Eid al-Adha Belgium: Legal rights for school and work absences

On the eve of Eid al-Adha, many Muslim families in Belgium are asking the same question: can children miss school? And can parents take time off work? The answer depends mainly on the context: the school, the linguistic region, and professional status.

An absence better regulated at school

In the Flemish Community, the rule is clearly stated by the education administration. Students can be absent for a celebration linked to a recognized religious or philosophical conviction. These absences are recorded as justified absences by right, notably under the category of "philosophical or religious celebrations" in the Discimus system.

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In the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, caution is necessary. The current Education Code mentions justified absences for illness, summons by a public authority, death of a parent, or participation in certain sports competitions. It also allows the principal to consider an absence as justified in certain cases of force majeure or exceptional circumstances, but the text consulted does not explicitly include religious celebration as an automatic reason.

In practice, for families, it is therefore preferable to notify the school in advance and follow the school’s internal regulations, especially in French-language education.

No automatic leave for employees

At work, the situation is different. Belgium has ten legal public holidays per year: January 1st, Easter Monday, May 1st, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, July 21st, Assumption, All Saints’ Day, November 11th, and Christmas. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are not among them.

Unia reminds us that workers are not entitled to an additional day off for a religious or philosophical celebration that is not among Belgium’s ten official public holidays. In the private sector, leave can be requested, but it depends on company rules, work regulations, a collective agreement, or the employer’s consent.

However, the employer cannot treat a request in a discriminatory manner based on religion. They can refuse a date for reasons of organization, safety, service continuity, or business operations, but not solely because the request is related to a Muslim celebration. Unia also clarifies that employers are not required to provide religious accommodations, but any restriction must be justified by a legitimate objective.

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The difference is therefore clear: for students, absence can be admitted depending on the applicable school framework; for employees, Eid remains an ordinary leave request, unless more favorable provisions exist in the company or sector.