Happy magazine December 2025 - Daenens
FULL OF FUN NEWS
Happy work, happy life
Join De Warmste babbel and Viva for Life
Prevention colleagues shine in the cover photo
Make headway together, that’s what we’ve learned from your feedback
Behind the scenes at Prevention
See if you can win a cinema ticket
FOREWORD
Contents 3 As the year slowly draws to a close, and Christmas lights add a little warmth to our days, I would very much like to take a moment to reflect on all that we have achieved together. 2025 has been another year of action, growth and solidarity. I am very grateful to each and every one of you at Daenens - household helps, consultants, Prevention colleagues, coaches, managers, partners and customers - for the amazing commitment you show every day. You are the beating heart of our organisation. This past year has also been marked by the success of our new name, Daenens. Launched last year, it has made our team spirit stronger still. I feel, more than ever, that we are moving forward in unison, as one big family that shares the same values: respect, trust and caring for others. I work behind the scenes every day on this unity, and you can feel its effect too in our collaboration, our open communication and the pride each of us has in the Daenens name. Seeing new initiatives grow and watching colleagues help each other and take on challenges together fills me with energy. There is nothing automatic about such solidarity; but in it lies our strength and our uniqueness. Our social commitment is still a pillar of our identity. Together with you, I have once again committed to De Warmste Week this year, and Viva for Life, through initiatives such as De Warmste Babbel and Viva Voix. Because a friendly chat, a willingness to listen and a small gesture can effect real change. I invite you to make time for others, because true connection begins with the attention we pay each other. You will find more information on this on pages 3, 4 and 5 of this issue of Happy. This issue also brings you the incredible tale of Rizalina, a colleague whose courage and perseverance is a source of inspiration for us all. She tells her story on pages 8 and 9. And we will take you behind the scenes with Prevention, where our colleagues watch out for your safety and well-being every day. Their commitment enables us to carry out our work confidently, in the best conditions. I am proud of the role they play and the way in which they continually work with you to find improvements so that Daenens remains a safe and healthy place to work. Your feedback is invaluable to me. Thanks to your suggestions and ideas, we are able to keep evolving and keep improving. Listening to what drives you is important to me, because it is together that we can build a work environment where everyone feels respected and supported. Your enthusiasm, your commitment and your openness inspire me to give the very best of myself every day. May the rest of your year be filled with warmth, happiness and wonderful times with colleagues, friends and family. Take the time to enjoy it, to get back to what really matters and then to turn our attention together to a new year full of opportunities. So let’s look forward to 2026, when we will continue to grow together, with the same passion and the same notion of connection. Greetings,
Daenens, a loyal partner of De Warmste Week and Viva for Life
6 Make headway together, that’s what we’ve learned from your feedback
8 Meet our household help: Rizalina
10 Safety and well-being first and foremost, behind the scenes at Prevention
12 Let’s answer your important questions
14 The young are tomorrow’s leaders
15 Brownies and your top cleaning trick!
D E WA R M S TE B A B B EL | V I VA F O R LI FE
Daenens, a loyal partner of De Warmste Week and Viva for Life In an age when everything moves very fast and interactions are often reduced to phone messages, Daenens wants to remind us of the power of human contact. Behind every smile, every face and every door lies a story worth listening to. That’s why we are again supporting De Warmste Week (VRT) and are joining in Viva for Life (RTBF). And we are doing so through an initiative of our own: De Warmste Babbel, fully aligned with our values of human warmth, respect and shared growth.
Scan here to watch the campaign video for De Warmste Week now.
3
4
D E WA R M S TE B A B B EL | V I VA F O R LI FE
“Sometimes a friendly chat counts for as much as a quick clean. Behind every interaction is a person.”
From the invisible to the visible, from worries to opportunities Last year, we launched a major push against loneliness, which was the theme for De Warmste Week, together. And it really hit home; hundreds of colleagues, customers and families took the time to chat, laugh or simply listen. We want to nurture this human warmth this year. During De Warmste Week, we will be devoting time to invisible illnesses and burdens that people suffer from without anyone seeing it. With Viva for Life, we are concentrating on child poverty, a problem which also often goes unseen, even though its consequences have a huge impact. Our household helps see real life every day. They feel it when a customer is going through a hard time - and they too are often carrying around invisible worries. Not everything has to be seen to exist. What matters is paying each
other attention: a smile, a kind word, a moment spent together. These small gestures often make a huge difference. We invite everyone who works at Daenens to spare a moment for someone else. Given the success of many heart-warming conversations last year, we’d like to strengthen this precious connection. From 8 December, everyone – colleagues and customers – can share a friendly seasonal greeting via vivavoix.be (in French and German) or dewarmstebabbel.be (in Dutch and English). Each greeting will go up on an interactive wall, where the extended Daenens family will share lots of messages of warmth, hope and connection throughout the country.
