Work-life balance and vacation trends in Belgium

Work-life balance and vacation rights in Belgium are facing significant challenges, characterized by rising stress, difficulty reclaiming leave, and increasing long-term absenteeism.

Entrepreneurs and new business starters report heightened stress and reduced leisure. Approximately 23 percent of entrepreneurs work nearly every day during vacations, and 58 percent bring laptops on trips, which 56 percent say causes family tension. Lode Godderis, a professor of occupational medicine at KU Leuven, noted that family members can sense when an entrepreneur is “only physically present but mentally still working.” Additionally, 51 percent of entrepreneurs struggle to relax, and 39 percent report falling ill more frequently during holidays. Among new starters, stress levels rose from 38.4 percent to 44.8 percent, while the median number of vacation days for full-time self-employed individuals fell from 20 to 15 days.

Regarding employee rights, a study by Attentia shows that 74 percent of employees who fell ill during statutory leave failed to recover lost vacation days despite 2024 regulations. Reasons include 51 percent not requesting the days back and 23 percent facing supervisor refusals. Awareness is low, particularly among those under 35, where 31 percent had never heard of the regulation.

Furthermore, Belgium is seeing a rise in long-term sickness, with 585,000 people unable to work for extended periods. Mental health issues, such as burnout and depression, are primary drivers; cases of long-term disability due to psychological problems rose nearly 25 percent between 2021 and 2025. Self-employed individuals saw a 65.1 percent increase in such cases. Meanwhile, 46 percent of enterprises do not strictly monitor absenteeism figures.