Notice and dismissal in 2026: how many weeks, how much net?

How many weeks’ notice?

Since the single status of 1 January 2014, notice depends on your seniority at the start of the notice period, not on your salary or your status as a white-collar or blue-collar worker. Seniority counts from your first day with the employer; temporary agency work directly before the contract, in the same job, counts for one year at most.

Notice starts on the Monday after notification. A registered letter is deemed received on the third working day after it is sent (Sundays and public holidays do not count). The employer must give notice by registered letter or by bailiff’s writ; a letter handed over in person is not valid for the employer.

What changes in 2026

• Ceiling of 52 weeks. The Act of 18 May 2026 (Belgian Official Gazette of 1 June 2026) caps the notice period on dismissal at 52 weeks from 17 years’ seniority, for contracts starting on or after 1 June 2026. Older contracts keep the full scale (54 weeks at 17 years, 62 at 20 years).
• One week during the first six months. The Act of 3 June 2026 (Belgian Official Gazette of 15 June 2026) sets notice at one week during the first six months, for dismissal and resignation alike, when performance of the contract starts on or after 1 August 2026. It brings these six months closer to a probation period, which has remained abolished since 2014.

Payment in lieu of notice: gross and net

Your employer can have you work your notice, or end it immediately by paying you a payment in lieu of notice (in Dutch, opzeggingsvergoeding or verbrekingsvergoeding; in French, ‘indemnité compensatoire de préavis’). It equals your current pay for the length of the notice period: fixed salary, average of variable pay over the last 12 months, year-end bonus, white-collar double holiday pay and benefits (company car, employer’s share of meal vouchers and group insurance). One week equals monthly pay × 3 ÷ 13.

On this payment, the employer deducts social security contributions of 13.07% and a withholding tax specific to severance payments, whose rate depends on the annual pay used for the calculation. The payment is then taxed separately, at the average rate of your previous year’s income, unless taxing it with your other income is more favourable: the difference from the withholding tax is adjusted the following year.

The 2027 withholding tax scale for severance payments has not been published yet (expected at the end of December). The tool will keep the 2026 scale until then.

If you work your notice

Your salary continues as normal until the end of the notice period. To look for a new job, you are entitled to paid time off to look for work: one day (or two half-days) a week if the notice period is 26 weeks or less; beyond that, half a day a week, then one day a week during the last 26 weeks. For part-time work, this leave is reduced pro rata.

If you find a job during a notice period after dismissal, you can leave earlier with a counter-notice: 1 week before 3 months’ seniority, 2 weeks from 3 to 6 months, 3 weeks from 6 to 12 months, 4 weeks after that. During the first six months of a contract that started on or after 1 August 2026, it serves no purpose: the notice period itself is only one week.

With a notice period of at least 30 weeks, one third is used for employability measures (including outplacement). Outplacement is also due from age 45 with one year’s seniority. If you receive a payment of at least 30 weeks, the employer deducts 4 weeks from it for outplacement, between €1,800 and €5,500.

What you receive when you leave

• Departure holiday pay (white-collar workers): 15.34% of the gross pay earned in the year you leave, i.e. 7.67% single holiday pay, 6.80% double holiday pay and 0.87% additional double holiday pay. Blue-collar workers receive their holiday pay from the holiday fund, the following year.
• A pro rata year-end bonus, if your sector or company provides for it. In joint committee 200: on dismissal after 6 months’ seniority (except for serious misconduct), or on resignation after 5 years.
• Public holidays falling within 14 or 30 days after the end of the contract, depending on the case.
• The C4 form (unemployment certificate), which the employer must give you no later than your last working day, whatever the reason for the end of the contract.

Contract started before 2014

On dismissal, the notice period is calculated in two parts, which are not added together in weeks: one part for seniority up to 31 December 2013 (old rules), one part for seniority from 1 January 2014 (single status).

• White-collar workers: part 1 of 3 months per started period of 5 years if annual pay on 31 December 2013 was €32,254 or less; above that, 1 month per started year, at least 3 months.
• Blue-collar workers: general statutory period of 28 days (40 days for a worker hired since 2012 with 6 months’ seniority, 56 days at 20 years for a worker hired before 2012). Many joint committees had their own period on 31 December 2013: check it.

Example published by Securex: a white-collar worker hired at the start of 2013 and dismissed at the start of 2021, with annual pay of €25,380.49, receives 3 months (€6,345.12) plus 24 weeks (€11,714.16), making €18,059.28 gross. Since 28 October 2023, these two parts no longer apply to resignation: it is calculated on total seniority, 13 weeks at most.

You resign

Your notice ranges from 1 week (less than 3 months’ seniority) to 13 weeks (8 years or more). Hand your letter over in person, with a signed copy as receipt, or send it by registered post or by bailiff; it states when the notice starts and how long it lasts. The tool above prepares the letter with your dates. You can also agree in writing with your employer on an earlier end date.

Without another job, think about unemployment: after resigning without a legitimate reason, the National Employment Office (NEO) can exclude you from benefits for 4 to 52 weeks. You can ask for its opinion in advance. Since 1 March 2026, a ‘rebound right’ (droit au rebond) lets you resign once in your career, after 3,120 days of work, without losing your benefits.

Afterwards: unemployment

After dismissal, you can claim unemployment benefits at the end of the notice period, or after the period covered by the payment. For the first three months, the benefit is 65% of capped gross pay, up to €2,828.36 gross a month for a 26-day month (amounts indexed in September 2026). Since 1 March 2026, benefits have been limited in time. See what you gain by going back to work.

What the tool does not calculate

• periods specific to certain sectors, the notice clause for senior white-collar workers signed before 2014 and sector periods for blue-collar workers on 31 December 2013;
• dismissal for serious cause (without notice or payment), collective redundancy, protected employees and notice with a view to retirement;
• compensation for manifestly unreasonable dismissal and other protection payments;
• for blue-collar workers, the exact base for contributions on the payment: have it confirmed by your social secretariat (payroll provider).

Information for guidance only, not legal advice. If in doubt, have your notice checked by your trade union, a lawyer or FPS Employment.

Frequently asked questions

What next?

• Unemployment: back to workWhat you gain by taking up a job, a flexi-job or an activity, month by month.
• Compare two job offersThe net pay and real hourly wage of your next offers, including commuting.
• Check my employment contractThe points to reread before signing your next contract.
• Year-end bonusHow much you get net, and pro rata if you leave.