Belgium Holiday Pay: What Workers Need to Know

Belgian workers affected by temporary unemployment during the COVID-19 crisis received special protection for their annual holiday pay. An agreement reached by trade unions and employers in 2020 aimed to ensure that temporary unemployment would not unfairly reduce workers’ holiday entitlements in 2021.

However, the measure was linked to the pandemic and specific periods. It should not be interpreted as a guarantee that every worker in Belgium will receive full holiday pay in 2027.

Belgium’s Holiday Pay Agreement Explained

In 2020, Belgium’s National Labour Council (NAR), which brings together representatives of employers and trade unions, reached an agreement on annual holiday entitlements for workers affected by the pandemic.

Under the arrangements, certain days of temporary unemployment due to COVID-19 were treated as equivalent to days worked when calculating annual holiday pay and holiday entitlement.

The measure was designed to protect workers whose employers had temporarily suspended their activities because of the health crisis.

Without this protection, some employees could have received less holiday pay or accumulated fewer paid holiday days because they had been unable to work.

The Belgian government introduced specific legal measures to implement these arrangements. The rules applied to defined periods rather than creating a permanent entitlement for all workers.

Who Was Eligible for Holiday Pay Protection?

The special arrangements applied to eligible employees who experienced temporary unemployment because of the COVID-19 pandemic during the periods covered by the relevant rules.

Temporary unemployment allows employees to suspend work temporarily under certain conditions while receiving unemployment benefits through Belgium’s unemployment system.

During the pandemic, the government introduced exceptional measures to help workers and businesses cope with shutdowns and reduced economic activity.

Recognizing certain periods of temporary unemployment for annual holiday calculations helped protect workers from losing holiday entitlements because of circumstances beyond their control.

What About Holiday Pay in 2027?

Workers should not assume that the 2020 agreement automatically guarantees full holiday pay in 2027.

In Belgium, annual holiday entitlement generally depends on the work performed during the previous calendar year, including periods that legislation specifically treats as equivalent to work. The applicable rules can vary depending on a worker’s employment status and circumstances.

Employees who experienced temporary unemployment should check which periods count toward their holiday entitlement and how their holiday pay is calculated.

For current information, workers can consult Belgium’s Federal Public Service Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue or ask their employer, payroll department, trade union or holiday-pay fund.

Belgium introduced special holiday-pay protections during the COVID-19 crisis to help workers affected by temporary unemployment. These measures protected eligible employees during specific periods, but they do not establish a universal guarantee of full holiday pay for every worker in 2027.

Anyone who wants to know how much holiday pay they can expect should check the rules that apply to their employment situation and the periods they worked or spent in temporary unemployment.