A flexi-job with your own employer in 2026: what is and isn't allowed, also after retirement

Can you do a flexi-job with your own employer? No, not as long as you also work there under an ordinary contract in the same quarter. That still applies in 2026, even now that flexi-jobs have been possible in almost all sectors since 1 July 2026. Also watch out for a notice period in progress, the 4/5 in the reference quarter that has to be worked for another employer, and companies in the same group. After retirement you can go back to your former employer, as long as you keep an eye on the quarter. Below you will find what is allowed, with examples from retail and a checklist for employers.

The basic rule: not with the same employer in the same quarter

A flexi-job is extra income alongside a main job with someone else. So you may not do a flexi-job for an employer you work for, or have worked for, in the same quarter under another employment contract. The National Social Security Office (RSZ) calls that quarter T.

The type of contract you have there does not matter. Full-time, 4/5 or small part-time: you cannot top up your fixed hours with flexi hours at the same boss. Working more for your own employer goes through extra hours within your ordinary contract.

Another branch of the same company is also the same employer. The RSZ looks at the company and its company number, not at the shop you work in.

Notice period and severance pay

There are two other situations in which it is not possible:

• During your notice period. If you are serving notice, you may not do a flexi-job for that employer, whether you resigned or were dismissed.
• During a period covered by severance pay. If you receive a notice indemnity or a dismissal compensation payment, you cannot do a flexi-job for that employer for the period it covers.

This way an employer cannot dismiss a permanent employee and bring them back as a flexi-jobber the next day.

The 4/5 must be worked for another employer

To be allowed to do a flexi-job, you must have worked at least 4/5 of a full-time job in the reference quarter. That reference quarter is called T-3: the quarter three quarters before your flexi-job. If you start in January 2027, the RSZ looks at April to June 2026.

That 4/5 must have been worked for one or more employers other than the one you do the flexi-job for. If you worked full-time for a retail chain in T-3 and want to return there as a flexi-jobber after leaving, that employment does not count.

If you worked full-time in T-4 and only 4/5 in T-3, you may not start a flexi-job in quarters T and T+1. So anyone who reduces their hours cannot immediately add flexi hours. Read more about the number of hours in anyshift.be

Companies in the same group

Many retailers work with several companies, for example one for the shops and one for the distribution centre. Legally these are different employers, but a flexi-job there is not always possible.

The rule: if you work at least 4/5 for a company, you may not, in the same period, do a flexi-job for a company linked to it, such as a company in the same group. Since 1 July 2026 there is one exception: if you already have an ordinary full-time job, a flexi-job with a linked company is allowed. If you work 4/5 but not full-time, the ban still applies.

Whether two companies are linked is a concept from company law, not a matter of name or logo. If in doubt, ask the HR department. A franchise shop run by an independent operator is usually a separate employer, but have it checked.

Examples from retail

• Same shop. Sarah works 4/5 in a clothing shop in Hasselt and wants to do flexi hours on Saturdays in the same shop. That is not allowed.
• Other branch. In a branch of the same chain in Genk it is not allowed either, because that is the same employer.
• Other employer. In the shoe shop of another owner in the same shopping centre it is allowed, if she worked at least 4/5 in T-3.
• Group, full-time. Tom works full-time in the distribution centre of a retail group and wants a flexi-job in the shops of another company in that group. Since 1 July 2026 that is possible.
• Group, 4/5. Lien works 4/5 in the same distribution centre. For her, a flexi-job with a linked company remains prohibited.

Can your boss stop your flexi-job with another employer? Find out in anyshift.be

Back to the same employer after retirement

With a statutory pension, the 4/5 condition does not apply, and your flexi wage is tax-free without limit. For other flexi-jobbers the ceiling in 2026 is 18,440 euros a year.

With your former employer, the quarter rule does apply: no flexi-job in a quarter in which you still worked there under your ordinary contract. A pension starts on the first day of a month, so the date matters:

• Pension on 1 October 2026. Your last working day was 30 September, in the previous quarter. From October you can in principle return to the same employer as a flexi-jobber.
• Pension on 1 November 2026. You still worked under your ordinary contract in October. With the same employer you can then only do a flexi-job from 1 January 2027. With another employer you can start straight away.

The rule on notice and severance pay applies here too. For early retirement, extra limits apply, see anyshift.be

What should the employer check?

As an employer, you submit a Dimona FLX for every flexi-jobber before the first shift. The RSZ then checks whether the worker worked at least 80 percent of a full-time job in T-3, did not reduce their hours, or receives a statutory pension. An OK means those conditions are met.

That OK says nothing about the current quarter. Whether the worker already worked for you this quarter, is serving notice or works 4/5 for a linked company is something you check yourself. If it turns out to be wrong, the employment falls outside the flexi scheme and the RSZ can charge ordinary social security contributions.

What you should check before taking on a flexi-jobber:

• Staff register. Was this person already employed by you this quarter under an ordinary contract?
• Departure. Is there a notice period in progress or severance pay that still covers a period?
• Group. Does the candidate work at least 4/5, but not full-time, for a company in your group?
• Pension. If it is a former employee, in which quarter did they last work under an ordinary contract?

What a flexi-jobber costs you is explained in anyshift.be

In practice: contract, Dimona and quarters

• Framework agreement. Before the first shift a written framework agreement, then a flexi contract per shift or per period.
• Dimona FLX. Oral contract: one Dimona per day with start and end time. Written contract: one declaration for a longer period, at most one quarter.
• Every quarter again. The conditions are checked every quarter. The Dimona can be made at the earliest one month before the quarter.
• Time registration. The start and end time of every shift is recorded electronically.

Five tips for workers and employers

• Look at the employer, not the shop. Another branch of the same company is the same employer.
• Count your quarters. After reducing your hours or after your last working day, the quarter determines what is allowed.
• Check the company. Your payslip shows which company you work for.
• Plan your retirement. If you want to keep helping your employer, put your last working day at the end of a quarter.
• Record your checks. An employer who keeps them in the personnel file is in a stronger position if the RSZ asks questions.

Want to combine more than one flexi-job? Read anyshift.be and the overview in anyshift.be

Frequently asked questions about a flexi-job with your own employer

Can I do a flexi-job with my own employer?

No, not in a quarter in which you also work there under an ordinary contract, whatever that contract is.

Can I do a flexi-job in another branch of my employer?

No. Another branch or site belongs to the same employer, so the same rule applies.

Can I do a flexi-job with a company in the same group?

If you work full-time, that has been allowed since 1 July 2026. If you work 4/5 but not full-time, it is not allowed with a linked company.

Can I work as a flexi-jobber for the same employer after retiring?

Yes, from the quarter in which you no longer work there under your ordinary contract. As a pensioner you have no 4/5 condition and no tax ceiling.

Does the Dimona check whether I worked for the same employer?

Not fully. The Dimona FLX checks T-3 and your pension; the employer has to check the conditions in the current quarter.

Summary

A flexi-job with your own employer is not possible in a quarter in which you work there under an ordinary contract, nor during notice or a period covered by severance pay. Your 4/5 in T-3 must be worked for another employer, and with a linked company it has only been allowed since 1 July 2026 if you work full-time. After retirement you can return to the same employer, from the quarter after your last ordinary working day. Read more at anyshift.be and anyshift.be. Employers looking for flexi-jobbers will find more information at anyshift.be

📲 A flexi-job with another employer near you is in the AnyShift app. Download it from the App Store apps.apple.com and Google Play play.google.com