At the initiative of the Minister for the Civil Service, Jacqueline Galant, the Walloon Government definitively approved this Wednesday 13 May a draft decree introducing two days of compassionate leave for staff of the regional civil service, as well as their partners, facing a pregnancy loss. The Government also approved an extension of parental and compassionate leave rights for foster parents under long-term foster care placements. "Pregnancy loss is a deeply painful ordeal, both for mothers and their partners. In Belgium, this phenomenon is on the rise: it is estimated that up to 30% of women will experience it at some point in their lives. It was essential for the Government to provide concrete support to affected staff by extending the right to compassionate leave. I ask the administration every day to be more effective; it is therefore only natural to also stand by staff in difficult times," explains Jacqueline Galant.
Recognition for all affected staff from 2026
For the past two years, the Walloon Government has been carrying out several reforms to make the civil service more modern, more effective and fairer, notably by giving managers more responsibility and strengthening staff motivation. This new measure fits into this drive to build a civil service that pays greater attention to the well-being of its workers.
In concrete terms, this two-day special leave will be available to any staff member (statutory or contractual) as well as to their partner, as soon as the pregnancy has been declared to the employer. Until now, such leave was only provided for pregnancy loss occurring after 180 days. With this reform, the Walloon Government now guarantees equal recognition of all situations of pregnancy loss.
Foster parents will benefit from the same rights as other parents
The Walloon Government also approved another important step forward: under a long-term foster care placement, staff of the Walloon civil service will now be able to benefit from parental and compassionate leave on the same basis as other parents. Civil servants who were themselves foster children will also benefit from these rights in the event of the loss of their parents.
"It is only right that parents who take in children on a long-term basis, as if they were their own, should enjoy the same rights as other families. Beyond common sense, this is above all a matter of social justice," concludes Jacqueline Galant, Minister for the Civil Service.