Employees in Belgium are entitled to paid leave to attend a coronavirus vaccination appointment, the Federal Parliament unanimously agreed on Thursday evening.
Aside from providing this short period of leave for both shots, the bill also states that employees will be reimbursed for the journey to and from the vaccination centre.
Employes should be notified in advance and employees will have to provide proof of vaccination before receiving the paid leave.
Related News
- De Croo counting on share of Pfizer’s early delivery coronavirus vaccines
- 'Pandemic doesn't tolerate politics': De Croo defends latest measures
People who are absent from work, for example, due to possible side effects of the vaccine, will not be covered by this bill, but instead, will be covered by ordinary sick leave.
The government hopes his measure will convince employees to be vaccinated, which in turn could help reach the target of a vaccination coverage rate of at least 70% in Belgium.
As of Friday, a total of 1,095,713 people in Belgium have received at least one dose of vaccine against coronavirus, or 11.9% of the population aged 18 and older. In addition, 464,702 people – or 5% of the adult population – have been fully vaccinated, according to the latest figures from the Sciensano public health institute.
Lauren Walker
The Brussels Times
