You have shown that teleworking is possible, but do you want more of it and are you being consulted? [1]
Article 20 of the staff regulations stipulates that ‘An official shall reside either in the place where he is employed or at no greater distance therefrom as is compatible with the proper performance of his duties. The official shall notify the Appointing Authority of his address and inform it immediately of any change of address.’
Therefore, the outcome of any future teleworking decisions might affect us all. These choices could impact everything from the multiannual financial framework (MFF) to the European Green Deal, to all 6 pillars of the new HR strategy to the money you take home every month: the 16 % expatriation allowance / 4% foreign residence allowance and potentially the coefficient (if any) that applies to your salary.
Teleworking is perhaps already reducing the money you have left (if any!) at the end of the month since you’re now using more water and electricity, internet or heating, but how many of us are prepared to work long term at the kitchen table? For example, accommodation in Luxembourg is now stupidly expensive, without having to provide additional space for work.
Some of you may like the idea of working from another Member State, some of you may not, the important thing is to be asked and to be heard. There is no ‘one size fits all’ there is not even a ‘one size fits most’. We have seen from the COVID-19 crisis that circumstances are different for everyone and that we must have all of the information available to us and all of the options laid out in order to be able to make informed choices.
This is why we have decided to launch a survey on telework from outside your place of employment.
A little bit of background (or, the story so far)
Generation 2004 continues to fight for your voice to be heard and for the rules to be applied consistently and fairly on the topic of teleworking
Since the start of our teleworking adventure in March, Generation 2004 have been very busy working for you. In March we asked HR to temporarily lift the requirement to telework at the place of residence [2]. In May, thanks to your participation in our Generation 2004 special-leave-for-parents petition, we had the first of many social dialogue meetings with HR which led directly to the updated teleworking guidelines in June, allowing us to telework from elsewhere for 2 weeks. Also in June, Generation 2004 fought on your behalf (with a favourable outcome) to have DG Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (FISMA) consistently comply with the updated telework guidelines. We continue to insist on you having the appropriate equipment to do your job well from home and we are following the cases of several colleagues who have, with our assistance, applied for the reimbursement of additional costs due to this enforced teleworking [3].
[1] This survey closed 27.11.2020 with 1 500 responses and we have now published our results. [2] This was made possible for 2 weeks summer 2020 and also for 2 weeks pre-Christmas (announced 20.11.2020: p.7, Point 5.1b: ‘Staff may be authorised by their line manager to telework from abroad as of 10 December and until the start of the end-of-year period of the Commission (24 December)’.) [3] A standard process for (partial) reimbursement for a chair and a monitor is in place from 23.11.2020 (but a comparable system for seconded national experts (SNEs) is not yet operational).