The number of employees making use of Flemish Training Leave (Vlaams Opleidingsverlof, or VOV) has surged by 30% compared to three years ago, according to figures released by HR service provider Acerta on Wednesday.
Flemish Training Leave allows employees to take paid time off work to pursue education or training. Based on data from 289,000 employees, Acerta found that 2.7% of workers and 1.8% of office staff utilised the programme last year. The past school year saw a record number of applications from office employees.
However, eligibility requirements for VOV will become stricter from the 2025–2026 school year. Currently, employees must work at least 80% of full-time hours, equivalent to an average of 28 hours per week, to qualify. Previously, the threshold was set at half-time employment.
“Since 30% of all VOV days are taken by part-time employees, we anticipate that the tighter regulations will reduce the scheme’s popularity,” said Acerta in its analysis.
Employers’ reimbursement will also decrease, as the fixed allowance drops from €21.30 to €14.91 per hour. Elke Adons, a legal expert at Acerta, noted that businesses are still legally obliged to approve VOV requests.
“The lower reimbursement might make employers less inclined to proactively encourage training, but investing in talent development remains worthwhile,” Adons said. “In today’s fast-changing business environment, adaptability is crucial.”
Employees can submit reimbursement applications for courses starting from 1 September 2025 beginning on 3 September of that year.
