Short-term leave for First Communion: what should you, as an employer, take into account?
May 2026 - Spring is here, and so are the First Communion celebrations. But what exactly is the policy on short-term leave? How many days of leave are your employees entitled to for a First Communion ceremony? What about the First Communion or the spring celebration? And what if the ceremony falls on a Sunday?
When an employee celebrates their child’s First Communion or the Liberal Youth celebration, you, as an employer, are dealing with short-term leave. Specifically, this means your employee is entitled to one day off with pay. This is not a favor, but a legal right that you must account for within your organization.
This right applies not only to the employee’s own child, but also to the child of their spouse or legally cohabiting partner. Notably, the child does not have to live at the same address. Therefore, even in blended families, an employee is fully entitled to short-term leave.
Short-term leave before or after the celebration
In practice, the ceremony often falls on a day when work is not scheduled, such as a Sunday or a holiday—think, for example, of Ascension Day. In that case, your employee may take the short leave on the workday before or after the celebration. For example, if your employee works Monday through Friday and the communion takes place on Thursday (a holiday), they can substitute that day with Wednesday or Friday.
As an employer, you cannot refuse the short-term leave, but that does not mean you cannot make arrangements. For example, you may expect your employee to notify you as soon as possible so that you can adjust the schedule. In addition, you also have the right to request proof, such as a certificate from the school, the catechist, or the event organizer. It goes without saying that the day of short-term leave must actually be used for the occasion for which it is intended.
What about First Communion or the Spring Festival?
Not every celebration entitles you to short-term leave. For example, there is no legal provision for First Communion or the Spring Festival. This difference can sometimes cause confusion, but legally, the distinction is clear.
Even when multiple children from the same family have their First Communion on the same day or participate in the Liberal Youth Festival, the entitlement remains limited. In that case, as an employer, you are only required to grant one day of short-term leave, regardless of the number of children.
Finally, it is important to know that this regulation is a minimum. In some sectors or companies, more favorable arrangements apply through a collective bargaining agreement, the employment regulations, or the individual employment contract. It is therefore worth checking this first. If nothing specific has been established, you fall back on the general rule: one day of short-term leave per occasion.
