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Annual salary update 2023 

Newsletter - 2023-11-14, PMO, Staff Categories, yearly salary update

*Update 13.12.2023, those who took time credit leave  while also making full pension contributions will have seen a (small) drop in salary in December.* Update 17.11.2023 many of you got in touch to mention the end of the solidarity levy. Unfortunately, this is extremely unlikely to happen, but we do always appreciate your input, please continue to send us your ideas and sources thanks!*

Original article: The news is out, Eurostat has published its report on the 2023 annual update and the residual salary update amounts to +1.0%, after the intermediate update from June.  This is far better than what we had hoped for, so this good news. Continue reading Annual salary update 2023  →

No EU allowances unless you first try elsewhere

allowances, Newsletter - 2023-05-10, PMO, Services, Working conditions

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 →

Signature authentication and certified true copies: yes and no

Brussels, Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2023-05-10, Services

*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 →

It happened to me! A ‘sometimes’ serious illness

Complementary coverage, Features, Health, Newsletter - 2023-02-22, PMO, Working conditions

In 2017 I was diagnosed with serious illness. This kind of information crushes you as if a heavy stone was put on your back. What helps in this misfortune is the fact that European institutions’ staff shouldn’t have to worry about the financial aspect of the treatment, being insured via the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS), staff are entitled to 100% reimbursed of medical fees where they have a recognised serious illness. Continue reading It happened to me! A ‘sometimes’ serious illness →

The annual medical check-up: the ‘new normal’

additional teleworking costs, Brussels, Complementary coverage, Cost of living Luxembourg, COVID-19, Health, Ispra-Seville, Luxembourg, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2023-01-27, Outside the Union, PMO, return to the office-new normal

*Update 03.03.2023 clarification of the changes announced for mid-February:  tests previously covered by «bons roses»[*] are now to be done via the health screening programme in order to be reimbursed at 100% e.g. a gynecological check up.*[**]

Original article: We start with some context: the annual medical check-up, that obligation that is not generally enforced, is done by only around 1/3 of staff [1]. Why might this be? Well, cost is an issue: while the check-up itself and associated laboratory tests are normally reimbursed at 100%, anything stemming from that check-up (‘diagnostic examinations’ or ‘additional treatments’, for example) will be reimbursed in the normal way (85% up to set ceilings which may or may not correspond to reality, we hear you Luxembourg [2]). Continue reading The annual medical check-up: the ‘new normal’ →

End of year checklist: December 2022

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We encourage you to rest and to recharge your batteries during the end-of-year days: this is not an opportunity to get work done!  Please, as far as you can, switch off your devices, mute notifications and disconnect: take the time for you.  Why not already schedule your out-of-the-office message in Outlook today? It’s one thing you can score off your end-of-year ‘to do’ list. We present a list of suggestions here in no particular order. Please feel free to get in touch to add to this list if you’d like to share what works for you!

Continue reading End of year checklist: December 2022 →

It happened to me! Schrödinger’s reimbursement

Complementary coverage, Features, Health, Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2022-09-15, PMO, Working conditions

We asked you to send us your stories and here is the first one. A Colleague was diagnosed with a precancerous lesion. Although probably benign, it was growing quickly, showing micro calcifications, opacities, ragged edges, and highly heterogeneous appearance. The doctors concluded that it must be removed as soon as possible as it could easily become a malignant tumour (if that was not already the case) especially considering the colleague’s age group. Continue reading It happened to me! Schrödinger’s reimbursement →

Brussels annual medical check-up: never going back to normal?

COVID-19, Health, Newsletter - 2022-09-15, PMO

*Update 26.01.2023 CSC plenary: only around 1/3 of all staff do the annual medical. Note, this is obligatory but not enforced.*

*Update 16.01.2023 Brussels medical service is moving towards colleagues doing their annual check-up via their GP. Contact them for the paperwork in advance to ensure that the visit is reimbursed as an annual check-up (100%) and not as a standard reimbursement (85%). *

*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*

The Medical Service Brussels resumed its task of annual medical check-ups in June 2022, albeit in a very limited way.  Any staff not in ‘high-risk professions’ must go via their own doctor, with a corresponding ceiling of €45 (100% reimbursement) for that visit. This raises questions on efficiency: how much paperwork does this generate? Continue reading Brussels annual medical check-up: never going back to normal? →

Would you like to undertake other activities outside your current job in the Commission?

Contract Agents, Cost of living Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2022-01-28, Services, Temporary Agents, Working conditions

*Update 27.0302025: Under certain circumstanaces you can work elsewhere while in receipt of an invalidity allowance: ‘Persons in receipt of an invalidity allowance may not engage in gainful employment without the prior authorisation of the Appointing Authority. Any income from such gainful employment which, in combination with the invalidity allowance, exceeds the final Continue reading Would you like to undertake other activities outside your current job in the Commission? →

Things to check before holidays start (Tips)

COVID-19, Health, IT kit for telework, Leave, Newsletter - 2021-12-16, PMO, Teleworking, Working conditions

Well done on getting though another year of a global pandemic! While that brings its own challenges, there are perhaps some additional things worth checking before your well-deserved Christmas and New Year holiday leave.

Collective action on the very discriminatory internal competition for temporary agents (TAs) only: to join our collective action please apply for this internal competition by 21 December 2021. Continue reading Things to check before holidays start (Tips) →