Mmmm: Meal vouchers are rising 🍟

Starting January 1, 2026, the legal maximum for meal vouchers will increase from €8 to €10 per day worked. This €10 consists of a maximum employer contribution of €8.91 (previously €6.91) and a (mandatory) employee contribution of €1.09. Furthermore, employers will see the tax deductibility of a meal voucher rise from €2 (for an €8 voucher) to €4 (for a €10 voucher).

This is a great opportunity to boost your team’s net benefits, but take note: it doesn’t happen automatically. You must implement this yourself via a Collective Labor Agreement (CLA) or via an addendum to the individual employment contract, depending on your Joint Committee.

The "Hop-Skip-Index-Jump" 🤸

Index jump, flat-rate index, index cut, index limitation? What’s in a name? Broadly speaking, it comes down to this: those earning more than €4,000 gross per month will lose the first 2% of indexation on the amount exceeding €4,000 over the coming years.

While the BDW government originally intended to implement the index limitation in (early) 2026 and 2028, the government postponed the first application to April 1, 2026, as the legislative texts were simply not ready. As a result, many employees in the private sector (including Joint Committee 200) will only feel the index jump in 2027.

Mobility Budget: no way back 🚴‍♀️

A lot has already been said about the obligation for employers to offer a mobility budget. At the final hour of the new year, there is finally more clarity.

Employers who have offered at least one company car for more than 36 months (consecutive or otherwise) will be required to introduce the mobility budget. For large companies, implementation is now scheduled for January 1, 2027. For SMEs (up to 50 employees), a temporary exemption is provided until January 1, 2028. Companies with fewer than 15 employees will not be required to introduce the mobility budget.

What you see is what you get. 👀

By June 7, 2026, at the latest, the European Pay Transparency Directive must be transposed into Belgian law. This directive stipulates, among other things, that employers are obliged to: (i) Disclose the starting salary to applicants. (ii) Report on the gender pay gap. (iii) Prove in court that they have not violated any rules in cases of pay discrimination (reversing the burden of proof so the employee no longer has to prove they were a victim).

While the reporting obligation applies primarily to larger companies with more than 100 employees, the other measures apply equally to small SMEs. Employers across Belgium are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for the Belgian legislature to take the final steps!

2026: A year of movement for your compensation package 🔥

2026 will be anything but boring for those looking to build a smart and flexible pay package. From tasty meal vouchers and index jumps to the mandatory mobility budget and pay transparency, the compensation package of tomorrow requires your attention today.

The good news? With a little preparation, you can use these opportunities for net benefits, flexibility, and clarity to the advantage of both your team and your organization.

In short: 2026 will have you jumping, moving, tasting, and—above all—seeing clearly what you deserve. It’s time to get your compensation package ready for the future! That is why Payflip, an SME with about fifty employees ourselves, has not been sitting still regarding our own pay policy. Want to know how we shaped our 2026 compensation strategy? Be sure to check out the article at the link!