Social Law and Labour Law
Employment relationships
Understand the types of employment contract (open-ended, fixed-term, temporary), the rules on trial periods, notice, and dismissal. Know the distinction between ouvrier (blue-collar) and employé (white-collar), and the rules on working time, leave, and remuneration.
Social security
Know the branches of social security: sickness, invalidity, unemployment, pensions, family allowances, and occupational accidents. Understand the financing through contributions and the role of the National Social Security Office (ONSS/RSZ).
Enforcement aspects
Bailiffs frequently deal with wage seizures (saisie sur salaire) and protected income. Know the thresholds and the protected portion of wages, and the role of the huissier in collecting maintenance debts.
Traps
- Confusing the notice periods for blue-collar and white-collar workers.
- Forgetting that a portion of wages is protected from seizure.
- Mixing the roles of the labour court and the social security institutions.
- Overlooking the specific rules on maintenance claims.
Rule of thumb
When a question involves a wage seizure, first identify the protected portion (the quotité insaisissable), then the priority of maintenance claims, then the bailiff's procedural steps.
Worked example
A creditor seeks to seize a debtor's wages. The bailiff must respect the protected portion of the wage, which cannot be seized. Maintenance debts may benefit from a priority. The question tests whether you apply the protection rules before the seizure.