*01.10.2024 we republish this article for anyone who needs it. Note that the option to reuse the text from previous appraisal means that the chat still takes place, but that there is no new input.* Orginal article: Many colleagues by now have finished their self-assessment and are awaiting the dialogue with their reporting officer. MyIntracomm [1] has information on this dialogue, objectives, the report itself, the timeline and special situations, so is also worth a look (here is the somewhat less-detailed info for reclassification [2]).
A couple of hints for this dialogue are in order [1].
- Stay positive, both in your attitude and in what you are saying. Even when faced with criticism, it is much better if your head of unit considers that you are accepting negative feedback instead of ignoring or refusing it.
- Prepare for the meeting: draw up a small list of points that you would like to raise and prepare them. Maybe your job description should be updated to reflect additional duties? It is good to mention this – even better if you can already provide a text snippet drafted. There is this interesting training course in EU Learn which you would like to attend? Mention it with details of the course and why you would like to attend it.
- Focus on your work and your tasks – the dialogue is about you, not about your colleagues.
- Have a look at your last appraisal report: has your workload increased since then? If yes, mention it in the dialogue, so that the new report reflects this. The same applies to new tasks or new knowledge that helps you perform better.
- Finally, DG HR has prepared two e-learning courses [1] for the appraisal. You can participate in both courses without any need for an agreement by your hierarchy. Indeed, we recommend that you take both courses, even if the second one is for the reporting officer – it will show you what you can expect in the dialogue.
- added 09.02.2022: ‘With the agreement of the jobholder, the reporting officer may ask one or more other jobholders who have supervised the jobholder’s work to take part in the dialogue.’ (Article 6, point 3, 2013 Decision [3]) (thanks to our reader who provided this information!)
- added 09.02.2022: Check out Harassment Watch Network, 2021, Abuse of the annual appraisal exercise (“CDR”) in the European Commission as tool of psychological harassment with recommendations how to prevent this and better protect the targetted colleagues: second analytical paper [4].
- added 18.02.2022: the CDR evaluation mark is ‘unsatisfactory’, what now? [5]
As always, feel free to contact [6] us if you have questions: we’re here for you!
[1] See also slides 20-21 in the corresponding presentation [7] or slide 19 in this one [8].
The average promotion speeds for officials are laid down in the staff regulations Annex I.B [9] and here is our chart [10] with those percentages converted to years. Contract Agent (3a) reclassification speeds can be found on page 3 of this document [11]. Unfortunately, CA 3b staff cannot be reclassified [12], meaning their appraisal has no rewards associated with it.
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A grounds-up initiative of colleagues, created in late 2019, as a response to the problem of harassment within the Commission. HWN wants to see our workplace free of harassment and any other form of violence and discrimination, a place where every colleague feels respected and valued, working in dignity and fully enjoying human rights: to break the silence around harassment, the isolation of colleagues affected by harassment as well as the fear, which many colleagues still have when being confronted with harassment.
Offers self-help group meetings and its advocacy team drafts policy papers and provides input for other entities e.g. the Central Staff Committee, where the HWN is very much appreciated.
Find them here [13], read about them here [14] and consult their publications:
- 2020, Deficiencies of the anti-harassment policy of the European Commission and elements of a true reform: Working papers of the Harassment Watch Network, Volume 1 [15]
- 2021, Abuse of the annual appraisal exercise (“CDR”) in the European Commission as tool of psychological harassment with recommendations how to prevent this and better protect the targetted colleagues: second analytical paper [4]
- 2021, Comments of the Harassment Watch Network on the draft HR strategy [16]
- 2022, Expectations of the Harassment Watch Network with regard to a new Commission Anti-harassment Decision [17]
- 2022, My Commission Calvary: Testimonies of harassment at the European Commission [18]
We nominated the HWN for a 2021 diversity and inclusion Award [19]category 4 Outstanding Staff Group of the Year based on their exceptional dedication and constructive work on this difficult topic. Unfortunately the HWN did not win this time.
'); toolTips('.classtoolTips12','In English psychological harassment is more commonly known as bullying. Here it would be specifically workplace bullying.
The C(2006) 1624/3 [20] Commission decision on the European Commission policy on protecting the dignity of the person and preventing psychological harassment and sexual harassment Section 2.1 lists examples of this behaviour.
The update, C(2023) 8630 [21] Commission decision on the prevention of and fight against psychological and sexual harassment, and repealing Decision C(2006) 1624/3 point 8, page 2 lists examples of this behaviour.
Check out these videos How to tell if you’re being bullied at work? [22] and Workplace bullying [23] for more examples.
'); toolTips('.classtoolTips19','Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (\'Staff Regulations [24] (SR)\') are rules stating:
• fundamental conditions of service
• basic rights, duties and obligations of staff.
The SR have been reformed x 2 (so far):
• 2004 (Kinnock White paper)
• 2014 (Regulation 1023/2013 [25])
For a summary of stated intentions and real outcomes of those two reforms check out: European Court of Auditors, 2019, Special report no 15/2019 [26]: Implementation of the 2014 staff reform package at the Commission – Big savings but not without consequences for staff
'); toolTips('.classtoolTips47','Trade union or staff association (OSP) [Organisation syndicale et professionnelle]');