Eight in ten businesses in Belgium still allow teleworking five years after the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, human resources company Acerta warns that working from home may be on the way out.
An Acerta study published on Wednesday shows that working from home and hybrid working are still prevalent in Belgium. However, the option of remote working depends on the role an individual has within an organisation.
The survey, conducted among 2,000 workers and 500 employers, reveals that 85.3% of Belgian businesses currently permit teleworking. Differences emerge in who can take advantage of this option.
Only a minority of employees can work from home in 35.8% of the companies surveyed. Nearly three-quarters of executives (71.8%) and labourers (80.5%) report not having this possibility.
Minimum three days in the office
Acerta also points out that a growing number of companies are gradually reducing teleworking. However, the situation in Europe is not as "categorical" as in the US, where "Amazon administrative workers have had to return to the office full-time."
In Belgium, more than one in three employers (37.4%) require staff to be present at the workplace at least three days a week.
More than six in ten workers surveyed say they are generally satisfied with the telework policies in their companies. Less than one in ten (7.2%) wish to go to their office more often, while less than a third (28.6%) would like to telework more.
Credit: Belga
Meanwhile, only 24.1% of employers want their staff to work on-site more frequently, compared to 30.6% in 2024.
Acerta also highlights that 18- to 35-year-olds are the most in favour of working from home, but are also the most prone to stress when not in the office.
