Remote work vs office presence: how Belgian 2026 policies are reshaping employer attractiveness

More and more Belgian companies are tightening remote work rules , with one in six now requiring staff to be in the office at least four days a week (Brussels Times), even as employees still expect flexibility. In 2026, according to Claeys Engels, 84% of Belgian companies allow teleworking, but two days per week remains the standard for 45% of employers, and a growing minority are moving towards four or even five office days.  

Therefore, employers are now trying to design presence policies that attract and retain talent.

What the 2026 data and regulations actually show 

Belgium’s remote work landscape in 2026 is shaped by both employer practices and an evolving legal framework. 

Employer practices in Belgium: flexibility remains, but control is increasing 

Recent surveys of Belgian employers and workers highlight several key trends: 

• Over 91% of companies with more than 10 employees allow some form of remote working; among large organisations (250+ staff), this rises to 94%. (source) 
• Two days of telework per week remains the dominant model: 45% of companies have settled on this as their standard arrangement. 
• However, flexibility is narrowing: 
  • The share of companies letting employees choose their own telework days fell from 25.6% to 21% in one year. 
  • Conversely, the share of firms that select telework days themselves increased from 8.2% (2022) to 13.4% (2026). 
  • 16.6% of employers now require at least four office days per week, up from 11.4% the previous year. 
• Despite this tightening, 87% of companies did not change the number of permitted telework days in 2025 (source), and 88% do not plan to change them in 2026 either, suggesting that for most, the two-day model is now entrenched. 

At the same time, 67.6% of employers and 64.2% of employees say they are satisfied with the current balance between home and office work, indicating that the tension is real but not universal. 

Legal and fiscal framework: more clarity, more obligations 

Belgian law distinguishes between work from home, structural telework and occasional telework, each with its own rules. In 2026, several developments are particularly relevant for employers: 

• The maximum tax‑free telework allowance increased to €160.99 per month as of 1 March 2026, applicable to employees who telework structurally and regularly (on average at least one day per week).
• Employers must: 
  • Formalise structural telework in a written agreement or addendum to the employment contract. 
  • Provide a written, reasoned response within one month to any telework request, with specific operational or organisational grounds for refusal. 
• New working-time reforms (entering force 1 June 2026) relax some administrative burdens (e.g. listing every specific schedule in work regulations) and introduce more flexibility around part-time minimums and night work, indirectly affecting how companies organise presence and remote work. 

The net effect: remote work is well regulated, fiscally supported, but increasingly managed rather than left entirely to employee discretion. 

Why remote work policies have become a key lever of employer attractiveness 

For candidates and employees, remote work is no longer a “nice-to-have” perk; it is a core component of the employment value proposition. Several factors explain why. 

1. Work–life balance and well-being 

Extensive European research shows that telework affects work organisation, working conditions, work–life balance and well-being. For many employees, especially those with caregiving responsibilities or long commutes, the ability to work from home: 

• Reduces commuting time and stress. 
• Improves flexibility to manage family and personal life. 
• Enhances perceived autonomy and control over the workday. 

When companies significantly restrict remote work without clear justification, they risk being seen as out of step with modern expectations, particularly among mid-career professionals and parents. 

2. Talent attraction in a still-competitive market 

Even with some cooling in hiring intentions in 2026, talent shortages persist in key sectors (IT, finance, engineering, healthcare). In this context, as recruitment consultants in Belgium, we see that: 

• Candidates routinely compare remote work policies when evaluating offers. 
• Job ads that clearly state hybrid arrangements (e.g. “2–3 days remote”) tend to attract more applications than those that are silent or impose strict office requirements. 
• For international or cross-border talent, remote work can be a deciding factor in accepting a Belgian role. 

Restrictive policies can therefore shrink the talent pool, especially for roles that can realistically be performed partly remotely. 

3. Retention and internal mobility 

According to Claeys & Engels, research consistently show that teleworking is the measure most often used to retain staff. When employees feel their preferred balance is threatened: 

• They may start passively looking for other opportunities. 
• High performers with strong external options are the most likely to leave. 
• Teams that previously accepted a certain model may experience morale dips if changes are imposed without consultation. 

This is particularly relevant for young professionals and mid-career talent, who are more willing to change jobs if their expectations around flexibility are not met. 

Read more: AI, Age Diveristy and Gen Z: Rethining Leadership Development 

4. The emerging “sweet spot”: structured hybrid, not full remote 

Interestingly, research also suggests that job attractiveness increases with more telework, but only up to a point, with diminishing returns and eventually a downturn at very high levels of remote work. In parallel, academic work on job amenities shows that all forms of employer-provided support (including telework) increase job attractiveness, but the design matters (e.g. alignment with working hours, availability of childcare, clear norms). 

The implication: fully remote is not automatically more attractive than well-structured hybrid. Candidates and employees value: 

• Predictability (clear rules on which days are remote vs office). 
• Purposeful office time (collaboration, team building, access to facilities). 
• Support for remote work (equipment, allowances, IT, ergonomic guidance). 

4 tips you need to know for your recruitment strategy  

For hiring managers, HR leaders and business owners, the 2026 landscape has concrete implications. 

1. Remote work policy is now part of your brand 

Your stance on remote work is no longer an internal HR detail; it is a public-facing element of your employer brand: 

• It appears in job ads, career pages and Glassdoor/LinkedIn reviews. 
• Candidates ask about it early in the process, often before discussing salary. 
• Inconsistent messages (e.g. “flexible” in the ad, “four days office” in the interview) damage trust and credibility. 

