N-VA wants medical certificates mandatory from first sick day
- Workers in Belgium face the prospect of tougher rules for taking time off when sick.
- Under current regulations established earlier, employees are permitted to take up to two sickness days per year without presenting an official doctor's note.
- The party previously warned against potential misuse when the rule was first relaxed four years ago.
Workers in Belgium face the prospect of tougher rules for taking time off when sick. A new legislative proposal introduced by the N-VA aims to make medical certificates mandatory starting from the very first day of illness.
N-VA Pushes to Scrap Two-Day Unattended Sick Leave
Surging Absences Fuel Parliamentary Push
Under current regulations established earlier, employees are permitted to take up to two sickness days per year without presenting an official doctor’s note. The N-VA proposal aims to abolish this threshold entirely.
The party previously warned against potential misuse when the rule was first relaxed four years ago. Now, it links that concern directly to recent workforce data.
Figures from the personnel service provider Securex show that in workplaces where the attestation requirement was removed, single-day absences surged by nearly 68 percent in 2024. Citing these numbers, the N-VA argues that the existing policy is insufficient to curb absenteeism.
Solo Legislative Bid Headed for Expert Review
The N-VA submitted the legislative text without prior agreement from its governing coalition partners.
Following its introduction, the responsible social committee in the parliamentary chamber referred the proposal to a panel of experts. This formal review must occur before any further legislative action takes place.
Business Groups Rally Behind Employer Relief
The initiative has drawn immediate support from business groups.
The Flemish employers’ organization Voka publicly welcomed the N-VA proposal. The group stated that the regulation should never have been altered four years ago, according to belga/moko reporting.