Employment Law Belgium

09:00 - Registration and coffee
09:30 - An overview of the employment law framework in Belgium
· An introduction to Belgian employment law: examining the legal system and the social framework
· The generation pact: what this means for employers

10:15 - Getting started: recruiting staff and making employment contracts
· Getting to grips with key recruitment issues: non discrimination; asking personal questions; checking for criminal records; references
· Understanding the different types of employment contracts and related terms
· Key terms in employment contracts: language; duration; trial periods; non competition; notice periods
· Typical benefits

11:15 - Coffee
11:30 - Collective bargaining and trade unions
· Appreciating the role of trade unions in Belgium and how this impacts HR
· Understanding the terms of collective bargaining agreements

12:00 - Day to day employee management
· Working time: key considerations
· Dealing with absence and performance
· Discipline and grievances
· Suspension of the employment contract: justified absences

12:30 - Lunch
13:30 - Employee Representation
· Social elections and sanctions
· Employee representative rights
· Union delegation

14:15 - Termination of employment
· Ways of terminating employment and general dismissal protection
· Information and consultation
· Notice periods
· Specific entitlements for older workers
· Employment tribunals and claims

15:00 - Tea
15:15 - Discrimination law
· How does the legislation in Belgium differ to the UK position
· Bullying and harassment

15:45 - What's on the horizon?
· Future developments in labour law
· Concerns for employers

16:30 - End of seminar