The number of people in Belgium taking parental leave has increased compared to 2023, with the rise being particularly noticeable among dads. This indicates a catch-up effort is being made to narrow the gap between mothers and fathers.
Almost 100,000 people were registered using (paid) parental leave at the end of March 2023, of whom 63,107 were mums (63%) and 36,657 dads (37%), HR service SD Worx reported based on figures from the National Employment Office (RVA) on the occasion of Mother's Day in Belgium on Sunday 12 May.
This represents a marked increase since 2018 when an average of 65,218 parents took parental leave each year, of whom 69% were mums and 31% were dads. The latest figures also show that the gap between mums and dads has narrowed.
Between 2023 and 2024, the percentage of fathers taking parental leave increased by 14%, compared to 7% among mothers. Still, almost twice as many mums take (paid) parental leave.
One-day-a-week reduction or full-time leave
In Belgium, people with children are entitled to two different forms of leave. Firstly, the mother can go on maternity leave after the birth of the child, while the working partner child's mother is entitled to birth leave. Parental leave, on the other hand, applies to both working parents.
Every biological and adoptive parent or co-parent has the right to parental leave in Belgium to dedicate more time to the raising of their children. These people are entitled to either four months of full-time parental leave, but this can also be divided into various periods.
When taken half-time, this amounts to eight months of half-time leave, 20 months when taking one day a week off or 40 months when taking leave one day every two weeks. It is also possible to combine these various periods, and the time off can be taken until the child reaches the age of 12 (or until the age of 21 for parents of children with disabilities).
The latest RVA figures show more than half of parents (51%) opted for a one-day-a-week reduction, known as the 1/5th break. This is followed by the 1/10th break, which is especially popular among fathers (+18%). "More than 80% of dads (82%) take 1/10th and the 1/5th breaks, compared to 64% of mums."
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"The 10 and 20% breaks are attractive for parents who want to combine work and family better," said Anneleen Verstraeten, SD Worx SME legal adviser. "This often offers a practical solution in co-parenting situations and the financial impact remains limited as the parent's gross salary is recalculated to 90 or 80% of full-time wages." The loss of salary is also partly absorbed by an allowance from the RVA.
Full-time and half-time parental leave are twice as successful among mums (36%) as among dads (18%). Among mums, half-time parental leave is especially fast-growing, as this allows them to combine work and raising children.
