As from 27th of June, mandatory teleworking has been ended in Belgium. It is one of the measures that has been eased thanks to the declining numbers of contamination and hospitalization due to Covid-19.
This is great news: not only can we reconnect fully in our offices and on our project sites, but we can finally demonstrate again the togetherness of our teams. It is also the moment to reestablish the clear policies we have created on hybrid working.
Clear teleworking policy
As stated in our last communication of 9 June, all department heads have been requested to prepare a teleworking charter or apply the standard policy. Many departments have chosen to create their own charter, allowing for a great combination of efficiency, flexibility and team spirit. They will inform their teams through separate communication.
Some have selected to apply the standard policy which is listed below and that hasn’t changed since October 1, 2020. You find the policy on our intranet.
Please continue to request teleworking days through the Employee Selfservice Portal or the Leo application.
We invite you however during these first weeks prior to your holiday or just after to reconnect by being present again in the offices almost daily. This is a clear invitation to come back, say hello, have a laugh, see new colleagues for the first time, etc. All these things that we have clearly missed during many weeks or even months.
Safety at all times
We applaud the fact that, in Belgium, the vaccination rate is growing daily. This helps to battle the Covid-19 virus and all its variants. If you have the opportunity to get vaccinated, we fully support you to do so. If you still have questions or doubts, we invite you to have a look at the webinar on vaccination we’ve hosted together with Mensura. You can find the webinar in French and Dutch on the eAcademy.
However, even in the countries where vaccination rates are high, some virus variants still have impact. That is why we need to keep our sanitary measures strict, even if we’re evolving daily to a more normal world.
We repeat our clear protocols that have been applied since months now. They have clearly helped us to stay in control, and remain applicable even if you are vaccinated:
- Ventilate where possible; our air conditioning in the office is well-aligned with this principle
- Respect the number of allowed seats in meeting rooms where indicated
- Wear a mask when your are moving around or when distancing is impossible
- Sanitize your hands several times a day
- Stay home when you’re feeling sick.
We continue to follow the newly announced measures to see when and if we can reduce some of these measures. However we know most help against many other viruses in the same way.
On a very positive note: we are once again able to open both the BESIX Fitness as well as the bike lockers safely. You can find all details on the measures for using these facilities in our Head Office Covid-19 Guide.
Thank you again
Let me end by asking your opinion, as demonstrated in our #wecare approach. I hope many of you have participated in the Engagement Study 2021. Based on your input we can build a better company together where we can strive for becoming for the third time a Top Employer. There are still some days left to fill in the survey. To do so, search for the mail of checklist@sonar.mensura.be and click on the link.
It is through your commitment, your efforts and flexibility even in times of difficulty, that we can create a diverse, motivated, innovative and especially united BESIX Group.
Thank you!!
Looking forward to seeing you in the offices,
Geert Aelbrecht, Chief People Officer, BESIX Group
and the Executive Committee