*Update 14.03.2023 HR confirms that medical part-time does indeed have a lifetime limit in certain circumstances.* *Update 03.01.2023 (belated) thanks to the colleagues who pointed out that medical part-time is sick leave and not a work pattern.[1]* Original article: Generation 2004 succeeds: personal and sensitive information[2] is no longer visible in sysper applications, thanks to Generation 2004 action! Continue reading First impressions last: Generation 2004 steps in
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Newsletter editorial – 25-10-2022
Welcome to this latest short-and-legal edition of the Generation 2004 newsletter. We take a look at two ongoing Court cases which have the potential to set precedents for many of us. We outline the current state of play and list the issues each one raises. The first deals with the long-running Picard case which relates to pension and retirement rights lost by a contract agent colleague on renewing his contract: When is an upgrade not an upgrade? The second case is more recent and relates to the very topical reimbursement of teleworking expenses: the Court says ‘no’. These are long legal journeys and there are options still open to our colleagues, even though the answer may have been negative on this occasion.
Enjoy the reading and get in touch if you believe we can help!
When is an upgrade not an upgrade? An update on the Picard case
*Update 23.06.2023 the Commission is to apply the judgment, but not to officials.* *Update 19.12.2022 C-366/21 P was successful! Well done to everyone involved! Here’s an external evaluation of the case and our own update.*
Original article: Legally speaking, is a contract renewal really a contract renewal? Is a second (or subsequent) contract considered to be a new stand-alone agreement or is it a continuation of an already-existing agreement? Given that Contract Agents (CAs) are now 25% of Commission staff [1] Continue reading When is an upgrade not an upgrade? An update on the Picard case
Reimbursement of teleworking expenses: the Court says ‘no’
*Update 13.03.2023 here is the presentation on hotdesking from our 10.03.2023 event.* Original article: Here is the update on Court case T-486/21 promised in our article on whether working from home can truly be considered voluntary. We noted there that the Court rejected the application made by one of our colleagues for reimbursement of teleworking-related internet and phone costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic (judgment 07/09/2022). We’ve been raising the issue of additional teleworking costs for over 2 years now and even though all OSPs succeeded in having this issue explicitly mentioned in the Commission Decision of 24/03/2022 on working time and hybrid working (Article 13) we see the Commission is increasingly reluctant to act. Continue reading Reimbursement of teleworking expenses: the Court says ‘no’
Newsletter editorial – 14-10-2022
Welcome to this latest edition of the Generation 2004 newsletter. We look at the issues raised by the closure of buildings and planned reduction in office temperatures in Luxembourg and Brussels. In a less serious note, we present the future of workwear for the office and potentially also for home, to try to counter the increasing cost of utilities. Our training on resilience at work is unrelated to the Commission’s building policy, but every little helps! In other news, Luxembourg is consistently being promoted as a good place to live, but is this the whole story? The big story is that most (but not all staff) will see an adjustment to their salaries. Unfortunately, some of our colleagues in delegations are again left behind, whether in terms of the salary adjustment, inflation or the possibilities of working from home. Again on the topic of delegations, our colleagues in Kyiv have also been invited to return physically to the office by the end of this month.
That’s it now for now! Enjoy the reading and get in touch if you believe we can help!
Luxembourg: shiny happy people?
*Update 29.10.2025 Luxembourg remains at 9th place in the latest edition of the World Happiness Report, a drop from 8th place in the 2021 edition. For reference, in the same period, Belgium has gone from 20th to 14th. For context, a disproportionate part of that happiness measure for Luxembourg relies on gross domestic product (GDP) and it is debatable how well GDP reflects happiness in general. We note that since publishing this article in October 2022 the state average for our example rental went from EUR 1146 to EUR1281; almost a 12% increase in 3 years.*
Let’s talk about resilience at work
Have you experience a traumatic event and found yourself having to return to work before you were quite 100%? Have you had difficulties in completing a project and to meet the deadline? When we talk about resilience, we’re talking about the ability to cope with the ups and downs of life and bounce back from challenges. In a workplace setting, this can be about the ability to manage anything from a tough workload to frustrating colleagues, or even to changing the working environment. Continue reading Let’s talk about resilience at work
Commission to respect expected salary adjustment for some, but not for all
*Update 03.11.2022: Eurostat has published the final figures on the increase for Commission staff in its report.* Against the backdrop of increasing prices and rising inflation and during a period that is, for many staff, the summer break, the Council requested the Commission analyse how to further cut expenditure on staff, asking for a response by the end of September 2022. The Council was specifically targeting the salary updates intended to address inflation. Continue reading Commission to respect expected salary adjustment for some, but not for all
Winter is coming – and with it come new guidelines on workwear for the office
*Update 24.11.2023, please open a ticket if you find yourself working in a place that is cold and you suspect that the temperature is below the set minimum for your site: leave a papertrail.**Update 18.11.2022 many buildings will be closed between Christmas and New Year.* *Check out the 16.11.2022 video explaining the heating system* Original article: If you have not already experienced them yourself over the summer, you all have by now at least heard some rumours. ‘Which rumours?’, you ask, there are so many! Continue reading Winter is coming – and with it come new guidelines on workwear for the office
All at home! Will the Commission (again) close buildings?
*Update 10.05.2023 closing buildings announced as a great success success, but the figures are incomplete.**Update 14.12.2022 many buildings will be closed between Christmas and New Year. Here is a list. Here is how to find and book a desk.* *Here’s our 30.11.2022 note to HR asking (again!) that the lump sum be paid.* Continue reading All at home! Will the Commission (again) close buildings?
