Newsletter – 2021-03-26

Newsletter editorial – 26-3-2021

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Welcome to the Generation 2004 Newsletter of 26 March 2021. We invite you to take a couple of minutes to congratulate yourself on all of the things you’ve made work in this past year of 100% teleworking, yes, it’s been a whole year.

In this issue we are first and foremost covering equal and transparent application of the rules and appropriate communication with the affected staff, whether that’s related to the rules that apply in DG SCIC, the (limited) offer to do a Luxembourg role from any site (but not a Brussels role from Luxembourg, we hear you, Chafea), the and the decisions expected in the coming days on whether our UK-only non-permanent colleagues will continue to be employed and under what conditions.

We offer information on free coaching at the Commission, on the possibility to train for the CBT part of EPSO competitions and, as ever, the latest on Covid developments and new teleworking guidelines.

That’s all for now, we hope you will enjoy the reading and, as usual, we invite you to let us know what you think or to get in touch if we can help you in any way.

Free coaching with certified Commission colleagues

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Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try!

  • Demotivated and without any energy?
  • Tired of doing the same thing over and over?
  • Lonely and/or that you cannot control your thoughts?
  • Purposeless and with no direction in life?
  • Stuck in your life and have no idea what to do first?
  • Unfocused and overwhelmed by work?

There is coaching available and there are coaches in the Commission who can support you in this journey wherever you are at this moment in your life!

Continue reading Free coaching with certified Commission colleagues →

Brexit update: UK-only TA/CA staff: transparency in application of criteria please

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A quick update and reminder of the context: the assurances given to staff with UK-only nationality that they ‘will continue their career with the Commission’ post Brexit (19.1.2021) do not apply to our colleagues with time-limited contracts.  Decisions on their future are being taken using these criteria on a ‘case-by-case assessment’ with results expected now, in March 2021 [1]. Continue reading Brexit update: UK-only TA/CA staff: transparency in application of criteria please →

CBT training offer

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Generation 2004 is organising computer-based multiple-choice test (CBT) training to provide you with techniques to pass the Contract Agents selection tool (CAST) or the CBT phase of any European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) competition.

The final objective is to guarantee that candidates master the CBT methodology. The training sessions will go through the theory of the exercises and share a practical methodology and exercises for practice at home, with the possibility of addressing doubts in the following session. Continue reading CBT training offer →

Latest on COVID: vaccines a little behind initial estimates

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*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 →

Remote-working precedent: a workaround or a can of worms?

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In January a call for expression of interest presented the possibility to work in a DG Health and Food Safety (SANTE [1]) unit in Luxembourg from any Commission site ‘for about six months’. As stated in the email, the initial Luxembourg-wide call had been unsuccessful, so this was a ‘plan B’ of sorts in these difficult times, a workaround.

Unfortunately, this quick fix opens a can of worms (there are so many issues here we almost didn’t know where to begin, hence the delay in writing this article. If you spot any additional issues, please feel free to get in touch and we’ll add them to this list!) Continue reading Remote-working precedent: a workaround or a can of worms? →