Collective Replacement Days 2026
For your information, the following collective replacement days were established for the year 2026 by Royal Decree of April 1, 2022:
- The public holiday of August 15, 2026, which falls on a Saturday, will be replaced by Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- The public holiday of November 1, 2026, which falls on a Sunday, will be replaced by Monday, November 2, 2026
The JC for the Construction Industry decided on September 11, 2025, to cancel the collective replacement day of November 3, 2026, as it falls outside the school holidays of the French-speaking education system. Therefore, the previously established replacement day for August 15, 2026, is also cancelled.
The replacement day on November 2, 2026, is retained, as this is also a day off for the French-speaking education system.
Posting of Replacement Days Notice Before December 15, 2025
The public holiday of August 15, 2026, falls on a Saturday. You must still grant your employees a replacement day for this. As a company, you can now choose which day to assign it.
The Joint Committee advises companies to establish the replacement day as follows:
- On Friday, October 30, 2026, in the French-speaking region
- On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in the Dutch-speaking region
It is important for the company to make a choice and communicate this decision to your employees in a timely manner.
For your information: the replacement days for public holidays that fall on a Sunday or regular inactivity day must be posted in a notice in your company's premises before December 15 of each year, in this case before December 15, 2025. This notice must be signed and dated, and a copy must be reported to the Monitoring of Social Laws.
Read more: How is the replacement day established? | Securex
Important
If this procedure is not followed, the public holiday will be replaced by the next regular activity day that follows the public holiday in the company, namely Monday, August 17.
What About the Other Collective Rest Days?
The collective rest days for 2026 have already been established. Two of these days, Tuesday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8, also fall outside the school holidays for the French-speaking education system.
Further consultation will take place regarding this matter. The decision regarding the replacement of the public holiday of August 15, 2026, was more urgent, as it could not be ratified by Royal Decree otherwise.
Read more: ‘Compensatory Rest Days in the Construction Sector’
What Does Securex Do for You?
For more information, you can contact your Securex Legal Advisor at myHR@securex.be.
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