*Update 27.02.2025: the question of whether managers can/should use Teams/Skype or other status as an indication of your presence/availability has been raised repeatedly, particularly given that you might have a different status on each platform. Check out question 14 of the flexible working FAQs for written confirmation that this is not their intended use and that status is not a reliable indicator of presence or non-presence.* Continue reading New teleworking scheme: longer working days and more micromanagement?
Health
Coaching lunchtime sessions on how to efficiently work digitally
*Additional date added: password is in the newsletter*
Communicating in a virtual world – how to close the empathy gap between you and your colleagues
How many times have you had an instant negative reaction when reading an email?
How many times have you received a response to an email and you can’t any sense out of it? Continue reading Coaching lunchtime sessions on how to efficiently work digitally
Latest on COVID: vaccines a little behind initial estimates
*Update 11.10.2022 Covid booster II campaign is starting soon (again medical service in Brussels and national authorities elsewhere) and flu vaccine is already available on some sites* Commissioner Hahn said in his video message (16.3.2021) that ‘we are all impatient to be free again’. At this stage, please allow me to modify his message and stress that ‘we are all impatient to be finally vaccinated’ (at least most of us). After 1 year of teleworking at home we are all fed up with this situation and cannot wait to resume a normal life. While entering the third wave, we are facing yet another lockdown. As most countries begin to tighten the restrictions, the vision of going to visit our loved ones over the Easter period seems to be vanishing. The pressure is high, our workload has increased, some of us at the brink of burnout, digital overload is a hard reality and some of us are worried about our family members in other Member States, which are currently fighting for their lives. Continue reading Latest on COVID: vaccines a little behind initial estimates
How do those outside the Union get reimbursed for PCR tests?
Generation 2004 is aware that sometimes colleagues are unsure which polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are eligible for reimbursement and which ones are not; especially with the upcoming Easter holiday.
Those covered by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS): you can refer to the specific guidelines for detail for all cases, but, in short, PCR tests done by national authorities and approved laboratories can be reimbursed by the JSIS. Continue reading How do those outside the Union get reimbursed for PCR tests?
Teleworking from abroad before the Easter break
You asked, we listened! Many of you have contacted us recently to enquire about the possibility to telework from abroad before the Easter break [1], as was the case in summer 2020 and before Christmas (setting a precedent).
We at Generation 2004 reacted promptly to your requests by asking DG HR to allow this flexibility again. It was our previous requests on your behalf that resulted in the possibility to telework from abroad for 2 weeks in the summer and before the Christmas break: these requests were accepted and led to a well-deserved and very-much-appreciated flexibility for staff, after months of isolation and restrictions due to the measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading Teleworking from abroad before the Easter break
Latest news on COVID vaccination, teleworking and the right to disconnect
At Generation 2004 we continue to closely follow the development of all matters related to the COVID-19 pandemic and to voice your concerns and requests to the administration.
Here you find the most up-to-date information provided during the last meeting with DG HR devoted to COVID-19 (the 20th on the issue so far!) held 12 February 2021, complemented with that provided in communication update 30. Continue reading Latest news on COVID vaccination, teleworking and the right to disconnect
Digital overload and the right to disconnect: the Commission must act now!
As Commission staff, we are now approaching one full year of compulsory teleworking, with no clear prospects as to when we will be able to go back to the office. Many of you contacted us at Generation 2004 to share your concerns regarding what this ‘new way of working’ means in practice: sitting more hours in front of the computer, being forever reachable, reading emails at midnight Continue reading Digital overload and the right to disconnect: the Commission must act now!
The ONE: the latest casualty of the hot-desking policy of the Commission
A silent revolution, without the involvement of staff and staff representatives.
One year ago, on Friday 13 March 2020, we were all told to go home and start teleworking. No one would have imagined at the time that by now the vast majority of staff would still be doing compulsory 100% telework.
However, while we are sitting at home doing our best to continue delivering on our objectives in spite of all the difficulties created by the pandemic, in our empty buildings things are moving fast. A silent revolution, already well under way, pre-Corona, continues full steam ahead: from DG BUDG, to DG TRADE, to the new Publications Office (OP) (POST-Mercier), to the Jean Monnet 2 (JMO2) and now rue de la Loi. Continue reading The ONE: the latest casualty of the hot-desking policy of the Commission
Psychological support changes *obsolete*
*Update 01.01.2023 this information is now obsolete: ‘the exceptional and temporary measures for the reimbursement of psychotherapy sessions in the context of Covid 19 – first 5 session of psychological support without medical authorization – are no longer applicable. From this date, the usual rules apply [1]*
Further to our October 2020 article: Avoiding surprises with JSIS when choosing a psychotherapist please note that the JSIS updated its rules in January 2021: Continue reading Psychological support changes *obsolete*
CPPT: keeping up the good work to safeguard the health and safety of staff
The Committee for prevention and protection at work (CPPT) recently agreed on the need to request more detailed information – including technical data and the proof that staff have been consulted and agreed with the project – before giving an opinion on two requests to transform office space into an open-plan environment. Continue reading CPPT: keeping up the good work to safeguard the health and safety of staff
