Unemployment - Unemployment benefit for a worker on an unpaid leave

A worker who goes on an unpaid vacation, not voluntarily, may be entitled to unemployment benefit under the conditions and at the rates indicated in this chapter. 

The worker may be entitled to the unemployment benefit on condition that he has been on unpaid leave for at least 30 days. If he still has vacation days left, he will not receive payment for the first unemployment days, the same number of days as the number of vacation days that he had left before starting his unpaid leave.

The worker on unpaid leave must report to the Employment Service Bureau.

The days for which the unemployment benefit is paid during the unpaid leave are counted as part of the maximum number of unemployment days that the worker is entitled to.

The employer may not summon his employee who is on unpaid leave for any days of work. Any such day of return to work is cause for revoking the unemployment benefit for the entire month.

There is no entitlement to unemployment benefit on a sabbatical year.

Please note:

If you stay on an unpaid leave for longer than two consecutive calendar months (a calendar month is from the 1st of the month till the 31st of the month), you are obligated by law to pay national and health insurance contributions on your own.