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Understand · Payroll glossary

What is holiday pay?

Updated on

Holiday pay is the pay for your holidays: single holiday pay covers your days off, double holiday pay is an extra payment usually made in May or June. In 2026: 92% and 15.38% (a white-collar worker’s double holiday pay (92% of a month’s gross pay) and a blue-collar worker’s holiday pay (15.38% of annual gross pay grossed up to 108%)). In Dutch: vakantiegeld.

Definition of holiday pay

It depends on the previous year’s work. A white-collar worker receives holiday pay from their employer: single holiday pay is their normal salary during the holidays, double holiday pay is 92% of a month’s gross pay.

A blue-collar worker receives it from the ONVA/RJV or a holiday fund: 15.38% of their previous year’s gross pay grossed up to 108%, single and double holiday pay included. In the public sector, each administration has its own rules.

The key figure in 2026

92% and 15.38%A white-collar worker’s double holiday pay (92% of a month’s gross pay) and a blue-collar worker’s holiday pay (15.38% of annual gross pay grossed up to 108%)

Source: Calcul du pécule de vacances des ouvriers, ONVA/RJV. 2027 amount: not yet published. This entry will be updated as soon as it is.

Worked example

StatusGrossNet
White-collar worker: double holiday pay€2,760.00€1,471.32
Blue-collar worker: holiday pay from the fund€5,979.74€4,280.02
Holiday pay for €3,000 gross a month in the previous year (Indexo calculation).

The white-collar worker also receives their normal salary during their holidays (single holiday pay); for the blue-collar worker, everything is included in the fund’s payment.

In Dutch: vakantiegeld

On a Dutch-language payslip or statement, holiday pay is called ‘vakantiegeld’; on a French-language one, ‘pécule de vacances’. On Indexo’s English pages: holiday pay.

Dutch term taken from: NSSO, CSC/ACV (secondary source).

Not to be confused with…

  • Year-end bonus: an annual bonus paid in December, whose amount and conditions depend on your joint committee.
  • Days of leave: holiday pay is the money; leave is the time: 20 days for a full year on a five-day week.

Calculate it for your situation

Double holiday pay, 13th month, bonus: net pay, withholding tax on non-recurring pay and the payment date.

Bonuses and holiday pay: how much net?

Related terms

Sources

Parameters in force on 1 October 2026. Each parameter links to its source, the official one where it exists; a secondary source is flagged as such.