Vacation salary (13th salary)

The system is notoriously difficult to understand, and hugely complicated by things such as what "commission paritaire" you come under, your work contract and whether you were on a trial period. However, typically:

The "holiday pay" that you get usually mid year is calculated on the accrued holiday pay from the previous year and will typically be something like 0.92 of a months pay .

Therefore this year you should get something like your gross monthly salary multiplied by 0.92 and further multiplied by 4/12 (because you worked 4 out of 12 months last year).

You have to deduct ONSS from that, and it will be taxed at your highest marginal income tax rate. Therefore, if you have a pay packet of say €1,000 per month, you'll get this year approximately (1000 * 0.92) * 4/12 = €306 GROSS. No idea what your net will be.

This is different to the double pecule that is paid typically in the December pay package, and is paid as it is accrued in the current year, therefore assuming that you are still in employment in December, you'll get the full months pay extra as you have worked 12 months (but again, remember that ONSS and your highest marginal tax rate is deducted from it). Also, for some companies, you only qualify after having worked one full calendar year, and if you were on a trial period, you may not qualify.

However, to be sure, as the system is so complicated, and there are so many variables, please check with your employer or other work colleagues and don't bank on getting money and then find out later that you didn't qualify because you hadn't worked on a full contract, or that you need to work for a qualifying period before you are entitled to it etc. etc.

I'd also note that if you were working in Belgium before you started in your current job, then the system is even more complicated, as you may have already been paid your double pecule for this year, when you left your previous company last year.

13th month and holiday allowance (double pecule de vacances) are two different things.
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Holiday allowance is accrued during the year preceding the payment and it's usually 92 percent of your monthly salary. There are some variations depending on collective labor agreement and whether you're working on white or blue collar contract. Since you worked only part of last year the holiday allowance is calculated on pro rata; 0.92 x 1 months salary x 4/12.
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13th month is a premium paid usually, but not always, in the end of the year, if it is agreed on your collective labor agreement or your contract. The amount for white collar employees is usually (again, not always) equal to 1 months pay, though it is taxed higher than normal salary. In most cases if you were employed by the company for less than 6 months during the year, or resigned before end of December you are not entitled to the 13th month.

I started a new job this year. In my May salary I didn't expect to get any "double pecule de vacances" but have also had a single holiday pay deducted - meaning that I get about half a regular month's salary. is this correct?

This is the system to carry over your accrued non used holidays to the new employer. When you left your prior job your unused holidays (simple pecule) were paid out to you in your last salary. You new employer then deducts this amount from your first salary just to pay it back to you when you take holidays later on.
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Some employers arrange this so that the amount is balanced when you take your holidays (e.g. you take yor holidays unpaid until you reach the prepaid amount) instead of transferring the money back and forth.

Thank you - so to be clear, the simple pecule should cover the fact that I don't get paid holidays in my first year in new employment?

My employer seems to have deducted the simple pecule during the month when they were doing the double pecule

So instead of deducting this each time I take holidays (I haven't taken any yet) - they deduct it all in one go?

Exactly. Now since they have deducted it on one go you will be paid for days you're on holiday, so eventually you'll get the money back again

Hallo please I've been working in Belgium and till now I not received my 13 salary what should I do