Since 2019, the BESIX Group People Strategy has prioritized development as a key driver for our future success. We have consistently advanced our initiatives, such as the BESIX Potential Academy program, and introduced innovative approaches like the BESIX Development Academy tailored specifically for our engineers. Moreover, we have made continuous investments in enhancing our eLearning platform, BESIX eAcademy. To measure the impact of our endeavors, we conduct an annual assessment through the Top Employer survey, ensuring our alignment with the desired trajectory.
Also, the Belgian government has also recognized the importance of continuous training for its workforce to maintain competitiveness and adaptability in future markets. In response, in 2024, they implemented a legal minimum training requirement for both blue-collar and white-collar workers.
New federal regulations what does it entail?
As of January 1, 2024, the job deal ensures that each employee is entitled to a specific number of training days annually. The exact number of training days depends on the size of the company, the joint committee to which the employee belongs and the employee's Full Time Equivalent (FTE).
Regarding BESIX, our respective joint committees, 200 and 124, have provided clear directives on the allocation of training days for full-time employees:
- JC 200: 3 days in 2024 & 2025, 4 days in 2026 & 2027, and 5 days from 2028 onward.
- JC 124: 2.5 days in 2024 & 2025, 3 days in 2026, 3.5 days in 2027, 4 days in 2028, 4.5 days in 2029, and 5 days in 2030.
Prorating the number of training days:
The number of training days for a worker who is not employed full-time and/or who is not covered by an employment contract for the entire calendar year is determined based on the following formula: A x B x C;
- "A" corresponds to the number of training days granted within the company for a full-time worker;
- "B" corresponds to the worker's working arrangement compared to a full-time schedule;
- "C" corresponds to the number of months divided by twelve during which the worker has been employed within the company. Any month begun is considered as a fully worked month.
Example: an employee who works 4/5 time would therefore be entitled to 3 x 4/5 x 1 = 2.4 days.
What happens to the remaining balance of unused days?
At the end of the year, the unused days for which the absence was justified will be carried over to the following year, without this added balance being deducted from the credit for the following year. The aim is that at the end of each five-year period starting on January 1, 2024, or at the end of the employment contract if it ends before the end of the five-year period, the full-time employed worker has benefited from at least 3 days of training on average per year. At the end of the five-year period, the balance of the available credit will be reset to zero.
What happens in case of dismissal or resignation?
In the event of dismissal for serious cause or in case of resignation, the worker does not have the right to use their accumulated training credit before their employment contract is terminated. The unused credit will not increase their notice period or severance pay.
However, the worker can use their accumulated training credit before the end of their employment contract if their dismissal is not attributable to them. It will be up to the employer and the worker to determine how these training days are to be used and in what manner they can be taken.
The Federal Learning Account (FLA)
In order to streamline the process and ensure accurate record-keeping, the government has created a new platform for all training hours to be officially recorded on the Federal Learning Account(FLA) (careerpro.be - Federal Learning Account)). Launched on April 1st, this online tool empowers employers to record their employees' training entitlements and completed courses.
As this is a recently implemented system, BESIX, as the employer, must export all data regarding training courses attended since January 1, 2024, to the FLA by November 30, 2024. In the near future, employees will therefore be able to have an overview of their individual training entitlement by consulting the FLA, which will officially consolidate all training and qualifications of employees provided they create an email address on mycareer.be - Home
Formal and Informal Training
Furthermore, according to this new federal government employment agreement, employers must now make a distinction between formal and informal training.
- Formal training includes courses and other structured sessions provided by trainers developed and organized by trainers (or company instructors), held in a location that is clearly separate from the workplace and aimed at a small group of learners.
- Informal training, on the other hand, allows learners the flexibility to select the time, location, and content that best suit their individual needs, while maintaining a direct relevance to their work. From now on, training teams must track and record these 2 types of training courses.
That means that various events will now be officially classified as training courses. These events include team building activities, conferences, seminars, webinars, welcome days, onboarding sessions, congresses, networking events, hackathons, trade fairs, workshops, visits to other organizations, coaching sessions, toolbox meetings, etc.
Consequences
All these new developments and changes have prompted the training teams to review their methods of development, proposal, deployment, and recording of training programs. Currently, the training team is focused on finding the most effective tool and method for recording new training courses. As soon as the new system is operational, we will inform you.
The BESIX Academy