As debate continues in the UK over the practice of Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency, also known as the Minister for the 18th Century, leaving notes for civil servants not at their desks in his drive to get everyone back into the office, in Belgium the Brussels Times reports that several large companies, such as NMBS, Proximus, Bpost, Engie, BNP Paribas Fortis and KBC are halving their office spaces in their Brussels headquarters as remote working continues to change the face of the workplace.
The newspaper quotes the Flemish paper De Tijd as saying that these companies “have now developed a teleworking scheme allowing employees to work from home on a structural basis throughout the week”, giving them the possibility of selling off large chunks of office space.
In Belfius, for instance, 77% of the 3,000 employees have signed up to WFH, and to come to headquarters at least 50 working days per year. Belfius is moving branches to its head office on Rogierplein to take up the empty space..
In Engie Electrabel, employees will come to the office two to three days per week, freeing up half of the company’s 60,000 square meters of office space. NMBS, plans to build its new headquarters near the Brussels Midi/Zuid train station, so facilitating commuting employees. Currently, employees are spread across seven different building. Centralising in one building will cut the needed space in half, from the 75,000 square meters currently occupied. Bpost also plans to move its head office and cut the required space in half.
