Parental leave

Each parent is entitled to 4 months of parental leave per child (to be taken until the child turns 12), full-time, half-time, one-fifth or one-tenth, with a national employment office benefit as compensation. Your employer cannot refuse the leave, only briefly postpone it.

The forms of leave

Four full-time-equivalent months per parent per child, taken flexibly: 4 months full-time, 8 months half-time, 20 months one day a week (one-fifth), or half a day a week (one-tenth, with employer agreement). Combining and spreading in blocks is allowed. Condition: 12 months of seniority with your employer in the 15 months before the request, and take-up before the child's twelfth birthday (21 with a disability).

Benefit and protection

During the leave the national employment office pays a flat interruption benefit (to be requested there; amounts per form on its site). You are protected against dismissal from the written request until three months after the end; dismissal for reasons related to the leave costs the employer a protection indemnity. You continue building seniority and return to your role or an equivalent one.

Combining smartly in practice

Many technical profiles take one-fifth: one fixed free day a week, four days working. In shift systems that requires alignment with the planning; discuss it early and in writing. Besides parental leave there are birth leave (for the partner), time credit with a care motive, and the Flemish incentive premium that can top up the benefit.