Dear employee of DCO Beerse vzw,
Soon, April 1, 2025, we are going to inform our customers of an important change: from July 1, 2025, we will introduce a customer fee of €2.2 per hour worked (€2.0 if paying by direct debit).
This decision was not taken lightly and was delayed for a long time. The main reasons for this introduction are:
- The increase in staff costs due to repeated index overruns
- The realisation of our people-oriented personnel policy with a strong pay package, extensive training and job coaching
- Increasing costs due to further digitalisation
- The failure of the Flemish government to fully index the redemption value per service cheque in recent years
We would like to stress that this measure is essential to ensure the long-term existence of DCO Beerse vzw. We have closed the last 5 years with a loss each time. Anno 2025, we still have a sufficiently strong financialële reserve, however, a further reduction of this reserve is no longer desirable or sensible from the point of view of good employment practice. DCO Beerse vzw is to date ééone of the companies in the sector that does not charge a customer contribution and this is no longer realistic.
As soon as the financialële situation allows, we will consult with the union representatives within the company to see if additional’s are possible for our employees.
In the letter to customers, we emphasise the added value of DCO Beerse vzw as a social employer in the region:
- Our commitment to permanent domestic helpers
- Personal approach and direct contact through our office in Beerse
- Availability of job coaches for advice and guidance
- Flexibility in scheduling and replacement
- Our new app that facilitates communication
We explain that, as an autonomous company with no shareholders, we reinvest all revenues in our organisation. This contribution is necessary to ensure the continuïteity of DCO Beerse vzw as an important social employer (with around 275 domestic helpers).
This contribution is necessary to ensure the continuïteity of DCO Beerse vzw as an important social employer (with around 275 domestic helpers).
No doubt customers will have questions about this after they receive this communication at the beginning of April 2025.
As a result, we are also addressing this communication to you, our employees, before informing customers.
With kind regards,
Wim Woestenborghs
Director DCO Beerse vzw