Severance & Notice Calculator Belgium 2026

Belgium protects dismissed employees through the notice period rather than a separate severance lump sum. Employers who terminate immediately owe an indemnité de rupture equal to the salary that would have been paid across that notice period.

Statutory severance lump sum
None
Notice at 10 years
33 weeks
Notice ceiling
63 weeks
Base notice
3 weeks

Since the 2014 unified-status reform, the notice scale grows by roughly three weeks per year of service from a three-week base and is capped at 63 weeks. Ten years of service produce about 33 weeks and twenty years reach the 63-week ceiling — a scale that is far longer than the one-to-four-month notice typical elsewhere in the EU, because in Belgium it carries the entire protective function.

If the employer ends the contract with immediate effect, the compensation in lieu of notice (opzeggingsvergoeding / indemnité de congé) covers gross salary plus the benefits acquired under the contract — including holiday pay, end-of-year bonus entitlements and the employer's share of any group insurance — for the whole notice length.

Belgium also runs a specific pre-pension route, the régime de chômage avec complément d'entreprise (RCC/SWT), under which an older dismissed employee draws unemployment benefit topped up by an employer supplement. That mechanism is a genuinely Belgian instrument with no counterpart in the Portuguese or German rules, and it sits outside this calculator's notice arithmetic.

The Belgian statutory minimum wage (RMMMG) of €2,190 gross per month applies from age 18 and rises with age and seniority under CCT n° 43, so the compensation base for lower-paid workers is set by collective agreement rather than by a single national figure.

Severance Calculator

Severance Calculator

Calculate dismissal compensation, notice period, vacation and proportional bonuses

Contract Data

🇧🇪 Legislation Belgium

3 weeks/year (first 5 years)

Variable formula.

Values to Receive
Severance105 days
€5,250.00
Notice Period126 days
€6,300.00
Proportional Vacation~14.7 days
€733.33
Proportional BonusesChristmas/Vacation
€1,000.00
TOTAL ESTIMATED:€13,283.33

Attention

You may be entitled to unemployment benefits.

⚠️ Values are estimates. Consult a specialist lawyer.

Country guides

Detailed rules and worked examples for each pilot country.

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Luxembourg

🇩🇪

Germany

🇫🇷

France

🇧🇪

Belgium

🇵🇹

Portugal

Severance Calculator — Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about severance pay in the EU

Severance Pay Guide – Termination Rights Across the EU

Severance PayAbfindungIndemnité LicenciementNotice PeriodUnfair DismissalRedundancy PayDespidoEmployment ProtectionSocial PlanTermination Rights

When an employment contract ends, severance pay (indemnité de licenciement, Abfindung, indennità di licenziamento) compensates workers for job loss. Rules vary significantly across EU member states regarding eligibility, calculation methods, and maximum caps. This guide explains how severance is determined in each country for 2026.

How Severance Pay Is Calculated

Severance calculation methods differ by country. France mandates 1/4 of monthly salary per year of service for the first 10 years, then 1/3 thereafter (indemnité légale de licenciement). Germany has no statutory requirement, but courts typically award 0.5 months' salary per year of service (Abfindung). Spain applies 20 days' salary per year for objective dismissals (despido objetivo) and 33 days for unfair dismissal (despido improcedente). Portugal provides 12-18 days per year depending on tenure. Luxembourg applies specific formulas based on service length and age.

Notice Periods in EU Countries

Notice periods (préavis, Kündigungsfrist, preavviso) protect both employer and employee during contract termination. Germany requires 4 weeks to 7 months depending on tenure. France mandates 1-3 months based on seniority and role. Belgium's notice periods can extend to 62+ weeks for long-tenured employees. Luxembourg requires 2-6 months depending on years of service. Spain applies 15-30 days. Understanding your notice period is essential for planning career transitions and negotiating exit packages.

Protection Against Unfair Dismissal

EU law and national legislation protect workers against unfair dismissal (licenciement abusif, ungerechtfertigte Kündigung). Most countries require employers to justify termination with valid reasons: economic redundancy (licenciement économique), professional misconduct (faute grave), or performance issues. Special protections exist for pregnant workers, employee representatives, and workers on sick leave. Wrongful dismissal can result in additional compensation, reinstatement orders, or damages beyond statutory severance.

Collective Redundancy Rules

EU Directive 98/59/EC regulates collective redundancies. Employers must inform and consult employee representatives before large-scale layoffs. Notification thresholds vary: dismissing 10+ employees in companies with 20-99 workers, or 10% of workers in companies with 100-299 employees. Social plans (plan social, Sozialplan) may provide enhanced severance packages. In France, the PSE (Plan de Sauvegarde de l'Emploi) can offer several months of additional compensation above the statutory minimum.

Tax Treatment of Severance Payments

Tax treatment of severance varies significantly. In France, statutory severance (indemnité légale) is tax-exempt up to certain limits. Germany allows the Fünftelregelung, spreading the tax burden over five years for a lower effective rate. Spain exempts severance up to the statutory maximum for unfair dismissal. Luxembourg applies favorable taxation to departure compensation. Understanding the tax implications of your severance package helps evaluate total compensation and compare across countries.