2023-04-20 04:30:00
It is an undeniable fact, more and more active Belgians are opting for “workation”, that is to say, going on vacation, but still continuing to work.
With the return of sunny days and holidays, many workers are tempted by this flexible form of teleworking. This new way of working, which combines leisure and remote professional activity in hybrid places, is appealing to the active population. “With us, it’s allowed but it’s not a given and not everything is allowedsays Geert Volders, a telework expert with the consultancy firm BDO Belgium, a company that advises companies on the management of working from home. This is indeed authorized when possible and subject to a written agreement with his employer on the method, place, duration and availability at certain specific times. It therefore requires an agreement between the two parties, which implies hours of presence at predefined times. So you can’t leave to work abroad without telling your employer”.
He was telecommuting on vacation: grilled by a colleague and fired!
A third of Belgians telework at least one day per week
According to recent data from FPS Mobility, a third (32%) of Belgians telework at least one day per week, according to recent data from FPS Mobility. This is four times more than in 2018. At the tour operator TUI, we confirm a growing interest in the workation program: in 2022, requests were twice as many as in 2021.
“Employees can’t do what they want and employers have a responsibility to guide the practice, he points out. We can clearly see that the demand is growing, many Belgians want to work in the sun and disconnect from their work environment. It is therefore recommended that both parties conclude an amendment to the employment contract, which is also required by law. I think it requires a great deal of trust between the two parties because we see that there is still a lot of reluctance and excesses, you need strict supervision from the start.”.
Most of the time, workers can settle in “workstations”, i.e. spaces designed as a mix between coworking space and guest room, or even youth hostels. And in the majority of European Union countries, 183 days a year are authorized for teleworking from abroad. “At the level of social security, the worker cannot work more than 25% of his working time abroad to remain subject to Belgian social security, Precise Geert Volders. And for insurance, it must be stipulated in the contract if there is a change in order to be insured in the event of an accident abroad.
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