Sunday and public holiday work in supermarkets

The legal framework for Sunday work in supermarkets

In Belgium, Sunday work is in principle prohibited. But the food retail sector benefits from a longstanding exemption. Supermarkets, hypermarkets and food retailers may employ workers on Sundays, subject to conditions.

The exemption for food retail

Article 14 of the Act of 16 March 1971 on labour authorises Sunday work in retail shops and food businesses. This exemption applies to all supermarkets falling under Joint Committee 118 and 119. It covers all staff: cashiers, butchers, bakers, department managers and shelf stackers.

Limits of the exemption

The exemption is not unlimited. Sunday work must be provided for in the company's work regulations. Sunday hours must be posted in advance. And above all, a worker who works on Sunday is entitled to compensatory rest within the following six days.

Voluntary agreements

In many chains, Sunday work is based on voluntary participation. The collective agreements of Joint Committee 118 provide that a worker may refuse to work on Sunday, unless their contract explicitly states otherwise. In practice, supermarkets often operate with a rotation system where each team member works one Sunday in two or one in three.

Permitted Sunday hours

Supermarkets that open on Sundays are subject to variable opening time restrictions depending on the region and municipality. In Belgium, retail businesses may employ staff on Sundays between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. Certain municipalities or tourist zones provide for additional exemptions. The Sunday schedule must comply with these time windows, or the employer risks a breach of work regulations.

The 10 legal public holidays: applicable rules

Belgium has 10 legal public holidays per year. For supermarkets, these days raise specific scheduling and remuneration questions.

List of public holidays

• 1 January (New Year's Day)
• Easter Monday
• 1 May (Labour Day)
• Ascension Day
• Whit Monday
• 21 July (National Day)
• 15 August (Assumption)
• 1 November (All Saints' Day)
• 11 November (Armistice Day)
• 25 December (Christmas Day)

When the public holiday falls on a working day

If the supermarket is open on a public holiday and the worker is on duty, they are entitled to their normal day's pay plus a 100% premium. An 8-hour working day on a public holiday therefore costs the employer the equivalent of 16 hours. In addition, paid compensatory rest must be granted within six weeks.

When the public holiday falls on a Sunday

If the public holiday falls on a Sunday, it is replaced by the next usual working day. If it falls on a usual rest day (other than Sunday), it is also replaced. The replacement day must be fixed by agreement between employer and workers, or failing that by the works council.

When the public holiday falls during annual leave

A public holiday that falls during a worker's annual leave period does not count as a holiday day. The worker retains their holiday day and benefits from the paid public holiday separately.

Calculating premiums and pay supplements

Premiums for Sunday and public holiday work represent a significant cost item. Accurate calculation is essential for payroll control.

Sunday premium

Under Joint Committee 118, Sunday work entitles the worker to a premium of 100% of the normal hourly wage. Concretely, a cashier paid 14.50 euros per hour costs 29 euros on Sunday (normal wage + 100% premium). For a 6-hour shift, the additional cost is 87 euros compared with a weekday.

Public holiday premium

The premium for a worked public holiday is 100%. The calculation is identical to that for Sundays. If the public holiday falls on a Sunday, the two premiums do not accumulate: the 100% premium applies, plus compensatory rest.

Concrete calculation example

Take a December Sunday with 12 team members scheduled for 6-hour shifts at an average wage of 15 euros per hour. The normal cost would be 1,080 euros (12 x 6 x 15). With the 100% premium, the labour cost rises to 2,160 euros. Add employer contributions on the doubled wage and the cost of paid compensatory rest in the following week, and Sunday costs you approximately 3,000 euros more than an equivalent weekday.

Compensatory rest

Compensatory rest for Sunday work must be granted within the six following days. For public holidays, the deadline is six weeks. This rest is paid at the normal rate. It must appear clearly in the schedule to guarantee compliance.

Impact on flexi-job workers

Flexi-job workers who work on Sundays or public holidays are entitled to the same premiums. The 100% premium is added to the flexi-job wage, and the employer contribution of 28% applies to the total (wage + premium). A flexi-job worker at 12.29 euros per hour therefore costs approximately 31.46 euros on Sundays, contributions included.

