People often ask us: CDI , managed payroll or freelance ? Here is our honest answer.

Most Belgian companies pick a contract type out of habit rather than out of analysis. The three options serve different needs and carry very different administrative and legal profiles.

Three ways to engage a profile

• Permanent contract: the consultant joins your payroll under CP200 or your own sector agreement.
• Umbrella payroll: the consultant is employed by BSH and works on your project under a service contract.
• Freelance: the consultant invoices you through their own company or as a self employed person.

Five decision criteria

• Duration: fixed scope of a few months, or a role you expect to keep for years.
• Budget structure: salary line with employer charges, or a single deductible service invoice.
• Internal capacity: do you already run payroll, benefits and legal watch for this profile type.
• Attractiveness: what net package the consultant will actually see.
• Exit: how quickly and at what cost the engagement can end.

Which option for which need

Permanent contract for a core internal role with long term ownership. Umbrella payroll for project work, uncertain duration, foreign consultants, and profiles who want employee protection with an optimised package. Freelance for short expert interventions with real independence and multiple clients.

The compliance angle

A freelance consultant working full time on your site, using your equipment, under daily supervision and with a single client is exposed to a false self employment re classification. Your company carries joint liability for back contributions. Umbrella payroll removes that exposure because the consultant already has an employer.