Our recruitment firm in Belgium can help by: 

• Ensuring that job descriptions accurately reflect the actual remote work policy. 
• Coaching hiring managers to discuss remote work transparently and consistently. 
• Feeding back candidate sentiment on your policy compared to competitors. 

2. One-size-fits-all is increasingly risky 

While many companies have converged on a two-days-remote standard, rigid application across all roles and teams can create friction: 

• Some functions (e.g. client-facing, lab-based, production) genuinely require high office or site presence. 
• Others (e.g. software development, data analysis, certain finance roles) can operate effectively with more remote time. 
• Within teams, individual circumstances (caregiving, health, commute) may justify tailored arrangements. 

Employers that combine a clear baseline policy with limited, well-managed flexibility tend to fare better in attraction and retention than those that impose blanket rules or, conversely, leave everything to local managers. 

3. The office must earn its place 

If you are asking people to come to the office more, the office itself must offer clear added value: 

• Spaces designed for collaboration, workshops and team rituals, not just rows of desks. 
• Scheduled team days with meaningful interaction, not just “presence for presence”. 
• Access to facilities and tools that are harder to replicate at home (meeting rooms, labs, equipment). 

Employees are more willing to accept office days when they feel that time on site is purposeful, not just a control mechanism. 

4. Compliance and fairness matter 

With clearer rules around telework requests, allowances and formal agreements, employers must ensure that: 

• Policies are documented and consistently applied. 
• Telework allowances are correctly calculated and payroll-coded. 
• Refusals of telework requests are written, reasoned and based on genuine operational grounds. 

Inconsistent or arbitrary application can lead not only to legal risk, but also to perceptions of unfairness that damage engagement and word-of-mouth. 

How to design remote work policies that attract talent in Belgium? 

If you are an employer or HR leader in Belgium, here are concrete actions to consider over the next 6–12 months. 

1. Audit your current policy against market norms 

• Benchmark your policy against: 
  • Sector peers (what do competitors offer?). 
  • Roles you struggle to fill (is your remote policy a barrier?). 
• Check internal data: 
  • Turnover rates by team and role. 
  • Exit interview feedback on flexibility and remote work. 
  • Application-to-offer ratios for roles with different remote arrangements. 

2. Define a clear, role-based hybrid model 

Rather than a single rule for the entire company, consider a tiered approach: 

• Office-intensive roles (e.g. reception, lab, production): mostly on site, with limited remote options where feasible. 
• Hybrid roles (most corporate functions): baseline of 2 days remote, 3 days office, with some team-level flexibility. 
• Remote-friendly roles (specific IT, data, back-office functions): 3 days remote or more, with defined office days for key meetings and events. 

For each category, specify: 

• Expected office days (e.g. “Tuesday–Thursday on site”). 
• Rules on choosing remote days vs team-determined schedules. 
• Procedures for temporary adjustments (project peaks, personal circumstances). 

3. Communicate purpose, not just rules 

When rolling out or updating your policy: 

• Explain the why: collaboration, culture, client needs, learning, etc. 
• Show how office time will be used differently (more meetings, workshops, team rituals). 
• Provide examples of effective hybrid practices in your own teams. 

Avoid framing remote work purely as a privilege or the office as a control tool; instead, present both as complementary ways of working. 

4. Support remote work properly 

To make hybrid work in practice: 

• Provide adequate equipment (laptop, screen, chair, ergonomic advice). 
• Pay the telework allowance in line with the current cap (€160.99/month for structural teleworkers as of March 2026). 
• Ensure IT, security and HR processes are adapted (e.g. clear rules on data protection, availability, meeting norms). 

This signals that remote work is taken seriously, not tolerated reluctantly. 

5. Train managers to lead hybrid teams 

Managers are the frontline of your remote work policy. Equip them to: 

• Set clear expectations on presence, availability and deliverables. 
• Run inclusive meetings where remote participants are fully engaged. 
• Spot early signs of disengagement or overload in hybrid setups. 
• Handle telework requests and refusals in line with legal requirements. 

6. Use recruitment as a feedback loop 

As a recruitment firm, we recommend: 

• Systematically collecting candidate feedback on: 
  • How your remote policy compares to others they are considering. 
  • Which aspects are most attractive or off-putting. 
• Sharing this intelligence with HR and leadership to adjust policies or messaging. 
• Ensuring that every job ad clearly states: 
  • The hybrid model (e.g. “3 days office, 2 days remote”). 
  • Any team-specific variations (e.g. “client-facing role with 4 days office during peak periods”). 

Transparency at the advertising stage reduces mismatches and drop-outs later in the process.

How a recruitment firm can help you turn remote work into a competitive advantage 

As a recruitment partner, our role goes beyond filling roles with a given remote work policy. In a context where one in six Belgian employers now requires four office days a week, while many candidates still expect meaningful flexibility, we help employers: 

• Craft clear, attractive job ads that accurately reflect your hybrid model and avoid misleading candidates. 
• Calibrate expectations early in the process, so candidates self-select based on a realistic view of presence requirements. 
• Provide market intelligence on how your policy is perceived compared to competitors, especially for hard-to-fill roles. 
• Support employer branding initiatives (career pages, events, content) that highlight your approach to hybrid work as a strength, not a constraint. 

If you are reviewing your remote work policy in 2026, or struggling to attract or retain talent in a hybrid environment, we can run a targeted review of your hiring process and value proposition and propose concrete adjustments to improve both attraction and retention.