A new era for erotic adult jobs in Belgium: maternity leave and pensions finally introduced!

Erotic adult jobs in Belgium: New legislation provides protection and safety for sex workers

A new law has come into effect in Belgium that allows prostitutes to perform erotic adult jobs legally, i.e. with an employment contract, and enjoy the same legal protections as other workers.

Thanks to the new regulations, sex workers will also be entitled to health insurance, paid leave, maternity benefits, unemployment benefits and pensions.

The legislation regulates the work schedule, wages and safety measures in detail.

Employers in the erotic industry must be licensed, follow strict safety protocols, and undergo extensive background checks, especially if they have prior convictions for sexual violence or human trafficking.

In addition, they are obliged to provide clean bed linen, condoms and sanitary equipment, as well as place panic buttons in erotic workplaces, laufhaus, etc., to guarantee the safety of women who choose sex work.

Erotic adult jobs are more and more advantageous in Belgium

Belgian lawmakers already voted on the draft in May, after the country decriminalized prostitution in 2022.

Independent sex work will remain legal, however, violations of the new legal framework and employment by unregulated third parties will be sanctioned.

Therefore, only the violation of the law currently in force is punished.

Following the example of Belgium, prostitution is also legal in Germany and the Netherlands, but these countries have not yet introduced labor protection measures similar to those in Belgium.

Although the law, which came into force on Sunday, has been welcomed, some critics say it does not fully address the stigma and vulnerability associated with prostitution, particularly for prostitutes working in the black market.

What benefits can sex workers expect?

According to the Guardian, the purpose of the new regulation is to create a clear and safe framework for the industry, which has fallen into a gray zone after the decriminalization of sex work in 2022. The legal changes at that time did not provide any protection for sex workers.

Under the new law, sex workers will now be entitled to paid maternity leave, health insurance, pensions and unemployment benefits, just like other workers.

In addition, the new rules allow people working in the erotic industry to refuse unpleasant requests or partners they do not like, and to interrupt the act at any time during adultwork.

The law also prohibits employers from firing sex workers for refusing a service or even a guest.

However, the protection provided by the new law does not apply to working from home, strip bars or porn jobs.

Check out the Euronews article on the legal situation of adult work in Belgium:

They also criticized the laws for erotic adult jobs

According to the Belgian Union of Sex Workers, the law is "a huge step forward in ending legal discrimination against sex workers".

At the same time, the organization warns that the new rules may even be used as a means of reducing or eliminating adult work.

We are already seeing that some municipalities, hiding behind the words "safety" and "hygiene", are passing very strict local rules that make sex work in their area almost impossible.

- added the union of sex workers.

Some feminist organizations strongly condemn the new law. When the draft was introduced in 2023, the Council of Francophone Women, a Belgian feminist group, said its adoption could have "catastrophic consequences" for young girls and victims of human trafficking.

"Accepting that prostitution exists and that we need to protect those working in the industry means that we also accept the sexist violence associated with prostitution and do not fight against it," the head of the organization said at the time.

We have previously written about the legislation on adult work in Belgium, you can read about the precedent here:

Change for prostitutes - they are finally recognized as individuals

"I had to work a week before giving birth," a Belgian sex worker, Sophie (pseudonym), told the BBC. According to her, she had to continue with her sexy job throughout her pregnancy, while also being a mother of five children - which, as she put it, was "extremely difficult" for her.

She gave birth to her fifth child by cesarean section. The doctor recommended six weeks of rest and bed rest, but she couldn't afford it. Although she spent time in bed, she was not alone - she had to continue sex work to support her family.

I needed the money.

- said the Belgian sex worker.

According to Sophie, it would have made her life much easier if she had been entitled to maternity leave, but the law did not yet provide this option.

It’s an opportunity for us to exist as people.

- Sophie shared.

Tens of millions of sex workers worldwide make a living from prostitution. In addition to Belgium, erotic work is also legal in Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Turkey.