What is the Unified Status in Belgium?

The Unified Status (statut unique in French, eenheidsstatuut in Dutch) is the set of rules that, since 1 January 2014, gives blue-collar and white-collar employees in Belgium the same notice periods. It replaced separate regimes under which manual workers received much shorter notice.

Where it comes from

The Law of 26 December 2013 introduced the Unified Status after the Constitutional Court ruled that treating blue-collar and white-collar workers differently on notice was discriminatory. Besides harmonising notice periods, it abolished the unpaid first day of sick leave for blue-collar workers and introduced outplacement for employees with long notice periods.

How notice is calculated

Notice is expressed in weeks and depends on seniority with the employer. For contracts that started on or after 1 January 2014, an employer giving notice owes 1 week in the first three months, 6 weeks after six months, 12 weeks after two years and 18 weeks after five years. From there it rises by 3 weeks a year to 60 weeks at 19 years, then to 62 weeks at 20 years and by 1 week a year after that. An employee who resigns gives shorter notice, capped at 13 weeks.

Notice must be in writing. An employer sends it by registered letter or bailiff, and the notice period starts on the Monday after the week in which it was given. Contracts that started before 2014 use a two-part calculation for seniority built up before and after that date.

Changes for contracts starting in 2026

For contracts starting from 1 June 2026, employer notice is capped at 52 weeks from 17 years of seniority. For contracts starting from 1 August 2026, notice is also 1 week for the whole of the first six months of employment, rising to 6 weeks after six months.

The Unified Status when you hire through an EOR

With TopSource as your Employer of Record in Belgium, notice is calculated on the employee’s seniority under the table that applies to their contract, served in the legal form and costed before you decide. Where notice reaches 30 weeks or more, we also make the outplacement offer the law requires.

Frequently asked questions

Do blue-collar and white-collar employees have different notice periods in Belgium?

Not for contracts that started on or after 1 January 2014. The Unified Status applies one table to both, based on seniority in weeks. Some sectors kept temporary exceptions, and older contracts use a two-part calculation.

What is the maximum notice an employee gives when resigning?

13 weeks, however long they have worked for the employer.

How do the 2026 changes affect notice?

For contracts starting from 1 June 2026, employer notice is capped at 52 weeks from 17 years of seniority. Contracts starting from 1 August 2026 also carry 1 week of notice throughout the first six months.

Unified Status (Belgium)