Unpaid or late wages in Belgium: the legal deadline and what to do
In short
In Belgium, your wages must be paid on the date set by a collective agreement or by the work rules; the work rules cannot set a date later than the 7th working day after the pay period. With no date set, wages must be paid by the 4th working day after the pay period at the latest (law of 12 April 1965). Saturday counts as a working day, Sundays and public holidays do not: with no other date agreed, a monthly wage for September 2026 must reach your account by Monday 5 October 2026. Late wages automatically carry interest; ask for your pay in writing, keep your evidence, then turn to the Social Legislation Inspectorate (FPS Employment), a trade union or the labour court.
What is the legal deadline for paying your wages?
The law of 12 April 1965 on the protection of pay sets out three cases. A collective agreement (for your sector or your company) can set the pay date, and the law then sets no limit. If the date is set in the work rules, it cannot be later than the 7th working day after the period of work being paid. With no date in a collective agreement or in the work rules, wages must be paid by the 4th working day after that period at the latest.
A working day is any day of the week except Sundays and public holidays, so Saturday counts. Wages paid by bank transfer count as paid on the day your account is credited, not on the day your employer sends the transfer.
| Monthly wage for | No date set: by the 4th working day | Date set in the work rules: by the 7th working day |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | Monday 5 October 2026 | Thursday 8 October 2026 |
| October 2026 | Thursday 5 November 2026 | Monday 9 November 2026 |
| November 2026 | Friday 4 December 2026 | Tuesday 8 December 2026 |
| December 2026 | Wednesday 6 January 2027 | Saturday 9 January 2027 |
How often must you be paid?
Wages are paid at regular intervals, at least twice a month and with no more than 16 days between two payments; one of the two is then the final pay statement for the month. White-collar employees are the exception: they may be paid once a month, but at least every month. So as a blue-collar worker you are paid at least twice a month, as a white-collar employee at least once. When your contract ends, the balance must be paid without delay, and at the latest on the first payday after the contract ends.
Late wages automatically carry interest from the day they should have been paid, without you having to claim it first (law of 12 April 1965, art. 10). The interest is calculated on the gross amount. It does not apply to holiday pay, which is not pay within the meaning of that law.
Your wages have not arrived: what to do, step by step
- Check the pay date in your contract, in the work rules or in your sector’s collective agreement. With no date set, it is the 4th working day after the end of the pay period.
- Write to your employer: a short, polite, dated message with the days worked, the hours and the amount you expect. Keep a copy.
- Gather your evidence: contract, schedules, a day-by-day record of your hours, messages, payslips received, bank statements.
- No answer? Send a formal notice by registered letter: the amount owed, the payment rule and a deadline.
- File a complaint with the Social Legislation Inspectorate (FPS Employment), at the regional office for the province where the employer operates. Unpaid wages and student employment contracts are within its remit, and your complaint stays confidential unless you choose to waive your anonymity.
- If you are a trade union member, show the union your file: it can step in with your employer.
- As a last resort, you can go to the labour court, which hears labour law disputes between employers and workers; for the German-speaking Community, that is the labour court in Eupen.
How long do you have to claim unpaid wages?
Claims arising from an employment contract expire one year after the contract ends, or five years after the event that gave rise to them, but never later than one year after the contract ends (law of 3 July 1978, art. 15). For a summer job that ended in late August 2026, you therefore have until late August 2027 to go to court. Do not wait until the end of that period to seek advice.
Related questions
Does Saturday count as a working day for pay?
Yes. For the payment deadline, a working day is any day of the week except Sundays and public holidays. For a monthly wage for September 2026 with no other date agreed, the 4th working day is Monday 5 October 2026.
My employer pays on the 10th of the following month: is that allowed?
Yes, if a collective agreement for your sector or company sets that date: the law then does not limit the deadline. If the date is in the work rules, it cannot be later than the 7th working day after the pay period, which is Thursday 8 October 2026 for September’s wages. Without either, it is the 4th working day.
My contract has ended: when should I get the balance?
Without delay, and at the latest on the first payday after the contract ends. Keep your last payslip to check the calculation.
Paid in cash: is that legal?
Since 1 October 2016, wages are in principle paid by bank transfer. Paying cash in hand is only allowed if a collective agreement, an agreement or a practice in your sector allows it and has been published by the FPS Employment; the employer must then have you sign a receipt. Wages not paid the way the law requires are treated as unpaid.
Does the Social Legislation Inspectorate handle student jobs too?
Yes. Student employment contracts and unpaid wages are among the complaints it handles. Contact the regional office for the province where the employer operates.
Official sources
- FPS Employment: when and how often wages must be paid (in French)
- FPS Employment: interest on late wages (in French)
- FPS Employment: paying wages by transfer or in cash (in French)
- FPS Employment: filing a complaint with the Social Legislation Inspectorate (in French)
- Belgian Official Gazette (Justel): law of 3 July 1978 on employment contracts, article 15 (in French)
- Courts of Belgium: the labour court (in French)
Trakko is not an official source: this guide sums up the rules as published by the authorities on the date shown. For an answer you can rely on, check Student@work, mycareer.be or the body quoted.