The lasting adoption of remote working in Brussels’ public administration is helping to attract new candidates and retain staff, according to an evaluation published on Wednesday by the Brussels Institute for Statistics and Analysis (IBSA) with support from the Federal Planning Bureau.
Remote working has been permitted in Brussels’ public sector since 2012, but its use remained limited until it surged during the Covid-19 pandemic and successive lockdowns.
By 2023, nearly 75% of staff in roles compatible with remote working were allowed to work from home at least three days a week.
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More than 60% of those employees made use of that option for the equivalent of two or three days a week over the course of the year.
IBSA said intensive remote working is now fully embedded in the organisation of work across Brussels’ administrations.
The evaluation found that mentioning remote working in a job advertisement makes a post more attractive. For permanent civil service recruitment, adverts that specify the option receive an average of seven additional applicants.
Remote working also allows administrations to reach candidates from beyond the region’s borders, IBSA said.
Among new recruits in jobs where remote working is possible, the institute found a higher share of staff living outside the Brussels Region than in posts where working from home is not allowed.
The report also said remote working has a positive effect on staff retention, with employees who can work remotely around 40% less likely to leave their institution than those who cannot.
However, the evaluation found that intensive use of remote working also reduces informal exchanges, may weaken team cohesion and can make it harder to integrate new employees.
IBSA therefore recommends formalising and harmonising remote working rules across Brussels’ administrations.
It said a more coherent framework for remote working could make work organisation easier and help reduce certain tensions, particularly those linked to unequal access to working from home.