One family, one movement, two good causes New this year: De Warmste Babbel is becoming a bilingual initiative. In Flanders we join in with De Warmste Week, and in French-speaking Belgium, our colleagues and customers get involved in Viva for Life. Because human warmth knows no linguistic borders, we support the same action, the same message, the same heartfelt movement.
“Household helps are often the first willing listener for those who feel alone or sick.”
D E WA R M S TE B A B B EL | V I VA F O R LI FE
5
Daenens will be visible and audible throughout Belgium in November and December. Listen here to the radio ads that will be broadcast on Flemish and French language channels.
Daenens on radio and tv from 9 to 23 December, on • • • •
Radio 2 MNM Studio Brussel VRT MAX
from 19 November to 2 December, on •
VivaCité
Follow De Warmste Week and Daenens live in Genk from 18 to 24 December, on • • •
MNM Studio Brussel VRT MAX
Follow Viva for Life and Daenens live in Seraing from 17 to 23 December, on • •
VivaCité La Une
How to take part. 1. 2. 3.
Go to the website and share your greeting Take a photo or create a digital card Spread human warmth within your team, with your family or online
Together, let’s show that human warmth is contagious. All that’s needed is a friendly chat. www.dewarmstebabbel.be (NL, EN) www.vivavoix.be (FR, DE)
6
M A K E H E A D W AY TO G E T H E R
Make headway together
That’s what we’ve learned from your feedback Every day, thousands of Daenens colleagues work in a variety of places, but towards the same goal: to work together with respect and understanding. That’s why, at the end of last year we asked your opinion through our comprehensive satisfaction survey. And you clearly wanted to have your voices heard: one in five employees filled out the questionnaire. That’s a sign of your commitment and your desire to build a better work environment together.
A friendly company at heart We are proud of the survey results; those working at Daenens are motivated, attentive and enthusiastic about their job. The overall satisfaction level is high, and this can be felt everywhere. Collaboration with customers, clear planning and a sense of security at work all scored very high marks. Trust between colleagues is also strong, and that’s just what makes Daenens unique. Behind these positive figures lies a great story of colleagues helping each other, of managers who are ready to listen and of customers who make their satisfaction known. This is Daenens’ strength.
“A place where everyone feels appreciated and accepted - that remains our vision.”
M A K E H E A D W AY TO G E T H E R
3 strong pillars
Respect is a central theme More than nine out of ten colleagues feel respected, both by Daenens and by customers. That’s a fantastic result! However, we want to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable at all times. Because everything we do is built on respect. That’s why we’re introducing additional measures. •
Training will be offered on the appropriate way to handle difficult situations.
•
Issues can in-office.
•
We will promote our diversity and inclusion charter so that colleagues and customers alike will know that, at Daenens, all are welcome.
still
be
reported
Small improvements with a big impact Your feedback tells us that you are not only proud of what works well, but also honest about what could be better. And that really helps us make progress. Some colleagues have flagged up that their kit or equipment could be improved. In the meantime, everyone has received new work clothes, a bag and a first aid kit; little things that make work more enjoyable. Other colleagues mentioned that the work can be physically and mentally tough at times. So we will keep an eye on ergonomics, healthy practices
1
Collaboration with customers
2
Clear planning
3
A sense of security
7
“We remain committed to ensuring you are properly rewarded for your efforts.”
A dynamic team Our HR team expanded recently. This means we’re able to devote more time to health, training and processes, and make faster progress together. Prevention is fully committed to safety: new work clothes, training courses, clear information (see pages 10 and 11) and digitalisation enable us to work faster, in a simpler, more transparent way. So you see, your feedback is not a report shoved away in the bottom of a drawer, but an engine that drives us forward.
and mental support. Through the EAP programme (see box), you can talk to a psychologist at any time for free. Our brochure ‘Health – a matter that concerns all of us’ also offers advice on working in a more conscious and healthy way.
