In Belgium since 2014, CheckIn@Work has become a central component of the legal framework for construction companies. The goal is simple: to know who is present on the job site. These requirements address three major challenges: enhancing on-site safety, combating social fraud, and ensuring greater transparency for all stakeholders in the sector.
This applies to general contractors as well as subcontractors, staffing agencies, and independent contractors working on the job site. Every presence must be reliably recorded, whether it's a laborer, a site manager, or an external service provider. For a construction company, the stakes are very real: legal compliance, reduced risk of penalties, better team tracking, and a clearer view of daily operations.
When implemented with the right tools, these measures should not be seen as an additional burden, but as an opportunity to streamline your processes. Modern solutions, via fixed terminals, smartphones, or tablets, enable automated check-ins, centralized data, and simplified administrative work. You gain professionalism, responsiveness, and credibility with your partners, while providing your teams with a safer and more transparent work environment.
A Simple Guide to CheckIn@Work in Belgium
CheckIn@Work is a Belgian legal requirement that mandates the recording of the presence of workers on certain temporary or mobile construction sites. It involves an electronic registration, completed before work begins, that allows authorities to know who is present on the site, when, and for which employer. This system is part of the social security framework and the fight against social security fraud, while being designed to be user-friendly for businesses.
It applies to construction and real estate projects exceeding €500,000. Registration can be completed through various channels (app, website, badge, etc.), legally by the worker themselves but generally, in practice, by the employer or the client.
The goal is not to complicate matters but to ensure a clear, transparent, and secure framework for everyone involved on the construction site.
CheckIn@Work applies to everyone working on a construction site: employees, laborers, independent contractors, company executives, and subcontractors. As soon as someone begins working on the site, they must be registered—even if they are only there for a few hours—to accurately reflect the situation on the ground. This transparency helps better protect workers' social rights, ensures that everyone is properly registered, and enhances safety on the job site, particularly in the event of an accident or emergency evacuation.
This system was implemented in 2014 to combat illegal employment, unfair competition, and social security fraud. In practice, when properly organized, CheckIn@Work integrates easily into a company's daily procedures. It provides a reassuring framework: everyone knows who is present and in what capacity, and authorities have access to reliable information without having to increase on-site inspections.
In summary :
- A legal requirement for certain temporary or mobile construction sites.
- Electronic attendance tracking for Social Security purposes.
- Applies to employees, workers, self-employed individuals, and subcontractors.
- A tool to combat social security fraud and undeclared work.
- Enhances transparency, traceability, and safety on the construction site.
How CheckIn@Work Works on Construction Sites
CheckIn@Work is a mandatory electronic system for recording the presence of individuals at certain temporary or mobile worksites. It aims to simplify attendance tracking, combat illegal employment, and reduce the administrative burden through data centralization. In practice, every person present on the worksite (employer, subcontractor, employee, or independent contractor) must be registered in the system set up by the ONSS before beginning work, using various digital tools adapted to on-site conditions.
Registration must be completed before arriving at the site. It is not necessary to re-enter data during the day if the person remains on-site, which reduces the administrative burden. In the event of leaving and returning on the same day (for example, to retrieve equipment), a new registration is not required.
The data entered is intentionally limited to reduce the administrative burden: identification of the worksite, identification of the individual and their employer, as well as the date and time of registration. No detailed information about the tasks performed is requested, which greatly simplifies the procedure.
Several channels can be used for registration to adapt to on-site realities: official or company mobile apps, online platforms accessible via a browser, kiosks or fixed terminals installed at the construction site entrance, badges or time cards scanned upon arrival, or even integration with existing access control systems. The goal is for each client to be able to choose the simplest tool for their teams and subcontractors, while complying with legal requirements.
The General Contractor (principal) is responsible for ensuring that the construction site is properly registered with the ONSS and that the time-keeping system is set up and operational. The General Contractor also ensures that procedures are clear and documented to prevent duplicate entries and errors.
If attendance tracking is managed on-site, employers are required to provide their workers with a form of identification compatible with the tracking system used at the construction site.
The worker, whether an employee or a self-employed individual, must personally verify that their attendance is properly recorded before beginning work.
Employers must ensure that every worker they employ is correctly recorded each day in the ONSS database. They can automate part of the process, for example through pre-registered staff lists or integrated time-clock systems, which significantly reduces the daily administrative burden.
In practice, for the worker, this is often a simple process that takes just a few seconds: opening an app or simply swiping a badge in front of a reader.
For the employer, however, this can be more problematic, especially if they are responsible for and bear full responsibility for registering their staff.
Benefits and Challenges of CheckIn@Work
CheckIn@Work offers real benefits to businesses. By systematically tracking attendance at job sites or workplaces, it enhances legal compliance and makes it easier to track teams. Managers have a clear overview of the workforce present, which improves planning, task coordination, and subcontractor management. This transparency reduces disputes, simplifies audits, and reinforces the company's reputation for reliability among its clients, partners, and government agencies.
For workers, CheckIn@Work contributes to better social protection and increased safety. Days worked are more easily verifiable, which limits the risks of undeclared work and loss of social benefits. In the event of an accident, official attendance records on the job site facilitate the recognition of the accident as a workplace injury and coverage by insurance. The traceability of attendance also improves evacuation and emergency procedures, as it is known precisely who is on site at all times.
For the government, CheckIn@Work is an essential tool in the fight against undeclared work and social security fraud. Attendance data makes it easier to detect irregularities, target inspections, and ensure fair competition among businesses. This system thus contributes to a more transparent market, where everyone adheres to the same rules and obligations.
Failure to comply with CheckIn@Work obligations, however, can have serious consequences: administrative sanctions, fines, increased inspections, loss of accreditation, or even damage to the company's reputation. Repeated violations can also complicate relationships with clients and authorities. It is therefore crucial to establish a clear organizational structure, simple procedures, and appropriate tools to ensure accurate and systematic attendance tracking.
Adopt a simple CheckIn@Work solution today.
