Before the start of the summer holidays, 54% of Belgian workers had already taken at least one day of statutory leave in 2025, according to figures published on Wednesday by Acerta. According to the HR service provider, this is the highest rate in the last five years.
During the first six months of the year, Belgian workers spent 3.36% of their working hours on holiday, according to Acerta's figures, based on data from 461,000 workers employed by more than 32,000 employers.
"On the one hand, this record high can be explained by the beautiful spring we had in Belgium. Workers decided (sometimes at the last minute) to take one or more days off to enjoy the good weather," explains Laura Couchard, leave expert at Acerta. "On the other hand, a more global trend also seems to be emerging: more and more workers are taking their long holidays in May or June, for example. This allows them to take a longer trip out of season, taking advantage of lower prices and avoiding the tourist crowds at their holiday destination."
According to Acerta, this phenomenon can also be explained by the fact that workers, like employers, are placing increasing importance on disconnecting and achieving a good work-life balance.