Growing together The satisfaction survey was not an end in itself, but a beginning. In the future, we would like to check the pulse of what life on the ground is really like regularly, so that we can meet your needs more quickly.
Pay is also important to us. A sector-level agreement was reached in July for a wage increase of €0.77 per hour and a one-off bonus. This is a step forward, but we are not completely satisfied. We rolled out this decision in Flanders and Wallonia immediately. However, we have to wait for a new government in the Brussels-Capital Region. We continue to lobby the authorities to ecure more respect and recognition for our sector, and for all your hard work.
At Daenens, we believe in enjoying your work, and that health and respect go hand in hand. Thanks to your feedback, we know what’s working well and where there’s room for improvement. And that’s what we are building on, together, day after day.
Smarter working, simpler communication You also made numerous suggestions regarding administration. We have heard you and have come up with solutions to make your work much simpler in the future. This will leave more time for what really matters: delivering quality work and proper support. We also want to strengthen contact between colleagues. We will use short surveys and friendly initiatives to work together to find ways to increase a sense of connection, even outside working hours.
EAP* – a free hotline for all
0800 100 59 (accessible day and night) *Employee Assistance Programme - a free helpline where you can talk to psychologists in the four national languages 24/7. More information via the QR code.
8
MEET OUR HOUSEHOLD HELP
The incredible story of
The life story of our colleague Rizalina Dumandan (57) could be a film script. She left the Philippines 19 years ago to work as a household help in Jordan, seeking a better future for herself and her family. But, instead of that, she was forced to flee. She mana-
ged to find refuge in Belgium and, five years ago, began working as a household help with Daenens in Bruges. In this issue of Happy, she shares her moving and courageous story.
MEET OUR HOUSEHOLD HELP
9
“In Jordan, I was treated like a slave.” “Many Filipinos leave home to work abroad,” Rizalina begins. “I accepted an offer too, hoping to be able to help my family financially. But as soon as I arrived in Jordan, all the promises I’d been made were broken. I worked for a rich family seven days a week, without a single day off, for five years. I never saw the wages I’d been promised; I only earned $200 a month. I was treated like a slave. I had to look after the children day and night, cook and clean. Despite that, I count myself lucky because I was never abused, as happened to many others.
Dramatic times “After five years, I finally managed to escape. I’d been planning to do so for a long time, but I had to wait for the right moment. When the family went on holiday to Spain and I was left alone for a second in the hotel lobby, I grabbed my chance. I ran straight out, without looking back. I didn’t know where to go, I didn’t know anyone and I didn’t have my passport - my employer had kept it. I slept on the beach for the first few days, and then I met a Filipino woman who took me in. She had also had to run away from Saudi Arabia, so she understood my situation. Through the Filipino community, I soon found work as a cleaner with a British family in Spain, on a good wage this time. Family bliss That’s when I met a Belgian who was working in Spain temporarily. Not long after, our daughter Cassandra was born. We moved to Belgium nine years ago. With help from my mother-in-law, Marie-José, I have been able to build a good life here. To start with, I signed up for additional training and I began working in a care home because I wanted to get back to work as soon as possible. But I had to find a different job because of the shift patterns as no-one could look after my daughter at night.
Happy at Daenens A Filipino friend, Pearl, was working at Daenens and she advised me to apply. That’s how I ended up at Daenens, and I’m really happy here. The staff are really well looked after and the consultants are always pleasant and my shifts are tailored to my daughter’s school schedule. I used to work in the morning, and then take Dutch lessons in the afternoon. It’s already five years now that I’ve been working at Daenens, and I enjoy it as much as ever. I don’t know what the future holds, but my daughter and I are happy in Belgium. And that’s what matters right now.”
10
BEHIND THE SCENES
From left to right: Jani, Climie, Matteo, Nielsen, Nancy and Carla.
Safety and well-being first and foremost Behind the scenes at Prevention At Daenens, many colleagues give their all every day so that you can go about your work in complete safety and good health. Matteo, Nancy, Jani, Nielsen, Carla, Ann, Climie and Leslies pool their forces to create a work environment that’s comfortable for everyone. Thanks to their commitment to safety, health and wellbeing, you can go to work in peace of mind. Find out how they support us every day.
