Belgium: Notice Period Falls to One Week, Gas Costs Rise

Belgian households and workers face a series of changes from 1 August, including a shorter notice period for new employment contracts and higher gas bills, VRT NWS reports. The package also brings a higher minimum wage and new remote-care options for speech therapy patients.

Shorter Notice Period for New Contracts

Contracts signed from 1 August carry a notice period of one week during the first six months of employment. The rule applies whether the employer dismisses the worker or the worker resigns, and a counter-notice period is likewise one week.

Previously, the notice period was one week for the first three months and then rose to five weeks for employees with less than six months of service, while a worker resigning between three and six months had to serve two weeks. Existing contracts are unaffected.

Labour Minister David Clarinval said the measure is intended to lower the barrier to hiring. “We want to allow young people to get faster access to a permanent contract, like everyone else. The current situation is a brake on hiring young people,” he said, according to the broadcaster. The reform effectively brings back a probation period more than 12 years after it was abolished when worker and white-collar statuses were harmonised. Unlike the old probation clause, the shorter notice period applies automatically to every new contract.

Gas More Expensive, Electricity Cheaper

From 1 August, excise duties on natural gas and heating oil rise, while electricity duties fall, under the programme law approved by the Chamber at the end of May and confirmed this week by the Federal Public Service Finance.

For an average household heating with gas, the annual gas bill rises by 18.17 euros, while the electricity bill drops by about 12.64 euros — a net increase of roughly 5.50 euros per year. The government says the aim is to nudge Belgians away from fossil fuels.

Opposition party Anders called the shift a smokescreen, arguing that a real tax shift cannot happen while the electricity bill does not fall as much as the gas bill rises. The reform was designed before the US-Israeli war in Iran pushed energy prices higher; it had been due on 1 April but was delayed after opposition amendments and a Council of State advisory request. From 2027, excise duties on diesel and petrol could also rise.

Minimum Wage and Other Changes

The average guaranteed minimum monthly income, Belgium’s general minimum wage, rises to 2,233.61 euros gross on 1 August. It is the absolute minimum payable in every sector for contracts of one month or longer, although payments such as a 13th month or year-end bonus also count towards meeting the threshold.

Speech therapists may also offer video consultations from 1 August, following doctors, physiotherapists and midwives. The first appointment must be in person, after which patients can request up to 10 consecutive remote sessions. Evaluation, assessment and group sessions must remain physical, and the option is not available for children under four. Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said remote care reduces no-shows and improves follow-up.

In Brussels, taxes on illegal dumping double from 500 to 1,000 euros per cubic metre, with steeper increases for hazardous waste, improperly placed rubbish bags, graffiti and public urination. The city says the aim is to make polluters pay, not to fill city coffers, and it will expand free bulky-waste pickups from this autumn.

What’s Next

The August changes form part of a broader Belgian effort to reshape the labour market and energy taxation. Consumers should check new contracts and energy bills; businesses, meanwhile, face a lower cost of trying out new hires. With further fuel excise increases planned from 2027, the debate over the pace of the energy transition is likely to continue.