A large number of Belgian businesses (75%) are still maintaining Covid-19 measures in the workplace, even though the government no longer obliges them to.
According to a survey of 1,061 entrepreneurs conducted by HR services group Liantis, more than half (53.3%) of companies still provide disinfectants everywhere, 40% continue to focus on more and better ventilation and 28.8% focus on extra disinfection and cleaning of tables and desks.
"We are not advocating additional measures at all. But now that we see that the number of Covid-19 infections is rising, it is good that entrepreneurs maintain a number of measures," Sylvia Vanden Avenne, head of medical supervision at Liantis, said.
"These measures do not require much effort but are very helpful. We clearly notice that disinfection or proper ventilation have become part of the daily routine."
Continued feeling of safety
In March this year, Belgium switched to code yellow on the Covid-19 barometer, however, companies were still obliged to follow the measures from the guide "Working safely during an epidemic or pandemic." Two months later, the government decided to lift all Covid-19 measures.
Even after these obligations had lapsed, many entrepreneurs decided to retain certain measures. The majority (51.1%) of those who kept the measures in place said they are doing so because they don't want people to become (seriously) ill.
"Not unimportant: 40.3% say that the measures remain relevant, also in the future during the flu and cold season," said Vanden Avenne. "It strengthens the feeling of safety and well-being. The possibility exists that after the pandemic, other viruses will also make their appearance. The fact that we already have a good basic level of hygiene is a good thing in any case."
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However, certain measures are less commonly adopted, such as wearing a face mask when walking around or during meetings, which just 9.3% of companies recommend. Just 3.4% say they opt for a reservation system to avoid large groups of people at the same time.
"A measure like wearing face masks is obviously much more drastic for people. Moreover, people longed for contact with colleagues again. With face masks, you miss a large part of the communication. It is therefore logical that employers do not enforce this en masse anymore if it is no longer required by law," Vanden Avenne said.
