VOV: joint right of initiative in the 2021-2022 academic year

The Flemish Government provides for some adjustments to the Flemish training leave (Vlaams Opleidingsverlof - VOV) for the 2021-2022 academic year. Additional hours and budget are made available to make training possible at the joint initiative of employer and employee. There is also an additional adjustment to meet the minimum requirement of 32 hours of training more quickly.

Joint right of initiative

The Flemish Government wants to encourage employees to take training courses. As an experiment, employers are therefore given the role of proposing training to their employees in order to strengthen their future prospects in the sector or on the Flemish labour market.

There can be no question of an obligation for the employer, hence the term joint right of initiative. The training courses that the employer proposes to the employee do not have to be related to the current job. Training necessary for the performance of the current job shall remain at the expense of the employer.

The maximum number of hours of Flemish training leave is doubled for the employees who use this joint right of initiative. A maximum of 125 hours of applications for reimbursement can be submitted for training at the initiative of the employee, and a maximum of 125 hours of applications for reimbursement can be submitted for training at the initiative of the employer (with the consent of the employee).

In total, the employee will therefore be entitled to 250 hours of Flemish training leave.

Minimum requirement of 32 hours

The Flemish Government also envisages an adjustment in order to meet the minimum requirement of 32 hours of training more quickly: from now on, the employee can combine several training courses with different training providers in order to meet this requirement.

More information

The provisions as described above have not yet been published in the Belgian Official Gazette.

Sources:

• https://www.vlaanderen.be/departement-werk-sociale-economie/nieuwsberichten/nieuw-in-het-vlaams-opleidingsverlof-gemeenschappelijk-initiatiefrecht
• Draft decree of the Flemish Government (approved in principle) determining temporary deviations from the decree of the Flemish Government of 21 December 2018 implementing section 6 – granting of paid educational leave in the context of permanent training of the employees – of chapter IV of the Recovery Act of 22 January 1985 containing social provisions and amending article 4 of the decree of the Flemish Government of 17 May 2013 on career counselling with regard to training at the initiative of the employer.