Belgian Summerplan

As you may have already heard, a number of relaxations will again take effect as of Wednesday 9th of June 2021.

These relaxations are part of the first step in the "Summer Plan".

We have listed the most important changes for you.

Return to the workplace

Since the previous consultation committee, it has been permitted for employers to organize 'return moments'. In concrete terms, these are moments when employees who have been doing compulsory telework in the past few months can come back to the office. Note that teleworking is still compulsory until the 1^st of July 2021.

These return moments do have a number of mandatory conditions:

• These moments are allowed for a maximum of 20% of the employees at the same time and for one day a week.
• In companies with less than 10 employees, a maximum of 5 employees may be present at the same time. However, testing of employees is strongly recommended.

Employees returning from holidays abroad

The rules below only apply as of the 1st of July 2021. Until that date, the current measures remain in force.

Employees can travel freely within the European Union if they have a digital corona certificate.  This certificate is proof that someone has been vaccinated against corona, has tested negative, or has recently recovered from corona. The Passenger Location Form (PLF) is still compulsory, but the distinction between private and business travel has been removed. Therefore, it is no longer mandatory for business trips to complete the Business Travel Brad tool, but the PLF must be completed.

The quarantine rules regarding travel will also be adjusted:

• When your employees return from a green or orange zone, they are not required to go into quarantine or be tested.
• When your employees return from a red zone, they do not have to go into quarantine after returning, provided they have a digital corona certificate or a recent PCR test.

Foreign Workers

If, as an employer, you employ foreign workers, the same rules apply. However, other rules apply if your employees come from countries that are not members of the European Union:

• Foreign employees who come from outside the European Union must be fully vaccinated (+ 2 weeks) with a vaccine recognized by Europe and take a PCR test on the day of arrival. If the test is negative, this employee does not have to go into quarantine.
• An entry ban applies to foreign employees who come from or have stayed in a very high-risk area ("Variants of concern"). Exceptions are made for essential travel by transport personnel and diplomats. They must undergo a 10-day mandatory quarantine with a PCR test on day 1 and day 7. The quarantine may only be interrupted for an essential reason.

If there are any questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We from Crowe are at your disposal!