Notice periods - employment contract from 01/01/2014 onward - dismissal by the employer

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    For employment contracts whose execution started on 1 January 2014 or later, the applicable notice period for dismissal of a worker by the employer is determined in accordance with the tables below. 

    The applicable notice periods for such employment contracts are identical for manual workers and for employees.

    A distinction must, however, be made according to whether the execution of the employment contract started before 1 June 2026, as from 1 June 2026 and before 1 August 2026, or as from 1 August 2026.

    Employment contracts whose execution started as from 1 January 2014 and before 1 June 2026:

    Seniority

    Notice period (in weeks)

    From 0 to less than 3 months

    1

    From 3 months to less than 4 months

    3

    From 4 months to less than 5 months

    4

    From 5 months to less than 6 months

    5

    From 6 months to less than 9 months

    6

    From 9 months to less than 12 months

    7

    From 12 months to less than 15 months

    8

    From 15 months to less than 18 months

    9

    From 18 months to less than 21 months

    10

    From 21 months to less than 24 months

    11

    From 2 years to less than 3 years

    12

    From 3 years to less than 4 years

    13

    From 4 years to less than 5 years

    15

    From 5 years to less than 6 years

    18

    From 6 years to less than 7 years

    21

    From 7 years to less than 8 years

    24

    From 8 years to less than 9 years

    27

    From 9 years to less than 10 years

    30

    From 10 years to less than 11 years

    33

    From 11 years to less than 12 years

    36

    From 12 years to less than 13 years

    39

    From 13 years to less than 14 years

    42

    From 14 years to less than 15 years

    45

    From 15 years to less than 16 years

    48

    From 16 years to less than 17 years

    51

    From 17 years to less than 18 years

    54

    From 18 years to less than 19 years

    57

    From 19 years to less than 20 years

    60

    From 20 years to less than 21 years

    62

    From 21 years to less than 22 years

    63

    From 22 years to less than 23 years

    64

    From 23 years to less than 24 years

    65

    ...

     

    Example: A worker is hired on 1 March 2014 with an open-ended employment contract. He is dismissed with a notice period starting on 1 September 2014. Taking into account that seniority is calculated starting from a specific date until the day before that same date, the worker has acquired 6 months of seniority (starting from 1 March 2014 - first day of the employment relation - until 31 August 2014 - last day before the start of the notice period). They therefore fall into the category of 6 months to less than 9 months of seniority. The employer must respect a notice period of 6 weeks.

    Employment contracts whose execution started as from 1 June 2026 and before 1 August 2026

    For these employment contracts, the same table applies, with the notice period being capped at 52 weeks as from 17 years of seniority.

    Seniority

    Notice period (in weeks)

    From 0 to less than 3 months

    1

    From 3 months to less than 4 months

    3

    From 4 months to less than 5 months

    4

    From 5 months to less than 6 months

    5

    From 6 months to less than 9 months

    6

    From 9 months to less than 12 months

    7

    From 12 months to less than 15 months

    8

    From 15 months to less than 18 months

    9

    From 18 months to less than 21 months

    10

    From 21 months to less than 24 months

    11

    From 2 years to less than 3 years

    12

    From 3 years to less than 4 years

    13

    From 4 years to less than 5 years

    15

    From 5 years to less than 6 years

    18

    From 6 years to less than 7 years

    21

    From 7 years to less than 8 years

    24

    From 8 years to less than 9 years

    27

    From 9 years to less than 10 years

    30

    From 10 years to less than 11 years

    33

    From 11 years to less than 12 years

    36

    From 12 years to less than 13 years

    39

    From 13 years to less than 14 years

    42

    From 14 years to less than 15 years

    45

    From 15 years to less than 16 years

    48

    From 16 years to less than 17 years

    51

    From 17 years or more

    52

    Employment contracts whose execution starts as from 1 August 2026

    For these employment contracts, the following table applies, with the notice period amounting to one week during the first six months of seniority and being capped at 52 weeks as from 17 years of seniority.

    Seniority

    Notice period (in weeks)

    From 0 to less than 6 months

    1

    From 6 months to less than 9 months

    6

    From 9 months to less than 12 months

    7

    From 12 months to less than 15 months

    8

    From 15 months to less than 18 months

    9

    From 18 months to less than 21 months

    10

    From 21 months to less than 24 months

    11

    From 2 years to less than 3 years

    12

    From 3 years to less than 4 years

    13

    From 4 years to less than 5 years

    15

    From 5 years to less than 6 years

    18

    From 6 years to less than 7 years

    21

    From 7 years to less than 8 years

    24

    From 8 years to less than 9 years

    27

    From 9 years to less than 10 years

    30

    From 10 years to less than 11 years

    33

    From 11 years to less than 12 years

    36

    From 12 years to less than 13 years

    39

    From 13 years to less than 14 years

    42

    From 14 years to less than 15 years

    45

    From 15 years to less than 16 years

    48

    From 16 years to less than 17 years

    51

    From 17 years or more

    52