More than half of Belgian employees often feel undervalued and insufficiently engaged

The European Workforce Study collects the opinions of 24,938 employees in 19 European countries. Sixty of the 80 statements in the questionnaire deal with workplace culture and leadership; 20 address specific workplace challenges, such as ESG, AI, and hybrid work. The Belgian survey was conducted in collaboration with Koen Dewettinck, Professor of Human Resources Management at Vlerick Business School and CEO of Great Place to Work Belgium.

Lack of recognition and strong leadership

The study shows that employees in Belgium mainly complain about a lack of recognition from managers and unfair treatment in the workplace. Only 44% of employees feel that managers are genuinely interested in their suggestions and ideas, while just 42% are satisfied with their chances of recognition for their performance and achievements.

Moreover, Belgian organisations score particularly low on core aspects that contribute to a sense of fairness. Only 33% of Belgian employees feel that they receive a fair share of the company’s profits, while just 37% are of the opinion that promotions are given to those who deserve them the most. Besides causing increased frustration among employees, this also has a direct impact on productivity, employees’ intention to stay with the company, and general company culture.

This lack of trust in leadership also has consequences. The study shows that workplaces with a high level of trust among employees are more productive and have higher retention rates. Psychological safety and fairness are clearly crucial for a flourishing workplace. Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands have the most psychologically safe workplaces in Europe. In Belgium, less than 1 in 2 workers (48%) feel psychologically and emotionally safe, putting our country below the European average of 53%.

Hybrid work as a catalyst

Hybrid work offers an opportunity to tackle these challenges. Employees with hybrid working arrangements report greater satisfaction and an increased intention to stay with the same company longer.

The Netherlands and Scandinavia lead the way in terms of flexible work models. In the Netherlands, 57% of employees can choose where they work, followed by Finland (49%), Sweden (48%) and Denmark (47%). Belgium, where 40% of employees indicate that they are free to choose their working location, is ranked in 8th place.

While the differences between countries can be partly explained by the types of industries found in each of them, they are mainly due to a working culture founded on trust. We observed a direct relationship between work flexibility and trust, with workers in high-trust workplaces experiencing more flexibility at work.

At the European level, 57% of workers prefer hybrid work over working fully on site (31%) when given the choice. On average, employee satisfaction is 8 percentage points higher when employees have a hybrid working arrangement compared to working fully on site. In Belgium, where only 40% of employees say they have flexible working arrangements, there clearly is still a lot of margin for improvement.

Belgium: AI innovation and ESG

Belgium is also lagging behind in terms of artificial intelligence and sustainability. Only 25% of Belgian organisations actively invest in AI tools and only 48% of employees believe their organisation effectively contributes to social or environmental goals.

Belgium excels in inclusion and resilience

Although Belgian organisations face challenges in some areas, our country’s score is better than the European average on some crucial aspects. Belgian leaders score better in terms of resilience and adaptability: 22% of employees consider their managers to be flexible and resilient, compared with just 18% in Europe as a whole. Inclusion is also a strong pillar in Belgium, with 17% of Belgian employees indicating that their organisation values inclusion and diversity, which is higher than the European average of 14%. This shows that Belgian companies are making headway in terms of creating workplaces where everyone feels welcome and valued, regardless of their background or perspective.

Download the complete 2025 European Workforce Study.