The health and wellbeing of ING Belgium's staff and service to its customers more important than ever
Friday, March 13, 2020 — The spread of the coronavirus and the consequences it may have for ING’s customers and employees is currently one of the bank’s highest priorities. A central crisis management team is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating measures together with local teams with regards to health, safety, travel and business continuity. The bank follows the guidelines and advice of the Belgian government and Federal Department of Public Health meticulously. As of today, ING is taking additional measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus while guaranteeing the continuity of its services.
New measures for ING Belgium staff
All ING Belgium employees are instructed to work from home until further notice, with the exception of employees working in branches. A test was carried out today for the 3,000 employees working at the Cours Saint-Michel building in Brussels. They worked from home today in order to test the bank’s remote ICT capabilities and make adjustments where necessary. In total, around 7,500 people work at ING Belgium.
Where necessary, appropriate measures are being taken to ensure the continuity of activities which employees cannot carry out from home. Teams that contribute to business-critical activities have been carrying out their functions from separate locations for some time now in order to reduce the risk of contamination and resultant staff shortages.
Continuity of service at ING branches in Belgium
Despite this unprecedented situation, the bank will continue to do everything in its power to guarantee optimal service and will focus on the most important services for private individuals and businesses.
Following the federal government's decision, bank branches will be closed on weekends until further notice. The branches will remain operational on weekdays. The sector is calling for as many banking transactions as possible to be carried out digitally, thus avoiding the journey to the bank branch. Customers who want to go to a branch for urgent reasons are asked to make an appointment in the interests of public health. Mobile banking, internet banking and digital payments are available to everyone and are perfectly safe ways to bank remotely. Our online services, the ING app and Home'Bank remain available 24/7. Customer service also remains available by telephone until 10 p.m. on weekdays and until 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
Support for business customers
Business customers experiencing difficulties due to the current crisis are asked to contact their ING banker. Together, appropriate measures can be found to overcome financial difficulties during this challenging period.
Hygiene and other preventative measures
It goes without saying that it is important for all employees and customers to carefully follow the advice of the Federal Department of Public Health. This means not shaking hands, always coughing or sneezing into a tissue or your elbow and washing your hands regularly.