As the spread of the coronavirus Covid-19 in Europe begins
to accelerate, so do the number of questions from employers in
Belgium. Is your organisation ready to face the consequences of
this epidemic situation? What are the most effective ways to
protect your employees and the organisation?
Since the Minister of Employment's press release of 6
February 2020, the coronavirus can now be invoked as a case of
force majeure. As a result, Belgian organisations affected by the
consequences of the coronavirus (for example because they no longer
receive deliveries from China) can invoke the system of temporary
unemployment due to force majeure. The employer must then submit an
electronic declaration to the competent unemployment office for
where its organisation is located, citing the coronavirus as a
reason for force majeure. For this purpose, the employer is also
required to back up its request by providing evidence of force
majeure (that is, an unforeseeable event) and the
