Almost 1 in 5 people took a day off on the first day of children at school

According to a survey conducted by the staff service company Attentia, 16% of employees who are parents of children aged 5 to 12 years, took a day off on the first day of their child at school.

Attentia works for private sector companies that employ a total of 120,000 people. Around 22,000 of these have children between the ages of 5 and 12. 16% of these asked for a day off to take their kids to school on what was the first day of the new school year. This is less than last year. However, in 2017 the first day of school was on a Friday.

Both mothers and fathers take time off on the first day of the school year. Last year 9% of fathers did so, compared with 4.5% in 2015.

“Greater flexibility”
Attentia’s Marjan Bosmans told VRT News that “There were probably more parents that would have liked to have taken a day off today but were unable to do so”.

“We would like companies to be more flexible towards their employee that have young children. On the first day of school. That for example they are able to decide when they arrive at and leave work so that they would have to take a whole day off. The hours they were absent could be compensate by working for longer on another day”, Ms Bosmans added.


The author: Michel THEYS

Michel Theys, a Belgian native, began his career as a civil servant, serving the public for several decades. After retirement, he shifted gears to follow his passion for journalism. With a background in public administration, Theys brought a unique perspective to his reporting. His insightful articles, covering a wide array of topics, swiftly gained recognition. Today, Michel Theys is a respected journalist known for his balanced and thoughtful reporting in the Belgian media landscape.

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