Five years after COVID: Three-quarters of employers see the benefits of remote work
Five years after the first lockdown, Belgian CEOs and executives embrace remote work as a boost for motivation, satisfaction, and talent retention. What is your organization's take on this?
by Kathleen Vangronsvelt, PhD, Dr. Manon Feys (Vias Institute), Baraa Abed El Jalil (Intern Next Generation Work)
| March 18, 2025
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Exactly five years after the first COVID-19 lockdown, the majority of Belgian CEOs and executives have a positive view of remote work. This is evident from research conducted by Antwerp Management School and Vias institute. According to the study, 75% of CEOs and 81% of executives believe that remote work increases employee satisfaction and motivation. Additionally, three-quarters of employers recognize that remote work helps attract and retain talent.
On March 18, 2020, the first lockdown due to the coronavirus brought significant changes to society, with remote work being one of the most notable adaptations. Before 2020, four in ten companies in the study did not allow remote work at all. Another 40% offered occasional remote work, while only 20% had a structured remote work policy.
By 2025, remote work has become an integral part of the workplace. No less than 86% of large organizations (500+ employees) included in the study now offer structured remote work, as do three-quarters of SMEs. Five years after the start of the pandemic, most Belgian CEOs and executives remain largely positive about remote work—though challenges persist.
Impact on Productivity and Collaboration
CEOs and executives view the impact of remote work on productivity differently. While the majority of CEOs (44%) perceive a positive effect (compared to 32% who see a negative impact), executives are even more optimistic, with 71% reporting positive effects and only 12% noting a decline in productivity. There is more consensus when it comes to absenteeism: around 50% of both groups report a decrease in absenteeism thanks to remote work.
In our 2021 employer survey—one year after the start of the pandemic—we already saw that business leaders were not necessarily negative about remote work. At that time, half of CEOs observed improved employee concentration due to remote work, while a quarter saw negative effects. One-third reported enhanced efficiency in task execution, while an equal proportion noticed a decline. However, it may surprise many how clearly employers now recognize the positive impact of remote work on productivity. A possible explanation is that media coverage tends to highlight extreme cases, such as companies taking strict stances by requiring all employees to return to the office full-time.
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Professor Kathleen Vangronsvelt
When it comes to collaboration, respondents mainly struggle with hybrid meetings. Nearly seven in ten CEOs (67%) and 53% of executives report difficulties in fostering interaction during meetings with both in-person and online participants. Additionally, teamwork and problem-solving are seen as more challenging with remote work—according to 57% of CEOs and 41% of executives. Interestingly, a quarter of executives actually find problem-solving easier in a remote setting. Overall, executives seem to experience fewer challenges than CEOs, even when it comes to team management. While 54% of CEOs find managing a team more difficult with remote work, only 39% of executives agree, with a quarter even saying it has become easier.
Flexibility and Structure
How do companies organize remote work? In about half of the cases, the organization determines how many days employees must be in the office. Decisions are less frequently made by executives, teams, or employees themselves. On average, employees are allowed to work remotely for two (35%) or three (34%) days per week. When it comes to deciding which days employees must be in the office, the choice more often lies with individuals or teams (both 33%) rather than the organization (15%).
We see the so-called ‘Tuesday-Thursday peak’ clearly reflected in the data, with high traffic congestion on those days. Teams and employees often decide for themselves, based on personal preferences and work-life balance, when to go to the office.
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Professor Kathleen Vangronsvelt
Additionally, half of the respondents indicate that employees can generally set their own working hours, as long as they are available during specific core hours. A quarter of respondents follow a slightly less flexible approach, requiring employees to adhere to standard working hours but allowing some flexibility in scheduling. These shared working hours help maintain employee connection and facilitate disconnection from work after hours.
Impact on traffic
Every avoided commute means fewer cars on the road during peak hours. Our calculations show that in 2023, remote work prevented 1,126 car accidents, including nine fatal accidents. Traffic is often overlooked when discussing the benefits of remote work.
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Dr. Manon Feys (Vias Institute)
About the research
The study by Antwerp Management School (Next Generation Work) and Vias institute, led by Prof. Dr. Kathleen Vangronsvelt, Tomas Vandereycken, and Dr. Manon Feys, focuses on how employers perceive remote work in 2025. More than 750 business leaders, executives, and HR professionals were surveyed.
This research was made possible with the support of VBO/FEB, HRPro.be, SD Worx, De Tijd, and HRmagazine.
