Calculating notice periods in Belgium: complete 2026 guide

You're sitting at your desk with a calculator and one question: how many weeks of notice do I have to give? The employee has been with you for ten years. Started in 2012. And now it gets complicated.

Let's be honest: the system is complex. Especially when the employment contract predates 2014, when the click system applies. But once you understand the logic, it all becomes a lot clearer.

In this article you'll learn exactly how to calculate a notice period. With the full table, worked examples and the new rules for 2026.

What exactly is a notice period?

A notice period is the time between the moment of dismissal and the actual end of the employment contract. During this period the employee simply keeps working and keeps receiving their salary.

Why does this system exist? It gives both parties breathing room. The employee has time to look for a new job. The employer can find a replacement and organise the handover.

Since the single employment status of 2014, the same notice periods apply to blue-collar and white-collar workers. That was a major simplification. But for employees who were already on the payroll before that date, there's a transitional arrangement. More on that later.

Notice period table for employers

When the employer dismisses someone, the notice period depends on seniority: the longer someone has been employed, the longer the notice. These are the periods for employment contracts that started on or after 1 January 2014:

0 to 2 years of seniority:

• 0 to 3 months: 1 week
• 3 to 6 months: 4 weeks
• 6 to 9 months: 6 weeks
• 9 to 12 months: 7 weeks
• 12 to 15 months: 8 weeks
• 15 to 18 months: 9 weeks
• 18 to 21 months: 10 weeks
• 21 to 24 months: 11 weeks

2 to 10 years of seniority:

• 2 to 3 years: 12 weeks
• 3 to 4 years: 13 weeks
• 4 to 5 years: 15 weeks
• 5 to 6 years: 18 weeks
• 6 to 7 years: 21 weeks
• 7 to 8 years: 24 weeks
• 8 to 9 years: 27 weeks
• 9 to 10 years: 30 weeks

From 10 years of seniority:

• 10 to 11 years: 33 weeks
• 11 to 12 years: 36 weeks
• 12 to 13 years: 39 weeks
• And so on: +3 weeks per year up to year 20
• From year 20: +2 weeks per year
• From year 21: +1 week per year

An employee with 15 years of seniority is entitled to 48 weeks of notice. That's almost a year. In our experience, employers regularly get a shock when they see these periods for longer-serving staff.

Notice period when the employee resigns

When employees resign themselves, they have to observe far shorter periods. Since October 2023, a maximum notice period of 13 weeks applies, regardless of seniority. This applies to blue-collar and white-collar workers alike.

The periods when the employee resigns:

• 0 to 3 months: 1 week
• 3 to 6 months: 2 weeks
• 6 to 12 months: 3 weeks
• 12 to 18 months: 4 weeks
• 18 to 24 months: 5 weeks
• 2 to 4 years: 6 weeks
• 4 to 5 years: 7 weeks
• 5 to 6 years: 9 weeks
• 6 to 7 years: 10 weeks
• 7 to 8 years: 12 weeks
• 8 years and more: 13 weeks

Important: these periods apply to all employees, including those who started before 2014. The click system has been abolished for employees who resign themselves.

The click system: employees hired before 2014

Here's where it gets legal. But it's crucial to understand.

For employees who joined before 1 January 2014 and who are dismissed by the employer, the click system applies. The notice period is then made up of two parts that you add together.

Part I: calculated on the basis of seniority up to 31 December 2013, under the old rules that applied back then.

Part II: calculated on the basis of seniority from 1 January 2014, under the new table above.

How to calculate Part I

For Part I you have to go back in time. You calculate the notice period as if the dismissal had taken place on 31 December 2013. Which rules applied then?

For white-collar workers (before 2014):

• Annual salary up to €32,254: 3 months per started period of 5 years of seniority
• Annual salary above €32,254: 1 month per started year of seniority, minimum 3 months

For blue-collar workers (before 2014):

This varied by sector and was often shorter. Consult the specific collective labour agreements (CLAs) that applied at the time for your Joint Committee.

How to calculate Part II

Part II is simpler. You use the standard table, but you act as if the employee started on 1 January 2014. So you count only the seniority from that date onwards.

Click system example

A white-collar worker has been with your company since 1 March 2010. On 1 February 2026 you dismiss them. Their gross salary on 31/12/2013 was higher than €32,254.

Part I (up to 31/12/2013): Seniority = 3 years and 10 months (March 2010 to December 2013) For higher salaries: 1 month per started year = 4 months

Part II (from 01/01/2014): Seniority = 12 years and 1 month (January 2014 to February 2026) According to the table: 39 weeks

Total: 4 months + 39 weeks = roughly 56 weeks

These are calculations you don't want to rush through. Our HR experts handle questions on this topic every day and regularly spot small calculation errors.

Part II increase in 2026

Every year, Part II of the notice period rises by 3 weeks. This is a transitional arrangement that runs until the new periods are fully in place.

• In 2024: Part II was capped at 33 weeks
• In 2025: Part II was capped at 36 weeks
• In 2026: Part II is capped at 39 weeks

This means the notice period for employees who fall under the click system gets a little longer each year, until the system is fully phased out.

New 2026 rules: the 52-week ceiling

The Arizona government has announced a ceiling of 52 weeks on the notice period. But watch out: this applies only to new employment contracts concluded from 1 January 2026 onwards.

For existing contracts, nothing changes. If your employee was already on the payroll before 2026, the current rules keep applying. That employee can, over time, genuinely build up a notice period of more than 52 weeks.

In practice, this ceiling will only become noticeable from 2043, when the first employees on new contracts have been employed long enough.

Shorter notice in the first 6 months

Another change for 2026: for new contracts, a notice period of just 1 week applies during the first 6 months. This applies to both the employer and the employee.

