Welcome to the Generation 2004 Newsletter of 8 July 2022.
Check our holiday checklist before leaving the office: it’s important to disconnect! For those of you with a little more time, we address the needs of cancer survivors and of all colleagues whose complex situations are not well covered by the current patchwork of rules. We also recommend there that any new absence/sickness management decision be linked to the anticipated anti-harassment decision. On the topic of harassment/bullying, check out the results of the HR March 2021 (yes, that year is correct) survey (the one with the optional section on harassment) now available under Reports/metrics.
In terms of falling between the cracks of any Commission rules (in any sphere) we would love to hear your stories: we plan to publish them (without identifying features) in our new ‘it happened to me’ column. Disappointingly, we don’t have to look far for examples of unfortunate situations. One is that of some of our Local Agent colleagues who have lost acquired rights with the new contract, in spite of assurances. Similarly, some colleagues are to be moved to a non-EU Commission building in a less secure neighbourhood of Brussels (some of these colleagues were moved from Luxembourg (Chafea), specifically to be geographically close to their colleagues!) sign our petition to show them you care!
In the absence of Commission-wide guidelines, DGs and agencies are doing their own thing in applying the working-time decision. Local Agent (LA) colleagues in Delegations take a critical look at their new hybrid working rules, will the promised flexibility become reality? We ask you all to tell us what you think of the new rules on working time and hybrid working. While the EEAS has a different timetable and will publish its Contract Agent reclassification list in July, the promotion/reclassification appeal deadlines are extended throughout the Commission for anyone who is out of the office: if this affects you, check out our instructions. Generation 2004 is also offering training for the internal competitions: join us for the free webinar! Just in time for the school holidays we look at the debate on the future of the Brussels European schools and ask you to please sign our corresponding petition to show your support!
That’s it now for now! Enjoy the reading and get in touch if you believe we can help!
Generation 2004 strongly supports colleagues in the EU institutions affected by cancer, just as we support colleagues with any important issue impacting their physical and/or mental health. As the Commission has been in the process of revising its HR strategy for almost 2 years now, it is high time to put in place a new policy to better cater for the needs of cancer survivors and their families and the needs of all colleagues whose complex situations are not well covered by the current patchwork of rules [1]. 
Generation 2004 has come across different cases where Local Agents (LAs) have indeed lost their acquired rights after signing up to the new conditions of employment (
In
*Update 10.03.2023 in January 2023 the Commission abandoned its 
*For those of you who remain in the office keeping the Commission standing, please check out the 
Life can be surprising, and life in the Commission can be surprising too. If you have encountered an eyebrow-raising situation, please share it with us!
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As noticed by many colleagues in Delegations, the recruitment procedures for vacant posts for Local Agents are advertised internally and externally at the same time. One cannot avoid asking: Why would management search by default for candidates externally, instead of first providing a path of career growth to its existing talent?