Labour law acknowledges the unequal power relationship between employee and employer, with a certain degree of subordination considered inherent in any employment relationship. This subordination leads to a position of dependency of the employee on the employer. Where the degree of dependence exceeds the limits of what is acceptable and significantly increases the risk of exploitation, both in and out of the workplace, it may fall within the scope of a criminal prosecution for human trafficking. However, the prosecution of this crime – especially human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation – is complicated by the complex legal definition used by Belgian law. This leads to a sense of impunity, whereby criminal activity with a high profit margin allows perpetrators to go unpunished. This article argues that the degree of dependency of a (potential) victim on the trafficker is a relatively underexplored but particularly relevant indicator. Analysis of Belgian case law and the evaluation tools used by frontline anti-trafficking professionals reveals that the existence of dependency is often central to any assessment of the existence of labour exploitation. These findings can contribute to a better understanding and judicial interpretation of the Belgian definition of labour exploitation in human trafficking law as ‘conditions contrary to human dignity’.