Student Work: Establishment of the 650-Hour Annual Cap Approved in First Reading

Student Work: Establishment of the 650-Hour Annual Cap Approved in First Reading

On February 12, 2025, the Social Affairs Committee of the Chamber took a significant step by adopting in the first reading a bill aimed at raising the authorized cap for student work to 650 hours per year. This text marks the first legislative act of the new majority.

Since the beginning of the year, students were limited to a maximum of 475 hours of work per year. In 2023 and 2024, this quota had been temporarily increased to 600 hours to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, but this measure had not been renewed for 2025. In response, the Gouvernment, proposed to make this 600-hour cap permanent. However, the Arizona coalition decided to go further by increasing this quota to 650 hours.

During Wednesday’s session, the majority chose not to wait any longer and adopted this increase through an amendment. Additional amendments was submitted with the aim to ensure the maintenance of reduced social contributions and family allowances.

The bill provides for retroactive application from January 1, 2025, allowing students to benefit from this new quota throughout the year. Furthermore, the Arizona coalition plans to lower the minimum age for student work to 15 years, compared to the current 16 years. This measure will be included in a bill that the Minister of Labor, David Clarinval, will soon submit.

This legislative development represents a significant advancement for Belgian students, offering them more flexibility and opportunities in their student jobs.