This looks like a return of the trial period, albeit in a different form. For employers, it makes hiring new staff less risky.

When does the notice period start?

The notice period always begins on the Monday following the week in which notification takes place. Not the day of notification itself.

This is the key point that trips up many employers.

By registered letter: Notification takes place on the third working day after posting. Working days are all days except Sundays and public holidays.

Concrete example: you send the registered dismissal letter on Monday 3 February. Notification then takes place on Thursday 6 February (the third working day). The notice period starts on Monday 10 February.

By bailiff's writ: Notification takes immediate effect at the moment the bailiff hands it over.

By signature on receipt: The same as with a bailiff: immediate effect on the day of signing.

Want the notice period to start next Monday? Then you have to send the registered letter no later than Wednesday. Pay extra attention if there's a public holiday in between.

How to give notice correctly

The employer must serve the dismissal in writing. This can be done in three ways:

1. Registered letter - the most common
2. Writ served by a judicial officer (bailiff) - more expensive but faster
3. Signed document - only if the employee signs on receipt

The dismissal letter must contain the following elements:

• The start of the notice period (date)
• The duration of the notice period
• The employer's signature

When the employee resigns, the same formal requirements apply. The employee must also give notice in writing, stating the notice period.

Want to know more about the full dismissal procedure? Read our article on giving notice as an employer.

Illness during the notice period

What happens if the employee falls ill during the notice period? That depends on who gave notice.

Dismissal by the employer: the notice period is suspended. The clock stops for as long as the employee is unfit for work. Once they recover, the remaining period simply carries on.

Resignation by the employee: the notice period keeps running. Illness does not suspend it.

This distinction makes sense. The legislator wants to prevent an employer from dismissing an employee who could then drag things out endlessly by falling ill. But if the employee leaves of their own accord, that's their own choice.

Other grounds for suspension that only stop the clock in the case of employer dismissal:

• Annual leave
• Maternity leave
• Occupational accidents
• Economic unemployment

Counter-notice: leaving early as employee

An employee who has been dismissed can choose to leave earlier through a counter-notice. This is a shortened notice period of no more than 4 weeks.

The employee must serve this counter-notice in writing. The upside? They can start with their new employer sooner without having to pay compensation in lieu of notice.

The counter-notice periods:

• Up to 3 months of seniority: 1 week
• 3 to 6 months: 2 weeks
• 6 to 12 months: 3 weeks
• More than 12 months: 4 weeks

This is handy for employees who have already found a new job. As an employer, there's not much you can do about it except accept the shortened period.

Termination with pay: the fast route

Sometimes you don't want to wait for the notice period to end. In that case you can terminate the employment contract immediately by paying compensation in lieu of notice.

The compensation in lieu of notice equals the salary the employee would have earned during the remaining notice period. Including holiday pay, the end-of-year bonus and other benefits.

Weekly salary calculation: Monthly salary x 3 / 13 = weekly salary

Example: Gross salary of €3,000 per month. Notice period of 15 weeks. Weekly salary: 3,000 x 3 / 13 = €692.31 Compensation in lieu of notice: 692.31 x 15 = €10,384.65 gross

You have to pay this amount in a single instalment at the next payroll run.

Want to be sure your calculation is correct? With Recruit, we automatically work out the correct compensation in lieu of notice based on the employee's seniority and full salary package.

Special situations

Dismissal during illness

You're allowed to dismiss an employee while they're ill. But you can never dismiss them because of the illness itself. That's discrimination based on health status.

In practice, as an employer you need to be able to show that the dismissal has another reason, such as a reorganisation or underperformance that was already an issue before the illness.

Job-search leave

During the notice period, the employee is entitled to job-search leave. This is paid leave to look for work or follow training.

• Last 26 weeks of notice: 1 day per week or 2 half-days
• Earlier: 1 half-day per week

Protected employees

Some employees enjoy protection against dismissal: pregnant workers, staff representatives, prevention advisers. Stricter rules and higher compensation apply to them in the event of wrongful dismissal.

Frequently asked questions

Does seniority with a previous employer count?

No, seniority is calculated from the start with the current employer. Unless there's a transfer of undertaking in which the employment contract was transferred.

What if I calculate the notice period incorrectly?

If the notice period is too short, you have to pay the difference as compensation in lieu of notice. The employee can claim this, if necessary through the labour court.

Can the employer and employee agree on a shorter period?

For dismissal by the employer: no, you can't go below the statutory minimum period. For resignation by the employee: this is possible by mutual agreement, but put it in writing.

What about payroll employees?

The notice period is calculated on the basis of seniority with the payroll company. Read more in our article on calculating seniority.

Can the employee shorten the notice period with leave?

Leave taken does not suspend the notice period when it's the employee who resigned. In the case of employer dismissal, leave does suspend the period.

In short

Calculating a notice period demands attention to detail. Especially for employees who have been on the payroll a long time or who started before 2014. The click system makes it extra complex.

The key points:

• The notice period depends on seniority and on who gives notice
• For employees hired before 2014, the click system applies (Part I + Part II)
• Dismissal by the employee: 13 weeks maximum
• The period starts on the Monday after the week of notification
• Illness only suspends the period in the case of employer dismissal
• From 2026: a ceiling of 52 weeks for new contracts

When in doubt, have an HR expert take a look. A wrong calculation can turn out expensive.

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The information in this article is purely informative and does not replace professional legal or accounting advice. Labour legislation changes regularly. Always consult the current legislation or contact an HR expert for advice tailored to your situation. Please note: the rules may differ per Joint Committee and sector. This article gives general guidelines based on the legislation as known in February 2026.