Dear colleagues,
This Tuesday, 17 March, the Belgian federal government took a series of new measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. The implications for the BESIX staff and its subsidiaries in Belgium are as follows.
- Companies are bound to organize telework as much as much as possible, without exception. In other words, everyone working for BESIX and its subsidiaries operating in Belgium must now work in confinement at home. Please make sure to inform your People Department if you should nevertheless pass by one of our offices as this is necessary for security and insurance reasons.
- For positions which do not allow teleworking, the rules of social distancing (>1,5m between people) must be strictly complied with, both at work and in transport.
- However, given that we are largely active on (large) construction sites, these social distancing measures are hard to reconcile with the inherent nature of our activities.
On the basis of these measures and this observation, BESIX and its Belgian subsidiaries have taken the decision to continue working on building sites on a case-by-case basis, after a precise analysis of the conditions on each site.
- Work sites where the rules of social distancing are feasible and controllable, continue their activities. It is everyone's responsibility to observe and ensure that this distance of >1.5m is observed.
- Work sites where the rules of social distancing cannot be applied, will be suspended.
The suspension of identified work sites may take from one to five working days, in order to secure the perimeter properly.
The identification of the work sites that will have to be suspended is in progress and will be finalized and communicated tomorrow 19 March. All the managerial and operational forces are engaged in analyzing every single situation in order to give clear and precise instructions to everyone.
Once this subject will have been clarified, the management will study in depth the consequences of the suspension of the construction sites and will communicate about this matter.
The entire management team is committed to communicating regularly and accurately with you all on subjects that concern our sector and our activities.
If you are a team leader: make sure that this message circulates in your teams and that your unconnected colleagues receive this communication, verbally if necessary.
Wishing you the best in these unsettling times.