Fair rotation and employer obligations

The rotation of Sunday work is a sensitive topic in supermarkets. Team members do not want to work every Sunday, and the law protects them.

Rotation principle

Although the law does not impose a specific rotation system, the collective agreements of Joint Committee 118 encourage a fair distribution of Sunday work among team members in the same department. In practice, a department manager cannot systematically schedule the same people every Sunday.

Refusing Sunday work

A worker may refuse to work on Sunday if their contract does not provide for it. The employer cannot penalise this refusal. However, if the contract explicitly mentions Sunday work as a condition of employment, refusal may be considered a breach of contract.

Documentation and transparency

Each worked Sunday must be documented: who worked, how many hours, which premium was applied. The schedule must be posted at least five days in advance. The work regulations must mention the terms of Sunday working.

Students and flexi-job workers on Sundays

Student workers and flexi-job workers who work on Sundays are entitled to the same premiums as permanent staff. For students, the 100% premium is added to the student wage. For flexi-job workers, it is added to the flexi-job wage. The additional cost is real, but these profiles are often the most available for Sunday shifts, particularly during term time when students are looking to maximise their weekend earnings.

Impact on leave management

Team members who regularly work on Sundays accumulate compensatory rest days. These days must be scheduled within six days for Sundays and within six weeks for public holidays. In practice, the accumulation of compensatory rest can complicate weekday scheduling, especially in small teams. Rigorous tracking is essential to avoid delays in compensation.

How Shyfter manages Sunday and public holiday work

Manually calculating premiums, checking rotation, ensuring that each compensatory rest is properly scheduled: this is time-consuming and error-prone work. Shyfter automates these tasks.

Automatic premium calculation

When you schedule a shift on a Sunday or public holiday, Shyfter automatically applies the 100% premium under the configured joint committee. The actual cost of the shift appears in the schedule before publication. You immediately see the impact on your weekly payroll.

Integrated fair rotation

Shyfter keeps a history of Sundays worked by each team member. When you schedule a Sunday, you see who has worked fewest Sundays recently. The system helps you distribute Sunday shifts fairly, taking account of each person's preferences and skills.

Automatic compensatory rest

As soon as a team member works a Sunday, Shyfter automatically generates a reminder to schedule compensatory rest within six days. If the rest is not scheduled within the legal deadline, an alert appears. No more risk of omission.

Consolidated weekend cost view

The Shyfter dashboard displays the total cost of your Saturday and Sunday, premiums included. You instantly compare the cost of a Sunday with a weekday and adjust staffing accordingly. This is the foundation of profitable management of your Sunday openings.

Seasonal scheduling

Public holidays do not fall on the same days every year. Shyfter integrates the Belgian public holiday calendar and alerts you in advance. You anticipate staffing needs for each public holiday and plan for any necessary replacements. For complete management of busy periods, combine with supermarket schedule management.

Compliance with the time-tracking obligation

With the 2027 time-tracking obligation, hours worked on Sundays and public holidays will need to be documented reliably and in a tamper-proof manner. Shyfter time tracking records every shift with timestamp and geolocation. Applied premiums are traceable and can be viewed in the event of an inspection. This level of proof is something paper attendance sheets cannot offer.

Request a demo

FAQ

Can a team member refuse to work on Sunday in a supermarket?

It depends on their contract. If the employment contract explicitly mentions Sunday work, the team member is required to work. If the contract does not provide for it, they may refuse without the employer being able to penalise them. The collective agreements of Joint Committee 118 encourage voluntary participation and fair rotation among team members.

Do the Sunday and public holiday premiums cumulate?

No. When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the worker is entitled to a single 100% premium (not 200%). However, they benefit from a replacement day for the public holiday (moved to the next working day) in addition to the compensatory rest linked to Sunday work. The total cost is therefore the 100% premium plus two paid rest days.

How do you calculate the total cost of a Sunday opening in a supermarket?

Add the normal wage of each scheduled team member, add the 100% premium for each, integrate social contributions on the total (wage + premium) and add the cost of paid compensatory rest in the following week. For a supermarket with 12 people on Sunday, the additional cost compared with a weekday easily reaches 2,000 to 3,000 euros. Shyfter calculates this cost automatically in the scheduling module.