disability and special needs

More than 12 days of annual leave remaining from 2022?

disability and special needs, Health, Leave, Newsletter - 2023-01-09, Newsletter - 2023-01-27 Print This Post

*Deadline is Tuesday 31 January 2023*

*18.01.2023, we are deeply disappointed to see that the sysper automation has not (yet) happened. Please don’t miss out! Request those days! We have written an updated note for HR asking for their estimated timeline for this agreed automation.*

Dear colleagues, we wish you a happy and healthy start to 2023 and ask for your help! We are unable to verify whether our requested sysper change has been implemented.  If you were off sick for 20 work days or more as one absence in 2022 then you are entitled to transfer all of your annual leave (yes, >12 days, in this specific case it is a right), can you please check whether the days have been added to your 2023 quota (automation, yipee!) or whether the usual temporary button is present in sysper? If the button is there then please use it: it expires 31.01.2023 and it then becomes more complicated (but not impossible!) to recover these days. Continue reading More than 12 days of annual leave remaining from 2022? →

Incorrect Sysper sick leave warning message: you asked, we acted!

disability and special needs, Health, Newsletter - 2022-11-29, Working conditions Print This Post

Everyone knows the first 3 days of sick leave don’t require a certificate, right? If you are off for longer then yes, you need a certificate. Those first days can be used to wait and see whether you get better or even just to try to organise an appointment with your GP in order to have their opinion on your options: sometimes getting an appointment can take some time! So, yes, sick leave without a certificate which subsequently becomes sick leave with a certificate is not unusual (≤ 3 days without + x days with = good). Though note that the medical service can still check in with you as they wish. Continue reading Incorrect Sysper sick leave warning message: you asked, we acted! →

An update on workplace bullying and harassment

disability and special needs, Events, Newsletter - 2022-11-29, workplace bullying and harassment Print This Post

*Feedback on our event: thanks to the colleague who provided the link to the Politico article on the EESC ‘any delays in addressing harassment complaints were only to better help staff.‘: it looks like there are toxic environments throughout the institutions. We will follow up with another event in the near future. Here is the link to the HWN presentation.* Have you ever been harassed? Or have you ever had the impression you might be harassed? Have you ever witnessed something that didn’t sit right with you and didn’t know what to do? What exactly is harassment or bullying? Note that in the Commission the terms ‘bullying’ and ‘harassment’ are used to mean the same thing: an often-present phenomenon in all personal, educational and professional contexts. Continue reading An update on workplace bullying and harassment →

First impressions last: Generation 2004 steps in

Certification, disability and special needs, Health, Newsletter - 2022-11-07, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 03.01.2023 (belated) thanks to the colleagues who pointed out that medical part-time is sick leave and not a work pattern.[1]* Generation 2004 succeeds: personal and sensitive information is no longer visible in sysper applications. Imagine sitting in an interview and knowing that the panel can see your phased returns to work (medical part-time) on page 2 of your application when your eCV starts on page 3. Why is this health-related data even included? It puts panels and candidates in an awkward position: everyone involved in the Continue reading First impressions last: Generation 2004 steps in →

Time for the Commission to focus on inclusion: cancer survivors

disability and special needs, Health, Leave, Newsletter - 2022-07-08, Staff Regulations Reform, Working conditions, workplace bullying and harassment Print This Post

Generation 2004 strongly supports colleagues in the EU institutions affected by cancer, just as we support colleagues with any important issue impacting their physical and/or mental health. As the Commission has been in the process of revising its HR strategy for almost 2 years now, it is high time to put in place a new policy to better cater for the needs of cancer survivors and their families and the needs of all colleagues whose complex situations are not well covered by the current patchwork of rules [1]. Continue reading Time for the Commission to focus on inclusion: cancer survivors →

‘Unsatisfactory’ in the CDR? What now?

disability and special needs, Newsletter - 2022-02-22, Promotions, reclassification, workplace bullying and harassment Print This Post

You’ve done your best and it’s been a tough year. You’ve had your appraisal dialogue and prepared as best you could. In spite of it all, the evaluation is ‘Unsatisfactory’. What happens now? Firstly, don’t panic! Read everything you can (see list below) and act quickly: the career development review (CDR) can be refused (appealed) [1] but the deadlines are short and if nothing is done, the CDR is by default accepted. Continue reading ‘Unsatisfactory’ in the CDR? What now? →

More than 12 days of annual leave remaining from 2021?

COVID-19, disability and special needs, Health, Leave, Newsletter - 2022-01-13, Petten Print This Post

*In 2023 it should no longer be necessary to request the transfer of days where it is a right thanks to our initiative [1].*

For those of you with surplus days of annual leave: check out the viable reasons for requesting that the days (in addition to the standard 12 days) be added to your 2022 quota: either for requirements of the service or for health reasons. Even if you do not fall into one of the categories listed, please discuss with your line manager rather than just assume the days are lost. Continue reading More than 12 days of annual leave remaining from 2021? →

Generation 2004 member wins a case on access to their medical file!

disability and special needs, Health, Newsletter - 2021-10-08, Newsletter - 2021-10-12, PMO, workplace bullying and harassment Print This Post

Generation 2004 has been fighting hard for the effective implementation of the right of staff to have full and timely access to their medical file.

Access to your own medical file and the right to update the information contained there are very important, particularly in circumstances where that information is used to make a decision about you e.g. whether you are fit enough to continue to work or even just to be recruited.  A lack of transparency leads to questions about fairness and motives [1]. Of course, occasionally there may be legitimate reasons for insisting that a doctor access parts of the file on your behalf. However, we all still have the right to consult (via a healthcare professional, if necessary) the information in our medical history and to correct it or add a note where necessary. Continue reading Generation 2004 member wins a case on access to their medical file! →

Medical reservation = discrimination against persons with disabilities (long read)

disability and special needs, Health, Newsletter - 2021-09-20, Staff Regulations Reform Print This Post

The medical reservation rules and their implementation:  how well do they fit with the prohibition of discrimination against persons with disabilities and the current HR drive for diversity and inclusion [1]?

The pre-recruitment medical: excluding those with disabilities?

Continue reading Medical reservation = discrimination against persons with disabilities (long read) →