Social elections are held every four years in Belgium. The purpose is to elect the workers' representatives who will sit, for the next four years, on the company's collective bodies, namely the Works Council (WC) and/or the Committee for Prevention and Protection at Work (CPPW). The next elections will be held in May 2020 (between 11 and 24 May). The actual procedure, however, starts 150 days earlier, in December 2019, with specific steps to be undertaken in view of the election day.

Companies must be aware that potentially, since October 2018, changes in their workforce (hiring or terminating employees) have an impact. If the thresholds are reached, the company will have to hold social elections.

For large companies, it is crucial to determine whether they are composed of one or more technical business units. It is therefore recommended that an analysis of all a company’s options be performed as soon as possible. Our employment experts can assist you in this matter.