03/09/20

New COVID-19 measure - register for foreign workers

In order to enable contact tracing in the framework of COVID-19, a Ministerial Decree has introduced the obligation for companies to register each employee or self-employed individual living or staying abroad whom the company engages on a temporary basis. In addition, if the employee or self-employed person living or staying abroad must complete the Passenger Locator Form, the company must check whether this form has been completed before the individual starts working.

This registration obligation is applicable during the period from 24 August 2020 up until and including 30 September 2020, and only applies in specific industries, i.e. construction, agriculture, horticulture, meat processing and cleaning. Frontier workers - i.e. workers who have their residence in another Member State to which they return on a daily or (at least) on a weekly basis - and individuals who do not reside in Belgium for more than 48 hours are excluded from the scope.

The following information must be included in the register:

  • surname and first name(s), the date of birth and the national registration (or BIS) number;
  • the location in Belgium where the employee or self-employed individual stays during his activities in your company;
  • the telephone number of the individual;
  • if applicable, the identification of the persons with whom the employee or self-employed individual comes into contact within your company.

It goes without saying that this information may only be used in the framework of COVID-19. As such, this data must be destroyed after 14 calendar days from the date of the end of the activities concerned.

The register must be kept at the disposal of the inspection and compliance monitoring authorities responsible for countering the spread of COVID-19

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