What a Prevention worker does Each day is different for the Prevention workers at Daenens. “There are always fresh challenges and unexpected situations,” explains Matteo. These could be incidents that need to be dealt with quickly, or projects aimed at making work safer. “Our work is very dynamic and we have to stay flexible so we can react quickly,” says Jani. This variety makes their role more interesting and motivates them to always be on hand to help everyone. Safety at work begins with you A key message from our Prevention colleagues is: Think about your own safety before starting work. “Take a good look at where you are working,
make sure it is safe and make sure you have the right equipment,” Nielsen advises. “Safety isn’t only our responsibility; you play a crucial role too by checking your workstation or by adapting your position,” Nancy adds. This may seem simple, but small adjustments can prevent big problems. For example, a household help had been suffering from back pain for years. Thanks to some advice on ergonomics, the pain finally went away. “Don’t hesitate to report this kind of a problem; we’ll look for a solution together,” explains Climie. “It’s important to do something before problems get worse.”
BEHIND THE SCENES
Road safety matters too As well as keeping an eye on safety in the workplace, Prevention is also focused on a road safety campaign that will be launched soon.
Did you know that half the accidents at Daenens occur on the journey to and from work? “We would really like to make colleagues aware of the importance of travelling carefully and safely,” stresses Nancy. The campaign will be visible in every office, with a stand on road safety, a digital screen showing tips & tricks, as well as leaflets and a newsletter. “We believe we can reduce the number of road accidents and improve road safety by actively involving our colleagues,” says Jani.
Your safety matters! Our colleagues are proud of the progress they’ve made, even when that progress feels like baby steps. “Every work accident prevented is a success,” says Ann. “It doesn’t matter how big or small the incident; every improvement counts.” We cannot say it often enough: safety at work begins with you. By being mindful of your own safety, you not only protect yourself but others too. “Make sure your workstation is always safe, use the right equipment and report any problems promptly,” Leslies concludes. “That’s how, together, we can build a work environment that’s safe for all.”
Not control, but support Have you sometimes thought that our Prevention colleagues’ job is to check up on you or penalise you? That’s not it at all. “We don’t want to give the impression that we’re inspectors. We work with you, not against you, to create a safer environment,” Matteo explains. “We are here to support and advise you so that you can work safely.” And if, despite their efforts, an incident does occur, Carla, Ann and Leslies make sure that work accidents are recorded and followed up faster and without hassle. “We process accidents quickly and efficiently. And we also draw lessons from them so that they don’t happen again, and to make work even safer,” says Carla.
11
12
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S
An answer to your questions Discover, learn and grow at Daenens Did you know we offer a wide range of training programmes? Be sure to take advantage of them; they help you progress in your work, learn new skills and share experiences with your colleagues. It’s the perfect way to meet your fellow workers. It’s always more fun to learn together!
Am I entitled to an end-of-year bonus?
We have a great line-up of courses planned for 2026. Contact your office to find out what training courses are on offer in your region.
If you have worked for at least 30 days for one or more service voucher companies between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, you are entitled to an endof-year bonus. Up to 26 days of economic unemployment are also automatically counted. If you qualify for an end-of-year bonus, you should receive a document from the Sociaal Fonds voor de Dienstencheques during November. If this is the case, the bonus will be paid automatically from December 2025. If you meet the above conditions but you haven’t received the document, you should contact the Social Fund via www.fondsdienstencheques.be or www.fondstitresservices.be (select contact top right) or by phone on 024 211 580.
What are the bank holidays in 2026? Have you seen the little calendar that comes with Happy? On it you will find all the 2026 bank holidays. Do you need extra calendars for your customers? Stop by the office from January and pick them up! Then your customers will be able to begin the year completely organised too.
NE W S AND FACTS
13
Dates for your diary Daenens New Year’s drinks are coming! Just as we do every year, this January and February we will once again be organising New Year’s office drinks. This is a fun time to celebrate the new year together, have a chat with fellow workers and toast the future. Perhaps you’ve already received your invitation - if not, then keep an eye on your inbox. We hope you’ll join us!
Cleaning Day – save the date: 19 June 2026! Cleaning Day this year was a resounding success. No fewer than 21,381 customers left a kind word for their household help. And with the convivial summer drinks, when everyone received a flower, we can really label this edition exceptional! Next year we will celebrate Cleaning Day on Friday 19 June 2026 (because 20 June falls on a Saturday). Mark the day in your diary; it will be yet another occasion to celebrate together!
