Exactly five years after the first Covid-19 lockdown, the majority of Belgian CEOs and managers are convinced of the benefits of teleworking: it increases employee satisfaction and motivation, and helps attract and retain talent.
On 18 March 2020, the first lockdown brought major changes to society, with teleworking as one of the most important adjustments. Before the pandemic, nearly half of companies did not allow teleworking. Now, 86% of large organisations offer it structurally.
"In 2025, teleworking is here to stay," according to research by the Antwerp Management School (AMS). "Five years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, most Belgian CEOs and executives are overwhelmingly positive about teleworking, although challenges remain."
Productivity and collaboration
CEOs and executives do not look at the impact of teleworking on productivity in the same way. While the majority (44%) notice a positive impact, nearly a third (32%) see a negative one. Managers, however, are even more convinced: 71% see a positive impact, compared to 12% who see a negative one.
As for absenteeism, there is more unambiguity: around 50% of both groups of employers notice a decrease in absenteeism thanks to teleworking opportunities.
"In our 2021 employer survey – 1 year after the start of the pandemic – we also already saw that business leaders did not necessarily view telework negatively," said AMS professor of occupational psychology Kathleen Vangronsvelt. "Back then, half of CEOs saw that teleworking improved their employees' concentration, while a quarter actually noticed negative effects."
Credit: Belga
One-third also saw positive effects on employees' efficiency in performing tasks, compared to the same number who saw negative effects. Still, employers clearly recognise the positive effects of telework on productivity.
When it comes to collaboration, respondents mostly notice obstacles in hybrid meetings. Almost seven in ten CEOs (67%) and 53% of managers struggle to interact during meetings where participants are both present physically and online.
Finding solutions as a team is also hampered by teleworking, according to 57% of CEOs and 41% of managers. Interestingly, a quarter of managers indicated that it is easier because of teleworking.
Flexibility and structure
In about half of the companies, the organisation decides how many days employees should be in the office. Managers, teams and employees themselves are less likely to make the decision here. On average, employees are allowed to telework two (35%) or three (34%) days a week.
As for the days when employees should be in the office, the decision comes more often from the individual or the team (both 33%), rather than the organisation (15%).
"We clearly see the pressure in the figures, with high traffic on the job on Tuesdays and Thursdays," said Vangronsvelt. "Teams and employees often choose for themselves, based on their personal preferences and work-life balance, when they go to the office."
Additionally, half of the respondents indicated that employees usually decide for themselves what hours they work, with the stipulation that they are definitely available at certain times of the day (such as for specific meetings).
Working in 2020. Credit: Bruno Emmanuelle/Unsplash
A quarter of respondents take a slightly less flexible approach, where employees have to stick to the usual working hours, but have room to fill in some hours flexibly. The fixed hours when everyone works together also improve the connection between employees when teleworking, and also helps them de-connect from work after those hours.
More teleworking has an additional positive side effect: less traffic, according to Manon Feys of the Vias road safety institute.
"Every commute not made means fewer people on the road during rush hour. We calculated that in 2023, 1,126 car accidents were avoided in this way, as well as nine fatal accidents," she said. "Traffic remains a fact that is often overlooked when discussing the benefits of teleworking."
