For those of you who remain in the office keeping the Commission standing (thanks!), please check out the heatwave instructions for dealing with hot Offices and the list of buildings to be temporarily closed under Buildings Energy Saving Together (BEST) 2025[1]. Read our related article on how these closures undermine that working from home is voluntary.*
Health
Child Allowance and Scholarships – When the Commission gets tangled up in its own bureaucracy
Staff members with dependent children receive a household allowance, a dependent child allowance and, under certain conditions, an education allowance. For adult children between the ages of 18 and 26, the continued payment of these allowances and further tax reductions are subject to the adult child receiving educational or vocational training. Continue reading Child Allowance and Scholarships – When the Commission gets tangled up in its own bureaucracy
Lunchtime conference with inspiring guest speaker: Breaking the Silence – You Are Not Alone in the Struggle
Update 09.07.2025: a message from our guest speaker : ‘I wanted to share a few key insights that resonated with me following our session: “The less story I see, the more present I am.” This simple truth captured the heart of our time together—how much we add to what we experience, and how liberating it can be to simply be’. Recording and slides
Continue reading Lunchtime conference with inspiring guest speaker: Breaking the Silence – You Are Not Alone in the Struggle
Protecting Our Children’s Mental Health: Urgent Reforms Needed in European Schools
The mental health and well-being of children in European Schools (ESS) should be a top priority for the European Schools as well as for the European institutions. Nevertheless, many parents within our community have raised serious concerns about the lack of psychological support, insufficient supervision, and how the system fails to address emotional distress among students. Continue reading Protecting Our Children’s Mental Health: Urgent Reforms Needed in European Schools
Conference – Finding peace in family conflict: The power of mediation
Are you:
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- Facing a divorce or separation and would like to go through it in a peaceful way?
- Willing to clarify your relationship by a clear and efficient communication with your spouse or partner?
- Lost on how to cope with any kind of other familiar conflict?
- Or just want to know more about this subject?
Our guest Mário Tenreiro, one of our colleagues, is a certified Mediator with a specialty in Family Mediation. He will be happy to share his knowledge and answer your questions. Continue reading Conference – Finding peace in family conflict: The power of mediation
The Frosty Chronicles: Navigating the EU Institution’s Subzero Realities
As winter descended, so does the new norm for EU staff: embracing the glacial reality of a target of 19°C in Brussels workspaces (a balmy 20°C in Luxembourg), leaving many buildings well below those targets. HR sources cite national law of host Member State of EU institutions for this limit, suggesting that they would lower the temperatures further if the law allowed it. For those of you not in the loop, this provision ensures that public buildings toe the line in terms of energy-use reductions (‘efficiency’). But while the thermostat complies, it’s the staff who shiver. Jackets, scarves, and an abundance of hot tea have become unofficial office attire and tools of survival. Continue reading The Frosty Chronicles: Navigating the EU Institution’s Subzero Realities
Where Has All the Money Gone?
As Generation 2004, we have always stood for fairness, transparency, and the well-being of staff. Today, we must address the grim reality of the European Commission’s cost-saving measures and the devastating impact they have had on staff members and the workplace environment. Billions have been saved, but at what cost?
EEAS: Frozen diplomacy – When 17°C in some offices meets european bureaucracy
Imagine this: you’re walking through the halls of the EEAS Belmont building in Brussels. It’s a cold day—no surprise there. But this isn’t the sort of chill you expect from a brisk Brussels winter. No, this is a bone-rattling cold that makes you wish you had packed a sleeping bag, thermal socks, and perhaps a few extra layers of diplomacy…
Continue reading EEAS: Frozen diplomacy – When 17°C in some Offices meets european bureaucracy
Navigating the JSIS: conference
*Update 05.02.2025: here is the recording of the conference. *Update 04.02.2025 we’ve added to the list of JSIS questions below and uploaded the presentation. Thanks to the colleague who pointed out that there is now a PMO optician form which is more recent than our draft optician letter and easier to do, since you’re not having to ask the optician to print anything. *
Original article: The Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) of the European Union (also RCAM [Régime Commun d’Assurance Maladie]) is not the most user-friendly of systems and yet it’s all we have, for everything health-related whether it’s routine, an accident or an illness. It’s easy to miss out on something you’re entitled to simply because you didn’t know about it and now the deadline has passed. Generation 2004 is here to present the JSIS and the common pitfalls. Continue reading Navigating the JSIS: conference
Lunchtime conference with inspiring guest speaker: unlock the power of humour at work
*Update 13.12.2024. Here is the recording of this event and the slides.* Original article: Lunchtime event with inspiring guest speaker JACK GILBEY. Are you looking to unlock the power of humour in the workplace and boost your career ? The story of Jack Gilbey, a visionary leadership expert and stand-up comedian, serves as a powerful inspiration.
