Nearly 600 companies apply for unemployment following attacks

Nearly 600 companies in Belgium have proclaimed a period of temporary unemployment for their staff following the 22 March bomb attacks in Brussels and Zaventem, according to unemployment agency ONEM. The companies have filed a total of 1,799 requests in the last two weeks, compared to about 100 in a normal month.

Temporary unemployment can be invoked for several reasons when workers are prevented from working fully or in part. One of the reasons is force majeure – circumstances beyond the company’s control. On the day of the attacks, federal labour minister Kris Peeters announced that the conditions for force majeure were met, and companies could resort to temporary unemployment.

When the conditions are met, workers receive a temporary unemployment benefit from the ONEM. In this case, employers have to provide specific reasons why work has to be interrupted; only employees working at Brussels Airport are excused that explanation.

Most of the requests came from Brussels and Flanders – 800 and 760 respectively – mainly from food and drinks service, hotels and cleaning companies.