At a glance: ‘the making of’ our new campaign Have you noticed our new adverts on the Internet yet? Daenens recently launched an online campaign to highlight what we represent: quality, reactivity and caring for others. Because those looking for a household help want that help fast – and that’s where Daenens stands out from the crowd. We didn’t turn to a model agency for this campaign, but to our own colleagues. Amazing people who invest in our customers every day, and who, in this instance, were also amazing in front of the camera. There was a lot of laughter during the shoot - people striking poses, some a little shy – but mainly a lot of fun and a lot of team spirit. The result? Real images of real, 100% Daenens people. We’re offering you an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes; from make-up to the final click of the camera, everyone gave of their very best to create images showing Daenens’ reactivity and human warmth.
Colleagues Fleur, Bram and Cindy in front of the camera.
Would you like to feature in our next campaign? Send an email to happy@daenens.be – who knows, perhaps soon you’ll be shining in front of our camera too!
14
S O C I A L I M PACT
The young are tomorrow’s leaders Everyone grows with JINC For several years, the charity JINC has been helping pupils at vulnerable schools in Antwerp, Mechelen and Turnhout. The charity enables young people to learn about companies and organisations in their neighbourhood. This gives them a real insight into the various jobs and working environments. When the time comes, this helps them reach an informed decision about their studies and gets them off to a great start in the workplace.
A promising concept The result? More motivated students with a clearer idea of what they want to do later. It’s an advantage for them, but also for their parents and society as a whole. Since it was founded, JINC has given 10,000 pupils a helping hand. The organisation would like to roll out this success to other towns in Flanders. Brussels has now joined the initiative and other cities have shown interest.
Daenens is taking part! Group Daenens is delighted to contribute to this initiative and help it grow. So at Daenens TitresServices, Daenens Payroll Services and Atmetis, we accept students for an in the field work placement, or we let them run the show for a day as part of the “Tomorrow’s Boss” initiative. Because, sooner or later, today’s youth will be at the helm. They will shape the organisations and businesses of tomorrow. Their talent really deserves to be encouraged. And we do just that by giving them an opportunity today to discover, learn and grow.
JINC supports young people on their path to work
P L AY A N D F U N
15
Carla’s brownies, Simple, delicious and festive! In this issue of Happy our colleague Carla, from Prevention, shares her safety tips on pages 10-11, as well as the recipe for her favourite dessert. Her delicious brownies are the perfect treat for those who want to prepare something yummy during the festive season. Quick, easy and so good that you’re sure to score points with your friends and family.
a friend For creating
Ingredients
Preparation
•
180 g dark chocolate
1.
•
150 g butter
Take the shelves out of your oven and pre-heat to 180°C.
•
4 eggs
2.
•
200 g sugar
•
1 pinch of salt
Meanwhile, break the chocolate into bits and melt it with the butter in a microwave. This should take 50 seconds at 600 W.
•
100 g flour
•
100 g pecans (or walnuts)
3.
Beat the eggs with the sugar until you get a ribbon, in other words, a mixture that will drip from your whisk in a smooth ribbon.
4.
Add the salt and sifted flour and mix.
5.
Fold in the melted chocolate and butter gently until you end up with a smooth mixture.
6.
Add the pecans.
7.
Line your baking tin with baking parchment and pour the mixture in.
re? 10/10!
8.
Place the tin on the oven shelf and bake for 25 minutes in the lower part of the oven.
9.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 30 minutes before turning out and serving the brownies.
“Every time someone tastes my brownies, they immediately ask me for the recipe,” says Carla with a smile. “They are really simple to make and are perfect with a cup of coffee or for a festive dessert.”
Competition Your top cleaning trick! Do you have a little knack that makes cleaning easier? A handy way of dealing with limescale, a tip for smear-free window cleaning or simply a piece of advice that makes your working day easier? Scan the QR code and send in your tip before 31 January and you could win two tickets to the cinema! In the next issue of Happy, we will feature our colleagues’ top tips – perhaps yours will make the cut! Congratulations to the winners of our previous competition! Marinela, Ann, Julie, Bianca and Delphine went to Walibi this summer for a fun day out. We hope you made the most of it!
ly atmosphe
16
TOPIC
We take good care of you
Volg jij ons al? Make sure to follow us Neem vlug een kijkje! and take a look!
Printed on sustainably sourced paper
daenens.be