The Unemployment scheme with complement paid by the employer for medical reasons has been extended until 31 December 2025.

The social partners have extended the Unemployment scheme for elderly workers, with employer-paid medical complements, until 31 December 2025 via CCT No. 173. This extension provides a secure solution for workers aged 58 and over with health issues, helping to prevent contract termination due to medical force majeure.

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Who are the beneficiaries of the RRC for medical reasons?

Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) No. 173, which extends CLA 165, covers three categories of workers:

Workers with disabilities: individuals recognised as such by a competent authority (e.g., Federal Public Service Social Security, AVIQ, VAPH, etc.)
Workers with severe physical problems: individuals suffering from health issues that significantly hinder their professional activities
Workers assimilated to those with severe physical problems: workers who have been professionally exposed to asbestos or fibrocement before 1993 for at least two years.

What are the access conditions?

To benefit from this specific scheme, your workers must meet several cumulative conditions.

Age and career conditions

Your worker must:

Have reached the age of 58 during the period from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2025 inclusive, and at the latest at the time of the end of the labour contract
Justify a professional career of at least 35 years at the time of the end of the labour contract

Conditions related to the end of the contract

Your worker must have been dismissed during the validity period of the agreement (between 1 July and 31 December 2025).

Note

The resignation of your worker, the expiration of a fixed-term contract, mutual termination, termination for force majeure, and dismissal for gross misconduct are excluded from the benefits of the scheme.

How to submit a request for RCC for medical reasons?

To benefit from the unemployment scheme with company supplement for medical reasons, your worker must submit their request to Fedris (Federal Agency for Professional Risks).

The form to be used depends on the worker's category:

Form C173/1F : for workers with the status of having a disability or suffering from severe physical problems
Form C173/2F : for workers who have been exposed to asbestos

As soon as Fedris confirms receipt of all required documents, the agency commits, in accordance with CLA No. 173, to do everything possible to communicate its decision to the worker within a maximum period of six months.

Effective date?

CLA No. 173 is concluded for a fixed term, covering the period from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2025, thus ensuring continuity with CLA No. 165, which expired on 30 June 2025.

If your worker submitted a request between 1 January and 30 June 2025 under the regime of CLA No. 165, which is still under review without a decision made at the time of the entry into force of the new agreement, they automatically benefit from continuity of treatment under CLA No. 173. This prevents your worker from having to submit a new request.

What does Securex do for you?

You still have questions regarding the extension of CLA No. 165? Your Securex Legal Advisor is at your disposal. You can contact them via Myhr@securex.be.