Holiday pay as a student worker or flexi-jobber: are you entitled to it in 2026?

In May and June, many working people in Flanders suddenly see an extra amount appear in their account: holiday pay. For anyone with a permanent job, it is a familiar ritual. But if you earn extra income through a student job or a flexi-job, one question often lingers: do I get it too?

The answer is less straightforward than you might think. A student worker and a flexi-jobber are treated very differently, and neither receives holiday pay the way you know it from a regular job. That does not mean you are missing out on money, though. You just need to know how it works.

In this blog, we explain how holiday pay works in Belgium, what you can expect from it as a student worker and as a flexi-jobber, and exactly where the difference lies. That way, you will know precisely where you stand in 2026.

How does holiday pay actually work in Belgium?

Holiday pay is not a gift from your employer. It is wages you build up by working. For a regular employee, part of the wage is set aside and paid out the following year, usually in May or June. That amount consists of two parts: the single holiday pay (your wage during your holiday days) and the double holiday pay (an extra supplement).

The core of the system: holiday pay goes hand in hand with standard social security contributions. Anyone who pays the full NSSO (social security) contributions builds up holiday pay. Anyone who does not, in principle, does not. And that is precisely where the difference lies between a student job, a flexi-job and a classic side income.

Holiday pay as a student worker: do you get it?

The short answer: no, as a student worker you do not build up holiday pay.

If you work within the student quota of 650 hours, you do not pay standard social security contributions but a lower solidarity contribution. That is precisely the advantage of the student status: you keep more of your gross wage as net pay. The flip side is that you do not build up full social rights through those hours, and holiday pay is one of them.

Why that actually makes sense

The student status was deliberately designed to be favourable for young people who work occasional side jobs. You pay few contributions, so you earn a lot net. In return, you do not build up holiday pay, unemployment rights or pension rights through those hours. For a student still in the middle of their studies, that is rarely a problem.

What you do keep

So are you missing out? Not really. Because you do not build up holiday pay, you simply receive your full net wage for every hour worked right away. A student often keeps more net than a regular employee with the same gross wage. The money does not come later, it comes immediately. Want to know which student jobs are open in your area? Check out the current student jobs or the flexi-job and student job locations.

Holiday pay as a flexi-jobber: it is already in your wage

With a flexi-job things work differently, but here too you do not receive a separate amount in May or June. A flexi-jobber is entitled to holiday pay, only it is paid out immediately with every shift.

The 7,67% rule explained

On top of your flexi base wage, you receive flexi holiday pay of 7,67%. That percentage is automatically added to every hour worked. If you earn, say, 12 euros per hour as a flexi-jobber, part of that is base wage and part is flexi holiday pay. You will see it as a separate line on your payslip, but the amount simply lands in your account after the period worked.

The big difference with a regular job: you do not have to wait until the next calendar year. Your holiday pay has always already been settled. If you work your last flexi shift before the summer in June, you have already received the holiday pay for that shift.

Comparison: student job, flexi-job and regular side income

To keep things clear, here are the three most common ways of earning extra income side by side.

Type of work	Holiday pay?	When do you get it?
Student worker (650 hours)	No, no accrual	Not applicable, but your net wage is higher
Flexi-jobber	Yes, 7,67% flexi holiday pay	Immediately, with every shift
Regular side income (classic contract)	Yes, classic holiday pay	The following year, in May or June

The conclusion is simple: only those who earn extra with a classic contract receive that typical extra amount in spring. A student worker cashes in the benefit immediately through a higher net wage, while a flexi-jobber receives it bit by bit.

Frequently asked questions about holiday pay and side income

Do I get holiday pay if I work as a student worker this summer?

No. If you work within your 650 student hours this summer, you do not build up holiday pay. You do enjoy a favourable net wage, because you only pay the solidarity contribution.

I am a flexi-jobber. Where is my holiday pay?

You have already received it. The 7,67% flexi holiday pay is paid out with every shift, not separately in May or June.

Is a retired flexi-jobber entitled to holiday pay?

Yes, retirees who work a flexi-job also have the 7,67% flexi holiday pay included in their wage.

Conclusion

Holiday pay for people earning extra income works differently than you might have thought. A student worker does not receive holiday pay but makes up for it through a higher net wage. A flexi-jobber does receive holiday pay, but spread across every shift instead of in one go. And only those who earn extra with a regular contract see that familiar amount appear in spring.

The most important thing to remember: in none of these cases do you lose out on money. It simply arrives at a different moment, and in a different form. Once you know that, it becomes much easier to assess what a student job or flexi-job really earns you net. By the way, you can always find an overview of all the rules and updates among all blogs. Ready to get started? Sign up as a shifter.

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