A recent legislative amendment in Belgium introduces
protection against dismissal and a prohibition of discrimination
when an employee is absent due to an infertility treatment or a
programme of medically assisted reproduction.
The amendment introduces a prohibition of
dismissal for reasons related to an employee's absence
due to an infertility treatment or a programme of medically
assisted reproduction. The penalty for violating the prohibition is
a lump-sum protection indemnity of six months' gross salary.
This protection against dismissal applies for two months starting
from when the employer is informed of the absence through a medical
certificate. In addition, the amendment adds ‘absence due to
infertility treatment or a programme of medically assisted
reproduction' as a prohibited ground for
discrimination under Belgium's gender discrimination
legislation, which provides for compensation of six months'
gross salary for violations.
