The Flemish Government agreed that it will not oppose the introduction of compulsory teleworking for three or four days a week at the Consultative Committee, report local media on Wednesday.
While the Flemish Government initially opposed a full-time obligation to telework - as recommended by the GEMS expert group - until the Christmas holidays, they will no longer fight the measure at the Consultative Committee, local media report based on various government sources.
Following a lot of criticism from a number of employers' organisations, the Federal Government proposed on Monday evening to not be that strict and to introduce an obligation to work from home three or four days a week instead.
Still, employers strongly opposed that idea of an obligation, saying that it was "disproportionate and unacceptable," and urged the Flemish Government to "stop this at the Consultative Committee."
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While the Flemish Government was not against the maximum use of teleworking, it was the "mandatory" aspect that was difficult for them. However, without an official obligation, it is not possible to impose controls on companies to check if they are following the rules.
On Wednesday morning, the Flemish Government decided that it will not oppose the measure following internal consultations. "We are also in favour of maximum teleworking," a source told Het Nieuwsblad.
The Consultative Committee started meeting at 2:30 PM today, and will hold a press conference to announce its decisions, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Alexander De Croo confirmed to The Brussels Times.
An overview of all the measures that are expected to be discussed this afternoon can be found here.
