Belgium has no probation period, but for a contract starting from 1 August 2026 notice during the first 6 months of seniority is 1 week, for employer and employee alike. This letter gives that short notice: by registered post or bailiff, with the contract start date and the start date and length of notice. The template is in Dutch and French.
Figures in this template checked on
You dismiss an employee who has less than six months' seniority on the day notice starts, and whose contract started from 1 August 2026. A probation clause in the contract has no effect: the short notice applies automatically, without a clause. For contracts that were already running before, the ordinary notice table applies.
Check seniority on the day notice starts, not on the day of posting. At six months the ordinary table already applies: 6 weeks.
Fill in the contract start date: it shows at once that the short notice applies.
Fill in the start date of notice: the Monday after the week in which the letter takes effect, the 3rd working day after posting.
Send the letter by registered post or bailiff. A letter handed over in person is void.
If you do not want the employee to work the week, you pay compensation in lieu of notice of one week's pay.
Below is the Dutch text, as used in Flanders. The fields to fill in are in square brackets. In the Word file they are highlighted.
[Naam werkgever, adres, ondernemingsnummer]
Aangetekend aan [naam werknemer, adres]
[Plaats], [datum van verzending]
Betreft: opzegging van uw arbeidsovereenkomst
Geachte [naam],
Wij beëindigen uw arbeidsovereenkomst, die startte op [datum], met een opzegtermijn van één week. De opzegtermijn begint op maandag [datum] en eindigt, behoudens schorsing, op zondag [datum].
Met vriendelijke groeten,
[Naam en handtekening van de bevoegde persoon]
This template gives general information and follows the rules in force on 8 October 2026. It is not legal advice, and no rights can be derived from it. Your joint committee, your work rules and the facts of your case may call for a different text.
Notice in the first six months
Your dedicated contact at Business Centrum looks at it for your situation, together with Acerta, before you send it.