Recent Graduate : Can I Still Get a Student Job This Summer ?

Have You Finished Your Studies in June? Congratulations! Did you land a student job for this summer? Great! But be careful! There are a few legal precautions to consider regarding the employment of recent graduates under a student employment contract (COE) during July, August, and September after graduation.

Who Monitors Your Student Status?

The four Belgian organizations responsible for labor legislation each have their own definition of student work for graduates:

1/ The National Social Security Office (ONSS), which manages employer and employee contributions, considers that a student who graduated in June can still work under a COE until September 30 of the same year. You can find this information on the Student@Work website.

2/ The National Employment Office (ONEM), responsible for unemployment benefits, states that a student who has completed their studies and registers as a job seeker can still work a student job during the summer until September following graduation. Furthermore, the number of days worked as a student in August and September can count towards the professional integration period. More information is available on the ONEM website.

3/ Family Allowance Agencies also have their own regulations. Since January 2019, this has become a regional matter, meaning the rules differ based on your place of residence:

• In Wallonia: You can work a maximum of 240 hours (effectively worked) during the summer holidays following the end of your studies.
• In Brussels: The same rule currently applies.

For a clearer understanding of family allowance regulations, visit the following websites: Famiwal for Wallonia, Groeipakket for Flanders, Ostbelgien for the German-speaking community

In Brussels, the family allowance reform took effect in January 2020, meaning it was still managed by Famifed until then.

4/ The Social Legislation Inspectorate (CLS), responsible for enforcing labor laws, disagrees with the three other organizations. According to CLS, a student who completes their studies in June no longer holds student status and cannot be employed as a student. However, if the student clearly shows they will continue their studies (by enrolling in a master’s program, training, or other education), they can maintain this status. For CLS, unlike ONEM, if someone demonstrates that they do not intend to remain a student (by registering as a job seeker, for instance), they cannot sign a student contract.

What Are the Risks?

If CLS conducts an inspection and determines that you no longer have student status under their criteria, your COE must be converted into a regular employment contract, and you will have to reimburse the reduced social security contributions you benefited from (which will increase from 2.71% to 13.07%). For your employer, in addition to reimbursing employer contributions (5.43% for a student contract vs. 30% for a standard contract), they may also have to pay administrative fines for violating labor laws.

Conclusion: Can You Work as a Student If You Just Graduated?

Yes… and no! If you plan to continue your studies, there is no problem. You can find recent student job offers on our job page.

If you are registered as a job seeker, even though ONEM allows you to work as a student until September, to avoid having to reimburse social contributions in case of a CLS inspection, it’s safer to avoid it. Instead, focus on your job search—find our latest job listings here.

Still Unsure About Your Status? You can contact CLS via email at: info.cls@emploi.belgique.be.

Although most employers are unaware of this restriction imposed by CLS and will likely hire you under a student contract, it remains a risk—so now you’ve been warned!