Shift premium
A shift premium is a supplement on top of your hourly wage for working in shifts. In Belgian industry it typically amounts to 10 to 25 percent, depending on the system and your joint committee, and it is taxed favourably.
How much is a shift premium?
The amount depends on the system and your joint committee. As a guide: early and late shifts often add 5 to 12 percent, fixed nights and full-continuous systems 20 to 30 percent. In the metal sector (JC 111) and chemicals, premiums usually sit at the top end. Your exact percentage is in your sector's collective agreement or your work regulations.
How is it calculated and taxed?
The premium is usually calculated as a percentage of your gross hourly wage for every hour actually worked in shifts. Belgium partially exempts shift and night work from payroll withholding tax, so you keep more net than from ordinary gross pay. That is why shift work often makes a difference of hundreds of euros a month on your payslip.
Does it count towards holiday pay and pension?
Yes: the shift premium is wages. It counts towards your holiday pay, your end-of-year premium (following your JC's rules) and your pension build-up. During guaranteed sick pay your employer generally pays your normal wage including the premium you would have earned according to your roster.
Browse our shift vacancies with transparent salary ranges, or read what working in shifts means for your rhythm and pay.
Frequently asked questions
Is a shift premium mandatory?
There is no general statutory shift premium: the obligation follows from the collective agreement of your joint committee or company. In practice virtually every industrial agreement provides one. Check your JC number; it is on your payslip.
Do I keep my shift premium when ill?
During the guaranteed pay period your employer pays what you would normally have earned, including premiums according to your planned roster. Once you move to mutual insurance benefits, these are calculated on capped gross pay and the premium weighs less.
Related on this site: Process operator · Maintenance technician · Working shifts: honest about the pros and cons · Your salary package in Belgium explained: more than gross alone
Want to see what this means in practice?
Browse our open technical vacancies: every role shows a transparent salary range, the shift system and the premiums.