Parental leave and leave to care for family members for the contract staff of embassies

Until recently, not all workers with a contract of employment were entitled to parental leave and career breaks to assist or care a seriously ill family member or relative.

The staff members of foreign embassies in Belgium for example were not entitled to parental leave.

However, that was in contravention of the European Directive 2010/18/EU of 8 March 2010 stipulating that all workers with a contract of employment are entitled to parental leave for a period of at least 4 months.

This situation has been corrected by the Royal Decree of 10 April 2014 on the granting of the right to parental leave and leave to assist a seriously ill family member or relative to certain workers.

Since 3 May 2014, workers with a contract of employment who fall within the scope of the Act of 27 June 1969 amending the Decree-Law of 28 December 1944  on social security for employed persons are entitled to parental leave and leave to grant medical assistance. Therefore, the benefit of this right shall be henceforth extended to the contract staff of foreign embassies, the SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) and certain international bodies. 

The entitlement to these leaves is only granted provided that the workers do not fall within the scope of another regulation granting them the entitlement to parental leave or leave to grant medical assistance.

Source: Royal Decree of 10 April 2014 on the granting of the right to certain workers to parental leave and leave to assist a seriously ill family member or relative, Moniteur Belge, 23 April 2014.