Belgium to introduce clocking in for all employees by 2027

Belgium to introduce clocking in for all employees by 2027

2 December 2025

Since 2025, Belgium has initiated a major change in the world of work: the gradual introduction of a compulsory clocking-in system for all employees. By 2027, all companies, regardless of their sector or size, will be required to use an electronic system to track working hours.

This reform is still not being discussed enough, even though it will affect the daily lives of millions of workers. We often associate clocking in with certain industries, with workers and technicians who are already used to using badges. But this time, the change is much broader. In the future, clocking in will apply to virtually all professional categories, including administrative and commercial roles, as well as teleworking positions.

Why a generalised scoring system ?

The government's objective is twofold : to modernise working time management and to strengthen fairness between workers. Time tracking puts an end to grey areas concerning undeclared overtime, breaks that are too long or not respected, poorly recorded schedules, or even ‘verbal’ agreements that often end up creating tensions. In reality, this reform aims to protect employees as much as it does to ensure transparency on the part of employers. It also addresses concrete issues : combating social fraud, standardising practices between companies, avoiding disputes and ensuring strict compliance with rest periods.

How will scoring work in 2027 ?

The principle is simple : each worker will have to electronically report their , arrival and departure from work, as well as their breaks. This clocking in and out will be done using modern tools: electronic badges, mobile apps, online portals, clocking in terminals, or even systems integrated into workstations for office or remote working roles. In certain mobile professions, such as technicians, delivery drivers and home services, geolocation or clocking in via smartphone will probably be preferred. The aim is to have a reliable, time-stamped, objective record that, above all, cannot be manipulated without leaving a trace. For employees working remotely, clocking in and out will also become a reflex: logging in in the morning, logging out at the end of the day, indicating breaks, just as if they were physically present in the office.

How does this change the daily lives of workers ?

For many, this new system will require some adjustment. Those who were used to recording their hours ‘by hand’, rounding up a little or relying on their memory will have to adopt a more structured approach. Automated clocking in eliminates approximations. But it also brings a significant benefit: each employee will finally be able to clearly see how much time they have worked. Overtime will be easier to identify and therefore easier to compensate. Employment rights, paid hours, legal limits and break times will be much better protected. It should also be noted that this new framework removes a certain amount of silent pressure: in some companies, employees worked extra hours to ‘look good’ without daring to declare them. The electronic system imposes transparency and protects against abuses.

A direct impact on business management

For employers, the reform often entails inevitable modernisation. Paper-based systems, improvised Excel spreadsheets and manually submitted reports will no longer be accepted. Companies will need to invest in a reliable, compliant and secure system capable of storing data for several years. This obligation also implies a cultural change. Personnel management will need to be more rigorous, more structured and, above all, more uniform. HR managers will play a central role in implementing and monitoring timekeeping, particularly in checking for anomalies related to oversights, irregular working hours or undeclared absences.