There are signs around us that the pandemic is loosening its grip in Belgium. Hospital admissions are going down, and the number of administrated vaccines is climbing by the day. We’re still not out of the woods, but a certain sense of normality is nevertheless in the air. The day we can work and gather in-person again as before is not that far anymore, as our government is gradually untightening rules.
And that’s a good thing. In a creative and concrete (pun intended) sector like ours, there is nothing like being able to bounce an idea off a colleague down the hall or being of assistance when somebody else wants to run something by you. The benefits of meeting in-person, with the spontaneity and ingenuity of real-life connections, outweigh all the digital tools of this world, even if we could all appreciate the efficiency of video calls recently.
This is why, in function of the evolution of official rules, we are getting ready to open a new chapter right now, that of ‘going back’ (or for the newly hired colleagues, that of ‘arriving’) to the office, for all of us who work in a construction site office, in a regional office or at the head office in Belgium.
June: take-off to the New Way of Work
We are still indeed living under very volatile, shifting circumstances. This means that preparing for a come-back will require flexibility from us all.
Since March 2020, we have all worked in varied circumstances. On our project sites, activities have continued apace, with obviously little or no remote working due to the nature of the works. Other colleagues have returned now and then to the regional or head office because it was required for their function. Others have mostly worked from home as their function fell under the mandatory teleworking rule. Wherever you worked, we would like to thank you for your commitment, flexibility and efficiency during all these months.
Where do we stand now? During the month of June, as permitted by the federal regulations, we will start organizing our regular return to the office. For this purpose, we have asked your department head to start inviting you back. Authorities have indicated that the mandatory teleworking mandate will disappear in July. Great news! For all that we've been able to achieve while many of us have been working remotely, the truth is that there has been something essential missing from these past months: each other.
So how will the future of work look like for us? You will surely have many interrogations. Can I still work from home from time to time if my function allows it? What with the masks on site and at the office? How many people can sit together in a site office or in a meeting room? Do we need to keep the plexi separation between our desks? There are, and will always be, many relevant questions – which we are going to tackle one at a time, gradually.
The first thing to know is that, Covid-permitting, we have the target to combine the efficiency of in-person collaboration with a clever use of remote working as from 1 July. We have all realised that working from home had its benefits as well as its downsides. In order to keep the benefits, BESIX wants to take a hybrid approach, tailored on the needs of the department. It’s up to each department responsible now to start drawing plans, schedule rotations with his/her team and formalise it in a team charter, as stated in the teleworking policy.
Safety at all times
The second thing you need to know is that we wouldn’t put this process in motion if it was not safe: our many offices are safe. We have practiced very strict protocols since March 2020, from sanitizing stations, to surface disinfection, from adequate ventilation, to space adaptations, etc. They appeared to be the right ones as no cluster ever emerged from any work spaces during the various waves. These protocols will be kept, gradually loosened according to official recommendations – and strictly monitored in case they need to be reactivated again. You’ll find the current recommendations in appendix and on intranet.
We count on you to keep playing your part in keeping us all safe, even after you are vaccinated. Washing hands regularly, staying home when sick, ventilating spaces, etc. are good measures for any virus protection.
As your employer, we also urge you to get vaccinated. To protect yourself, your family, your friends but also your colleagues and other work-related contacts. It’s together that we can beat this virus.
Easing the transition
We realise that your sentiment can be mixed right now, between the potential reluctance to change the new habit of working from home and the urge to collaborate in-person. This is why we are consciously opting for a hybrid model, offering greater flexibility and independence while maintaining certain structures. It will require for some to adjust their schedule to accommodate your commute again, but it will also bring along potential benefits, like reduced loneliness, improved productivity and firmer boundaries between work and home life.
We will gradually re-introduce collegial moments to reconnect, like extended capacity at the restaurant at the head office, happy hour drinks at team level, low-key but fun animations and contests during the Euro football tournament, etc.
Coming together in person to collaborate and build community is core to our famous entrepreneurial and collegial culture, and it will be an important part of our future. And we will adjust gradually, all together. We will keep you posted in the weeks to come.
In the meantime: the current sanitary measures remain in place; department and project heads draw plans for a regular come back to the office; and teleworking requests still need to be introduced via LEO or via the employee self-service.
Looking forward to seeing you in the offices,
Geert Aelbrecht, Chief People Officer, BESIX Group
and the Executive Committee