What are the key changes?
Under the current rules, notice periods increase progressively during the first six months of employment, creating a graduated scale that can reach up to five weeks’ notice for the employer before the six-month service mark is reached. The new law replaces the current system with a single, uniform rule:
- During the first six months, either party may terminate the contract by giving just one week’s notice, regardless of exactly how long the employee has been employed.
- Alternatively, the terminating party may end the contract with immediate effect by paying one week’s remuneration in lieu of notice.
- Once the employee passes the six-month mark, the ordinary statutory notice periods resume in full.
What should employers do now?
- Check start dates carefully. The new one-week notice period applies only to indefinite-term contracts whose performance begins on or after 1 August 2026. The date on which the employee actually starts work (not the date the contract is signed) is what matters.
- Update template contracts and HR guidance to reflect the new regime and ensure that managers and HR teams understand how notice during the first six months will work going forward.
- Review onboarding and retention strategies. Since employees will also be able to leave more easily during the initial period, employers should think about how to engage and retain new joiners during this window.
If you would like guidance on how these changes affect your workforce in Belgium, please get in touch with the MDR ONE team.
