Negotiating a raise in Belgium — method and timing

The indexation trap

Belgium has a unique mechanism in Europe: automatic salary indexation. Your salary is periodically adjusted to evolution of the health index. This is excellent for preserving your purchasing power — but it's not a raise.

Concretely, if inflation was 3%, your salary automatically rises 3%. You're at the same purchasing power, not higher. A real raise is what's above indexation.

Verify what your CBA says

In Belgium, your sector (joint committee) imposes a minimum scale via a CBA (collective bargaining agreement). Before asking, verify:

• What's the minimum scale for your function classification and seniority?
• Are you already above minimum?
• If so, by how much?

If you're at the CBA minimum, asking for a standard scale revaluation (climbing a step, reclassification) is more efficient than a "discretionary raise". If you're well above, you negotiate on other bases.

The right timing

Favorable moments

Unfavorable moments

• Period of poor company results
• Just after a layoff round
• When your manager is in crisis (burnout, overload, conflict)
• During school holidays (Friday before you leave = very bad signal)

Quantifying your request

An unquantified request is an unserious request. Here's the method in 3 sources:

Source 1 — The market (internal and external)

• LinkedIn salaries for functions equivalent to yours (filter Belgium)
• Platforms: Glassdoor, Robert Half Salary Guide, Hays Salary Guide
• Your network: what colleagues earn in equivalent function in other companies

Source 2 — Your measurable contribution

List 3 to 5 quantified achievements from the past year:

• Savings generated: "I automated X, saving Y hours/month or Z €"
• Revenue brought: "I led project X generating Y € revenue"
• Risk avoided: "I detected/corrected X that would have cost Y"
• Team impact: "I onboarded 3 people now autonomous"

Source 3 — Realistic gap

In Belgium, typical raise margins beyond indexation:

Think package, not just gross

A gross raise costs the employer a lot (~30% employer contributions) and brings you little net (~50% after ONSS and withholding). Sometimes extralegal benefits are a more efficient route.

Alternatives to explore if employer resists on gross:

• CBA 90 bonus: collective non-recurring premium, fiscally advantageous (~13.07% only on social contributions on employee side)
• Extended cafeteria plan: car, bicycle, additional leave days, training
• Increase meal vouchers to legal ceiling (€8/day)
• Increase employer group insurance contribution: very fiscally efficient
• Formalized telework with home office allowance

Conducting the conversation

1. Request a formal meeting by email, clear subject (e.g., "Discussion about salary evolution")
2. Prepare a 1-page written document with: quantified achievements, market comparison, quantified request and motivation
3. Present value first, then the request
4. Give a precise number, not a range ("I request €200 extra gross/month" — not "between €100 and €300")
5. Stay business-like at objections. If they say "no budget", ask when there will be and propose commitment for next round
6. Ask for written response after the meeting (summary email)

In case of refusal

If answer is no, don't burn bridges. Ask for:

• Precise reasons (budget, timing, performance, other)
• Exact conditions to obtain the raise eventually
• A review date (typically 6 months later)

And in parallel: start exploring the market. Best proof an employer underpays is a competing offer. But use it with discernment — brandishing an offer just as leverage often ends badly.

In summary

In Belgium, negotiating a raise primarily means negotiating above indexation. Quantify your request with 3 solid sources (market, contribution, realistic gap), choose right moment, prepare written document, and think complete package rather than pure gross.

And if answer is still no: no drama. You now know what to prove for next time.