Public holidays in 2023
As 2022 is gradually coming to an end, we want to provide you with an overview of the Belgian public holidays for 2023, and a reminder of the rules applicable to replacement days.
Public holidays in 2023
New Year's Day Sunday, January 1st 2023
Easter Monday Monday, April 10th 2023
Labour Day Monday, May 1st 2023
Ascension Day Thursday, May 18th 2023
Whit Monday Monday, May 29th 2023
Belgian National Holiday Friday, July 21st 2023
Assumption Day Tuesday, August 15th 2023
All Saints’ Day Wednesday, November 1st 2023
Armistice Day Saturday, November 11th 2023
Christmas Monday, December 25th 2023
Applicable rules
In theory, in Belgium, employees cannot work on public holidays.
If a public holiday falls on a Sunday or another day which is normally a non-working day (usually a Saturday), it must be replaced by a replacement day on a normal working day. The employer, however, is obliged to pay the employee a normal salary for that holiday. In the list above, the public holidays that fall on a non-working day in the course of 2023, have been marked in bold. Employees are entitled to two replacement days in 2023: one for New Year's Day (1 January) and Armistice Day (11 November).
The law of January 4, 1974 provides for the manner in which replacement days should be determined. In theory, the Joint Industrial Committee competent for each sector, may decide when replacement days shall fall, but we don’t see this very often in practice. If the Joint Industrial Committee has not taken its decision before October 1, 2022, each company may decide for itself when the replacement days for its employees will fall in 2023. The company may take that decision in one of the following ways:
- By the Works Council;
- If the company has no Works Council, by agreement between the union representatives and the employer;
- If the company has a Works Council nor union representatives, by agreement between all the employees and the employer;
- If no agreement can be reached for the whole company, individual agreements may be drawn up between the employer and each employee.
If replacement days cannot be decided upon using one of the solutions above, they automatically fall on the next normal working day following the public holiday (usually a Monday).
Employers must inform their employees of the replacement days for 2023 by displaying a signed and dated document on the company premises before December 15, 2022. A sample of such a document can be obtained from your Payroll Business Partner at Pro-Pay.
