Leave in Belgium

Leave Entitlement in Belgium

Belgium has comprehensive regulations regarding leave entitlements, which include annual holidays, bank holidays, and various types of paid and unpaid leave for specific circumstances. Leave entitlements are primarily governed by Belgian labour law and collective bargaining agreements (CLAs), which can provide additional benefits. Both full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid leave, with the amount of leave typically being based on the number of days worked in the previous year. Employers are responsible for keeping track of leave and ensuring that employees can take their entitled days off.

Holiday entitlement

Full-time employees in Belgium are entitled to a minimum of 20 days of paid annual leave if they work a five-day workweek (or 24 days for those working a six-day workweek). These entitlements are calculated based on the employee's performance during the previous year (referred to as the "holiday reference year"). Employees accrue holiday rights through the number of days worked or equivalent periods during the reference year.

Employers must grant employees their full leave entitlement within the calendar year. If the leave is not taken, it cannot generally be carried over to the next year unless the employee was prevented from taking leave due to special circumstances (such as illness). The holiday allowance (a double payment, essentially) must also be provided by the employer or a relevant sectoral vacation fund (for blue-collar workers).

Bank holiday

Belgium has 10 public holidays that are required by law.

Holiday calendar

Additional holidays

In some industries or sectors, additional holidays may be granted based on collective labour agreements (CLAs). In such cases, companies may grant extra days off, especially if public holidays fall on weekends.

Types of Leave in Belgium

Sick leave

All employees in Belgium who fall ill or are injured are entitled to 30 days of paid sick leave at full salary, after that period the employee receives a percentage of their salary from social security. Employees must inform their employer as soon as possible about their illness or injury, with no specific waiting period.

Parental leave

Employees with at least 12 months of service and who have a child under 12 years old (or 21 years old in the case of children with disabilities) are entitled to up to 4 months of parental leave per parent, per child. This can be taken full-time or part-time and is available to both mothers and fathers. 

Employees can take parental leave in one of the following formats:

• Four months of full-time leave
• Eight months of half-time leave
• 20 months of one-fifth leave (one day off per week)

Maternity leave

Maternity leave includes 15 weeks of paid time off, with the possibility to extend for multiple births. Six weeks (or seven for multiple births) can be taken before the expected due date, and nine weeks can be taken after childbirth. A mother must take at least one week of pre-birth leave and nine weeks of post-birth leave. All pregnant female employees are entitled to maternity leave, with payments provided through the social security system.

Paternity leave (co-parent leave)

Fathers or co-parents of newborns, regardless of whether they are married or in a legally recognised partnership, are entitled to paid leave following the birth of their child. Paternity or co-parent leave provides 10 days off, which can be taken at any point within the first four months after the child's birth. These 10 days may be taken consecutively or split into multiple segments.

Time credit (career break)

Employees may take a career break or reduce their working hours under the time credit system, allowing flexible working arrangements. The duration varies but typically ranges from 6 to 12 months, depending on the purpose.

Time credit allows employees to stop working temporarily or reduce their hours for personal reasons. It can be taken for care of family members, further education, or personal reasons. The social security system provides a limited monthly benefit during the time credit period.

Employees with a certain length of service (usually at least 2 years) can apply for time credit leave.

Training leave

Employers are required to provide paid leave for employees attending recognised training courses related to their professional development. This includes vocational training and certain types of academic programs approved by the government.

Employers must honour this benefit, but employees are typically required to give advance notice and demonstrate that the training aligns with the professional skills required for their current or future roles.