z Newsletter article

No EU allowances unless you first try elsewhere

allowances, Newsletter - 2023-05-10, PMO, Services, Working conditions Print This Post

It’s always nice to get financial support (e.g. family allowances), and some of us can get it from either our institution or a national authority.  While this is a fortunate situation, it is quite clear that you should not be paid twice for the same request, whether that is for your medical expenses or allowances for your children. The staff regulations are quite clear in this respect, and we all have to declare any allowances received from national sources (check out our IDOC article).

Continue reading No EU allowances unless you first try elsewhere →

Have you been IDOC(ed)?

Newsletter - 2023-05-10, workplace bullying and harassment Print This Post

*Update 27.08.2024: Check out the the 2023 IDOC report.*

Original article: You have probably already asked yourself: What is IDOC? What is a difference between an administrative inquiry and disciplinary procedure? What are possible sanctions? Will I be treated fairly?

IDOC stands for Investigation and Disciplinary Office of the Commission [1]. (Nearly) everything that the IDOC does is secret. Continue reading Have you been IDOC(ed)? →

Out-of-hours building access (fingerprints and lone working)

Health, Newsletter - 2023-05-10, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 17.09.2024 we have found a lone-worker procedure from 2017 for Luxembourg.*

*Update 14.03.2024 fingerprints are considered sensitive biometric data and even the European Parliament has been held to account by the EDPS on this.*

Original article: While we’re not enthusiastic about colleagues being in the office overnight or at the weekend, sometimes it might be necessary[1]. Nevertheless, we’d like those who do this to be safe.  On a practical note, please prepare: is your mobile charged, do you have it on you and is there generally a good enough signal? Continue reading Out-of-hours building access (fingerprints and lone working) →

Newsletter editorial – 20-04-2023

Editorial, Newsletter - 2023-04-20 Print This Post

Welcome to the fifth Generation 2004 Newsletter of 2023. Please join us on Monday, 24 April for our lunchtime event on the Picard case: this relates to the age of retirement and the pension accrual rate for those who have changed/renewed contracts. Generation 2004 is disappointed and taken aback at the EPSO decision 31.03.2023 to cancel competition AST/154/22: EPSO was among the many to topics we raised in the 16.03.2023 meeting with the Cabinet. We present the results of the latest elections (EEAS and Petten) and note that we are now again able to focus fully on you! There are no elections now until mid-2024! In this edition we express again our frustration with the ongoing situation for local agent colleagues in Delegation Türkiye and our shock to discover that within the Commission there are indeed lifetime limits on medical part-time in some circumstances. We present the 3 (partial) evaluations done so far on the working time and hybrid working (WTHW) decision is satisfaction with WTHW really increasing across the board? We take this opportunity to remind you that the Friday after Ascension Day (19 May) is still available to request as a flexibility day, if you want to: the choice is yours.

So, that’s it for this this edition, thanks to all of you for your support, ideas and feedback: please keep it coming!

Take care and enjoy reading!

Thanks to all who voted! Historic success in EEAS and promising result in Petten

Elections, Newsletter - 2023-04-20 Print This Post

The Generation 2004 team thanks everyone who voted in all elections: we can do nothing without your participation! All OSPs now have over a year to dedicate our time exclusively to defending your rights before the next local staff committee elections in 2024: check out the issues we’re raising. A special thanks goes to everyone who voted for us! We give you a rundown here of the most recent elections:  the European External Action Service (EEAS)[1] and Petten Local Staff Committee, which both finished in March 2023. Continue reading Thanks to all who voted! Historic success in EEAS and promising result in Petten →

Meeting the Head of Cabinet: it’s all about the money

Cost of living Luxembourg, EPSO, Luxembourg, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2023-04-20, Social Dialogue, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 09.10.2023 please participate in the Commission survey on the environmental impact of teleworking: deadline 11.10.2023. These emmissions must also be counted in greening the Commission!* Original article: Here are the issues we  raised at the OSPs meeting with David Mueller, the Head of Commissioner Hahn’s (budget and administration) Cabinet (15.03.2023). We are all aware that we are reasonably consistently in a series of difficult situations which require additional financial resources and which put the EU Budget under pressure. But we did get an earworm during that meeting: Continue reading Meeting the Head of Cabinet: it’s all about the money →

EPSO competition cancelled – is this really the least-bad option?

Central Staff Committee, EPSO, Newsletter - 2023-04-20 Print This Post

*Update 21.02.2024, Politico picked up this story.* Original article: Here’s the story so far on the revamped, updated and not-quite-ready-for-general-release rollercoaster ride of recruitment to the European institutions that was AST/154/22.  From the launch of this competition (22.09.2022) to the opening of an ombudsman inquiry (OI/1/2023/VS, 15.03.2023[1]) and on to the unexpected (and abrupt) decision of the EPSO director to cancel the whole thing (31.03.2023), Generation 2004 and all OSPs have been inundated with requests for help on the many and various issues encountered by candidates (covering everything from technical aspects to poor instructions to odd and alarming experiences), and it’s not finished yet! Continue reading EPSO competition cancelled – is this really the least-bad option? →

Evaluations of working time and hybrid working so far

New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2023-04-20, OIB, Surveys, Teleworking Print This Post

*Update 13.12.2023 Here is the official evaluation of working time and hybrid working and our experience of the corresponding ‘town-hall’ meeting. Do you agree with the conclusions?* Original article: It’s been a year since the implementation of the working time and hybrid working (WTHW) decision (entered into force 01.04.2022). The only official feedback sought during this time are the Pulse surveys of June 2022 and February 2023 (comparative) which show increasing satisfaction on  every single point measured, from flexible working overall to physical working arrangements in the office to impact on work-life balance and impact on trust within the organisation. Are you surprised? We were surprised. Continue reading Evaluations of working time and hybrid working so far →

Lunchtime conference: the Picard case

CA screening, Contract Agents, Events, Newsletter - 2023-04-20, Pensions Print This Post

*Update 23.06.2023: HR MyIntracomm article.* Do you want to know more about the recent Picard judgement C-366/21 P concerning Contract Agent (CA) pension rights? This case has repercussions on pension accrual and also on retirement age. We presented the different aspects of the judgement in this during our lunch-time conference. You can find the recorded video and the PowerPoint presentation  here.

Continue reading Lunchtime conference: the Picard case →

Signature authentication and certified true copies: yes and no

Brussels, Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2023-05-10, Services Print This Post

*Update 04.03.2024 Luxembourg charges removed, see below.*

Original article: In spite of our increasingly digital existence we do sometimes still have to resort to paper-based transactions. Unfortunately, while the Brussels Welcome Office of the European Commission can offer a signature-authentication or certified-true-copy service (almost like a notary!) free of charge, other sites, such as Luxembourg, offer no corresponding service, free or otherwise. The Brussels welcome office even checks rental contracts, great, eh? (For those able to use the service, of course). Continue reading Signature authentication and certified true copies: yes and no →