More Flemish employees are reporting sick while on holiday, prompting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to reorganise work schedules and reschedule leave.
According to a new survey by HR service provider SD Worx, six per cent of employees at Flemish SMEs fell ill during their holidays in 2025, double the rate in Brussels, where three per cent reported the same. On average, affected workers reclaim five vacation days later in the year.
A 2024 legal amendment allows employees who fall ill while on leave to reclaim those days, provided they report the illness immediately, submit a medical certificate, and notify their employer if they are staying at another address. The original leave days are then reclassified as sick leave, protecting the employee’s right to full holiday time.
"The measure ensures that vacation remains true rest time," said Anneleen Verstraeten, SME expert at SD Worx. "But it also requires clear agreements between employers and staff to keep the administrative side manageable."
The survey, conducted among 523 Belgian SMEs in September 2025, found that one in three Flemish SMEs had at least one employee fall ill during their holidays this year, up from one in five a year earlier.
The issue is most common in companies employing manual workers, where 47 per cent reported at least one case, compared with 27 per cent among office-based firms. For businesses with a mix of both, the rate stood at 36 per cent.
Company size also plays a role: only a quarter of the smallest SMEs have faced the issue, compared with more than seven in ten firms employing over 50 people.
Employees who fall ill on holiday typically reclaim five days of leave, rising to eight among manual workers and four among office staff. All recovered days must be used before year-end, often creating scheduling headaches for smaller teams.
"For SMEs with tight schedules, five or even eight additional leave days per person can be a real challenge," Verstraeten said. "Early coordination helps avoid bottlenecks."
While the median figure remains zero, meaning at least half of Flemish SMEs have not encountered such cases, SD Worx warns that the trend is growing. As awareness of the right to reclaim sick vacation days increases, more employers are expected to face rescheduling requests and will need to adapt their absence policies accordingly.
