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Am I entitled to holidays and holiday pay? What about national holidays?

Holidays and holiday pay

Holidays and holiday pay are only reserved to salaried workers who pay the normal social contributions. As it is, you pay a reduced amount of social contributions (the so-called ‘solidarity contribution’) during the 600 hours of your holiday job. Consequently you are not entitled to holidays and holiday pay.

Public holidays

The situation is different for legal public holidays (Christmas, Easter, national holiday...). You may be entitled to these. There are two possibilities: the public holiday falls either during, or after your job.

For some services in the public sector, a different public holiday and holiday regime may exist.

More info on Fedweb (in french) (new window)

During your job

If the public holiday falls within the period of your contract, your employer is obliged to pay you a salary for this day.

After your job

If the public holiday falls after the end of your contract, it may be that you are still entitled to the payment of your salary, depending on how long you have been working.

  • Have you worked less than 15 days? Then your employer does not need to pay the public holiday.
  • Have you worked between 15 days and one month without interruption? In that case your employer has to pay your salary for one public holiday that falls within the 14 days following the end of the contract or the employment period.
  • Have you worked for more than a month without interruption? In that case your employer has to pay your salary for the public holidays falling within the 30 days following the end of the contract or the employment period.