A recent survey conducted by the HR services provider Acerta highlights the growing popularity for teleworking among Belgian employers and employees, with 27% of workers choosing to work from home for more than half of the week.
In January Acerta questioned over 500 employers with over five employees. The vast majority stated they were broadly content with current teleworking patterns; 88% of employers stated their confidence in staff working from home.
Furthermore, 63% of respondents do not plan to change their current arrangement of working hours. Less than a quarter (24%) of employers expressed a desire for their staff to come into the office more often. In total, 97% of companies in Brussels, 76% in Flanders and 72% in Wallonia allow their employees to work from home.
Acerta puts the generally positive view of teleworking down to a change in leadership models since the pandemic. Legal expert Amandine Boseret explained that bosses "had to ensure that their colleagues remain sufficiently involved while working from home," whilst also making sure that they do not feel "isolated and disconnected from their bosses."
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This has generally been successful, with teleworking playing a role in increasing trust in employees and the autonomy of teams.
Yet another crisis could lead to a reduction in employees working from home: the high cost of energy bills has already seen some staff alter working habits.
A recent report by SudInfo found that household electricity bills can rise 44% if an occupant chooses to work from home. The risk of price rises has resulted in employees already returning to the office more often in over a quarter of the companies queried (26%).
