Part-time work

Notion

A way to better balance private and professional lives, part-time work is favored by some employees. In other situations, employees find themselves forced to settle for part-time work against their will and have to do a series of odd jobs.

In both cases, part-time work has its own specificities, particularly with regard to ancillary activities and public holidays. 

Ancillary activity

For economic reasons, some employees have several part-time jobs in order to make ends meet. The combination of several professional activities is not in itself prohibited for part-time employees. However, it can be problematic in specific situations.

Can the employee work in a business that competes with the employer's or be self-employed?

The Labor Act provides that the employee must benefit from a minimum rest period between each work day. However, when the employee works several jobs during the day and in the evening or even at night, these rest periods are not always respected. What are the responsibilities if the employee causes an accident in the workplace because he is exhausted?

The situation is particularly delicate when the part-time employee is a cross-border worker. If the employee has a secondary activity in his country of residence, the main employer will, in certain situations, have to pay social security contributions in the employee's country of residence.

Public holidays

When an employee is part-time, he or she often has one or more days off per week. These days off sometimes coincide with public holidays. Does the employee have the right to make up these holidays on another date or to be paid on these days?