed workforce.

Ready once your sector is confirmed in?

Suivo gives newly eligible sectors the electronic time registration flexi-jobs now require: verified hours per worker, DimDay support, and audit-ready records on one connected platform.

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