*Update 24.07.2023 evidence shows UK fathers being denied the leave and flexibility ostensibly available to them.* *Update 07.03.2023 Women were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, slowing and even reversing gains, showing just how vulnerable any gains can be. Generation 2004 continues to push for international women’s day (IWD) to be about action, evaluation and noting what still needs to be done. It’s something to be done year round. What have we done in the last year? Continue reading International Women’s Day: more than just words?
Newsletter – 2022-03-16
Newsletter editorial – 16-03-2022
Welcome to the Generation 2004 Newsletter. Today we mark 2 years of mandatory teleworking for most of us: we discuss the ongoing and increasing costs of teleworking and digital overload. We also take a look at the situation in Ukraine for colleagues who remain there (we are still collecting signatures to support our list of actions) and clarify the rules on volunteering. Continuing with Outside the Union, we present the court case won by local agent colleagues in Turkey and note that today is the last day for many local agents to submit their self-assessment text. We consider the perfect storm of the (latest) return to the office and infrastructure upgrades in Luxembourg: many of us will feel the benefit eventually … We invite you to compare actions taken with the words expressed in the context of International Women’s Day and on the topic of action, those of you in Brussels of Luxembourg why not join us for a walk outside?
So, that’s it for this edition, thanks to all of you for your support, ideas and feedback: please keep it coming! If there’s a topic you’d like to see us tackle, whether as an article or as an event, please get in touch!
Take care, stay healthy and enjoy reading!
It’s been two years of mandatory teleworking
16 March 2022: exactly 2 years since 100% teleworking became obligatory for almost everyone at the Commission. On that first day in 2020 some of us did not even have an internet connection at home or a computer. Nevertheless we did what we could with what we had and ensured business continuity at the Commission in the face of a global pandemic. We bought computers, got the internet connected, used our own mobile phones, joined work whatsapp groups, Continue reading It’s been two years of mandatory teleworking
Special leave for volunteering: it’s one day PER YEAR!
*Update 17.04.2024 We asked for the exceptional 5 days for volunteering to help with those affected by the war in Ukraine be made available for those volunteering to help civilians caught up in wars elsewhere.*
Original article: Generation 2004 clarifies the options available for volunteering in response to colleagues who have reached out to us for details. As mentioned on How to help Ukraine[1], special leave is available in sysper for volunteering. That means that you can volunteer and still be paid your full wage at the end of the month: great, right?[2] Continue reading Special leave for volunteering: it’s one day PER YEAR!
Generation 2004 requests assistance be provided to Kyiv Delegation colleagues
Upon request, teleworking in Ukraine and abroad has been made available also for local agents by the latest Admin decision (2022)20. For the time being this arrangement will be for 3 months, we will closely monitor the situation and the requests for extensions where applicable and necessary.
Since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (24.02.2022) Generation2004 has actively been in touch with local agents and we are aware that all expat colleagues have been successfully evacuated to locations outside the country. For local agents, Generation 2004 requested the following: Continue reading Generation 2004 requests assistance be provided to Kyiv Delegation colleagues
Luxembourg: transport infrastructure will be lovely … once it’s finished!
*Update 09.09.2024: The state subsidies for the purchase of a personal means of transport have been extended.* We have the perfect spring transport storm for some of you: trains, roads, trams and back to the office 2 days a week[1]. The infrastructure work is ongoing all over but the benefits will not be felt for a while. Let’s start with cross-border travel.
Firstly France: work on the A3, the main France-Luxembourg road, has just started this week and is set to last for 5 years in total, so in early 2027, Continue reading Luxembourg: transport infrastructure will be lovely … once it’s finished!
Rule of law – We demand the EEAS talk the talk and walk the walk
*Update 29.09.2022 Local Agents in Turkey are now being paid in euro, thank you all for your support!* Generation2004 stands in solidarity with local agent colleagues in Turkey. We expresses our extreme concern on continued EU non-compliance with the 2021 court ruling concerning the payment of local agents there. The European External Action Service (EEAS), specifically the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, has again been told that its unilateral insistence on paying local staff Turkish lira (TRY) and not in Euro is a violation of the rules (Republic of Turkey, Court of Cassation, 9th Civil Chamber Case No:2021/5672 Order No:2021/11022). Continue reading Rule of law – We demand the EEAS talk the talk and walk the walk
Launch of the evaluation process for EEAS local agents
It is now the turn of our European External Action Service (EEAS) local agent colleagues to have their annual evaluation. We’re here for you! See the recommendations in our presentation (from slide 8 onwards) for how to write your evaluation text and our article on the corresponding dialogue to get an idea of what to highlight and how. As usual, we offer one-on-one sessions to help colleagues by reviewing their self-assessments. Continue reading Launch of the evaluation process for EEAS local agents
