Educational leave
For whom?
The law provides a right to paid educational leave for private-sector employees.
Is your company located in Flanders?
Unfortunately, we are currently unable to work with the new Flemish system of educational leave. Since the reform of the VOV (Vlaams opleidingsverlof), as with other schools in the French Community, it is impossible for us to be recognized by the Flemish government (despite what the latter claims…). This situation is scandalous, and the French Community is trying to solve the problem.
You work part-time ...
In this case, you can use your educational leave during the hours you normally work, in proportion to your working hours.
How many days off?
n principle, the number of hours to which you are entitled is the same as the number of hours actually attended. A 50-minute lesson entitles you to one hour of educational leave (60 min.). However, the number of hours is limited to 80 hours, i.e. 10 days of 8 hours each.
The 120-period general training module in French, Dutch or German entitles you to 130 hours off work (+/- 16 days).
What is paid educational leave?
To put it simply, educational leave enables you to take training courses “at the expense of the Belgian State” (i.e. your employer must request reimbursement for your paid educational leave from Bruxelles Economie et Emploi). Your employer won’t pay your tu ition fees for you, but you’ll get time off to take your courses. (However, be careful… there is a ceiling on the reimbursement)
What is the purpose of leave?
The aim is to raise the level of development of the working population and enable everyone to improve their knowledge. Economic life can only improve with a well-trained workforce.
Contact:
Bruxelles Economie et Emploi, Direction de la Politique de l’Emploi, Cellule congé-éducation payé
- Boulevard du Jardin Botanique 20, 1035 Brussels
- Services are available between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- http://werk-economie-emploi.brussels/fr/conge-education-paye
- 02 /204.16.30
When can you take educational leave?
You can’t just decide to take them whenever it suits you. If you’re thinking of saving your educational leave for a sabbatical year, you’re wrong!
Your educational leave depends on the course you choose:
- Or you can follow a training program that follows the school calendar. In this case, your educational leave must fall between the start of the school year and the exam period. If you fail in the first session (don’t worry, it happens even to the best), you can extend your educational leave until the end of the second session, but you’ll need a certificate from the school for your employer.
- If the course you choose does not follow the school calendar, you can take your educational leave between the start and end of the course.
- For the preparation and sitting of examinations before the Central Jury, paid educational leave must be taken between the 15th day following submission of the certificate of regular registration for the examination session and the end of the session.