Until now, these agents could carry over unused sick leave days unlimitedly year after year.
In the future, however, this “pot” will be limited to 210 working days over the entire career.
As long as days are available in this “pot”, the absent agent is paid 100%. Once exhausted, he is placed on availability and then receives a waiting salary equal to 60% of his last activity salary.
“This reform maintains a generous system for statutory civil servants but finally sets clear limits. It was time to put an end to practices from another time, which are an exception in our society,” comments the Minister of the Civil Service, Jacqueline Galant (MR), quoted in a press release.
The liberal emphasizes that the current regime is more generous than that applied to teachers, for whom the “sick leave” is already limited to 182 days over the entire career.
“This situation creates a structural inconsistency between two large sections of the Civil Service and also generates a growing budgetary risk, due to unlimited accumulation whose impacts are not controlled,” adds Ms. Galant.
Concretely, the accumulation of unused sick days by statutory agents remains possible, but with a limit equivalent to 10 years maximum on a basis of 21 sick days per year.
No increase in accumulation
Civil servants whose pot exceeds this ceiling at the time the provision comes into force will retain their rights, but will no longer be able to increase their accumulation in the future.
The reform should come into force on July 1.
Be careful if you take early retirement after being on long-term illness: your pension will take a hit
The Wallonia-Brussels Federation currently has just over 6,000 agents spread across different administrations. A little more than half of these agents are contractual, the balance being statutory.
Since January 1, the government has put an end to the status of its agents.
