Initially, Belgium kept a conservative position on the EU recommendations for border reopening and travel from outside the EU was highly restricted. Belgium only considered EU Blue Card Holders as essential highly skilled workers exempt from the travel ban.
UPDATE NOVEMBER 17th: It appears private individuals may now view properties, providing no one else is on site at the time.
The lockdown instated on Monday November 2nd has called for all non-essential businesses to close. The list of allowed commercial activities is more extensive than during the first lockdown, but under the current governmental guidelines property viewings, and entry and exit surveys are forbidden.
2020 will forever be remembered as the year in which lockdowns, social distancing and self-isolation became part of our daily vocabulary. Now that the novelty of working in your pyjama’s is starting to wear off and you’ve seen every meme pass by at least twice, you might find yourself starting to feel slightly less enamoured with your new place of work. Because chances are your home office comprises a chair at the dining table, or perhaps a small desk jammed into a corner of the living room.
The Belgian government has also thought of smaller business owners with regards to support measures. A quick roundup of the main measures. Please note there are some differences between Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels, so always check with your own bookkeeper before taking action.
In these challenging times, we’d like to outline a number of possible support measures for you as an employer. We highlight the fact that the below mentioned measures only relate to the employment of your employees. You may also be eligible for other measures with regard to corporate tax, VAT, etc. Further on, we can’t emphasize enough that the Belgian government adjusts these measures as much as every day. This newsletter reflects the state of affairs on April 16th, 2020.
As the corona virus pandemic continues to impact the operations and workforce of companies in Belgium, there are many questions about how to secure and protect the work and residence rights of foreign staff. The situation is fluid and government guidance does not exist for every scenario.
I wake up the next morning and receive a text from a friend asking whether I fancy joining them for a New Year’s Eve party. With a glass of wine in one hand and my phone in another hand I bump into Dominic, who looks at me with curiosity and asks me what kind of questions I am looking to be answered. His girlfriend is visiting for a week, but that doesn’t stop him enthusiastically talking about his experiences in Val Thorens and abroad.
Dominic, 39, is a salesman in a Val Thorens ski shop. Picture by Arno Van den Veyver.
That same evening I meet Tine, at the bar of a hotel. She’s working as a receptionist and offers me a conversation, a cocktail and a big smile. When she shares her life story I become so engrossed I lose all track of time.
Tine, 32, is a hotel receptionist and bar tender in Val Thorens. Picture by Arno Van den Veyver.
When I drive up to my friend’s house that evening, I meet his roommate. Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing my accommodation with 28 year old Max. It’s his second season as a ski man and his eagerness to learn and climb the ladder strikes me above all.
Max, 28, is a ski man in Val Thorens. Image by Arno Van den Veyver
The next day is my first day on the slopes and so I pick up my gear at a snowboard and ski shop Prosneige. Conveniently, they also offer classes to a newbie who is clueless as to what to do with two sticks and a bunch of snow. I get the chance to have a chat with Eric, who is a boot fitter for the shop. Essentially, he examines and measures people’s feet. Boot fitters match the shape of the foot to a specific boot shell, volume, and flex pattern that will correspond to people’s skiing ability. They’ll then scan your foot to create a custom foot bed that will help align your stance.
Eric, 35, is a boot fitter in Val Thorens. Image by Arno Van den Veyver.