Why using a social secretary is always a smart move
October 2024 - Do you employ one or more employees? Then it is a wise choice to have the administrative follow-up - from payroll to time credit - done by specialists.
As many as 90 per cent of Belgian companies are affiliated to a social secretariat. Knowing that such affiliation is not a legal obligation, it can't be a coincidence that so many entrepreneurs use this external expertise.
Social secretariat versus enterprise counter and social insurance fund
Before we zoom in on the benefits, first this: a social secretariat is often confused with a business counter and social insurance fund. An enterprise counter is the place to be to register your (start-up) company, after which you will receive a company number or possible permits. A social insurance fund in turn takes care of the social contributions you pay as a self-employed person. Many organisations are enterprise counter and social insurance fund at the same time.
What can you use a social secretariat for?
Companies with employees can have various administrative tasks handled by a social secretariat, such as:
· payroll calculation (including withholding tax, holiday pay, contributions and allowances)
· the collection and payment of social security contributions and payroll taxes
· administration of absenteeism due to illness, incapacity for work, time credit, etc.
· advice on recruitment, absences and dismissal
So a social secretariat acts as a social agency that helps you as a self-employed person with your administration. And that offers many advantages.
What are the benefits of a social secretariat?
The reason as many as 9 out of 10 Belgian companies engage with a social secretariat is due to:
expert payroll processing and follow-up of tax returns: this is repetitive work that also requires the necessary expertise and where the smallest mistake can have serious (financial) consequences. It is therefore ideal to outsource to specialists in the field, allowing you to focus on your core activities.
Fast and correct payment of your staff, which gives internal motivation and satisfaction a strong boost.
expert advice on socio-legal issues that you will face in your company sooner or later. From recruitment to dismissal: the legislation on these topics is changing rapidly and becoming increasingly complex. Correct follow-up ensures that you are always legally compliant and do not have to pay expensive fines.
Become a full-fledged sparring partner for your social secretariat
A lot of employers and employees make efforts to keep abreast of the basics when it comes to social legislation. Social secretariat experts are happy to share their expertise with them. If you add to that info yourself with extra training and education (often through free client seminars organised by social secretariats), you become a fully-fledged sparring partner.
Moreover, this synergy ensures that, as an entrepreneur, you can properly anticipate changing socio-legal rules of play. And that proactive approach in turn gives you an edge over competitors to get and keep good employees on board in the current war for talent.
Good to know...
The government also likes to see cooperation between employers and social secretariats. Because social secretariats offer the government the guarantee that government contributions are correctly collected from employer and employee and punctually forwarded to the government. And so in the end, everyone wins when using a social secretariat.
