1. What types of discrimination are prohibited in Belgium?
Discrimination based on age, sexual orientation, marital status, health, disability, gender, nationality, and more is prohibited.
2. What does direct and indirect discrimination mean in Belgium?
Direct discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favorably based on a protected characteristic. Indirect discrimination happens when a neutral practice disadvantages individuals with a protected characteristic without objective justification.
3. What recourse does an employee have if they face discrimination in Belgium?
Employees can contact the Social Laws Inspectorate, the Institute for Equality between Men and Women, or the Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism for mediation or legal action.
4. Are workers in Belgium protected against dismissal if they report discrimination?
Yes, workers who report discrimination or provide assistance are protected against dismissal, changes in working conditions, or any adverse actions.
5. How does Belgium promote diversity in the workplace?
Companies are implementing diversity policies to reflect society accurately. These policies include actions related to recruitment, best practices, codes of conduct, and customer initiatives.
6. What is the gender pay gap in Belgium?
The gender pay gap is 9.2% at the hourly wage level and 23.1% at the annual salary level, according to a 2021 report.
7. How does Belgium address the gender pay gap?
Belgium has implemented the law of April 22, 2012, which encourages transparency, social dialogue, and negotiation at the interprofessional, sectoral, and company levels to reduce the gender pay gap.
8. What measures are taken at the sectoral level to combat the gender pay gap?
Sectoral agreements must ensure job classifications are gender-neutral. If they don't, the Directorate-General for Collective Labour Relations (DG RCT) reviews and requires changes.
9. What happens if a sectoral job classification is not gender-neutral in Belgium?
If sectoral job classifications are not gender-neutral, the DG RCT can issue a negative opinion, and the joint committee has two years to make corrections.
10. What is the role of the Works Council in Belgium regarding gender-neutral remuneration?
The Works Council receives the analysis report from the employer and may initiate an action plan to implement a gender-neutral remuneration policy.
11. What is the process for conducting an analysis of gender-neutral remuneration in Belgium?
Employers must complete a full or abridged analysis report based on the number of employees. The report is reviewed by the Works Council and discussed with employee representatives.
12. What is the threshold for submitting a full or abridged analysis report in Belgium?
Employers with 50–100 employees must submit an abridged report, while those with 100 or more employees must submit a full report.
