No waiting fifteen minutes for an alcohol test and new labor migration rules: this will change on May 1

Mandatory registration of living wage earners with VDAB

From May 1, people with a living wage are obliged to register with the employment service VDAB. Of all people with a living wage, barely a fifth are working after a year, but if living wage earners were to register with the VDAB, this would increase to 40 percent. Within the ambition to increase the employment rate in Flanders to 80 percent, the Flemish government recently decided to impose this obligation on living wage earners.

The intention is to work closely with the OCMWs. According to Minister of Work Jo Brouns (CD&V), the OCMW remains “in charge of the file of the living wage recipient”. As soon as the person concerned is registered with the VDAB, the OCMW will be able to determine whether it will provide guidance to work itself or whether it will call on the VDAB for this. The mandatory registration will give VDAB a clear view of all living wage recipients who can take steps towards work.

Anyone of working age who already receives a living wage will have three months to register. Anyone who has applied for a living wage will be given four months to register after the OCMW’s decision on whether to grant it.

Some people will not be able to take steps to work for certain reasons, such as health problems. Anyone who is eligible and deliberately does not cooperate risks a sanction through the OCMW.

No more waiting fifteen minutes to blow during an alcohol test

From May 1, drivers can no longer request a 15-minute waiting period for a breath test during an alcohol test. The Federal Public Service Mobility announced this.

The withdrawal period was introduced to neutralize the effect of ‘oral alcohol’. This is alcohol that is still in the mouth shortly after drinking and which can influence the result of the breath test. “The latest devices detect and neutralize mouth alcohol automatically and 100 percent reliably. A waiting period has therefore become unnecessary,” says the FPS Mobility.

New labor migration rules: stricter control but also more flexible for some profiles

From 1 May, amended rules for the employment of employees from outside the European Union in Flanders will come into effect. This is confirmed by the office of Flemish Minister of Work Jo Brouns (CD&V). Employers will be able to employ certain profiles more flexibly, but at the same time Flanders is tightening control on labor migration.

The aim of the new rules is to easily attract foreign top talent in view of structural shortages in the labor market. But at the same time the intention is to tighten economic migration policy to reduce abuse and improper economic migration.

From May 1, it will be easier for holders of the European Blue Card for highly qualified employees to change employers in Flanders without a new application. However, from now on they must receive an annual salary of at least 130 percent of the average Flemish wage. Until now it was 120 percent. For certain IT profiles, diplomas are no longer taken into account, but only relevant experience.

More people are receiving reimbursement for contact lenses and glasses

More people will be eligible for health insurance reimbursement when purchasing contact lenses and glasses. The Riziv lowers the threshold for reimbursement based on the strength of the lens or spectacle lens.

Until now, there was only a reimbursement for a prescription from -7 or from +7 for glasses and -7.75 and +7.75 for contact lenses. These thresholds are lowered to 6 diopters, the deviation that reflects ‘how poorly someone sees’. In concrete terms: lenses and glasses from -6 and +6 are now entitled to a refund.

According to the Riziv, approximately 105,000 more people who are highly nearsighted (negative diopter) or farsighted (positive diopter) are therefore eligible for compensation for glasses. For contact lenses this concerns approximately 154,000 more people.

People can get a refund for glasses and contact lenses at the same time. This concerns the reimbursement of compulsory health insurance. This can still be supplemented by the health insurance funds.