Number of teleworking federal employees up tenfold in five years

More than 18,000 federal employees in Belgium work from home one to three times a week, compared to 1,790 employees five years ago, writes La Dernière Heure. The increase is almost entirely due to a 2011 Royal Decree which made it possible for more federal employees to work from home on a regular basis.

The decree made way for a major policy shift within Belgium's federal government, which now sees more than a quarter of its employees working partly from home. One major advantage of the more flexible system is that it helps to prevent burnout, according to federal minister for work Steven Vandeput.