Working conditions

Flexibility days 2024 now available to request

Leave, Newsletter - 2024-03-15, Part-time, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 09.03.2024: The 2025 days are also now known: 17 April Maundy Thursday, 18 April Good Friday and 30 May Day after Ascension Day.*

Original article: For those of you keen to plan the year ahead and organising things to look forward to, note that the 2024 flexibility days are now listed and available to request in sysper. These are the three public holidays every year where you can choose to work and have the days back as annual leave [1]. Perhaps this is not an option for you at the moment, but it’s good to know that this possibility exists. Continue reading Flexibility days 2024 now available to request →

More missing contributions for a pension transfer-in

Assistants, Contract Agents, Newsletter - 2024-03-15, Pensions, Secretaries and clerks, Temporary Agents Print This Post

While it is possible to take your pensions contributions from national systems and put them into the pension scheme of the European Union institutions (PSEUI), this is often a long-drawn-out process and it can be rather opaque. We recently highlighted the general exclusion of Member State ‘gifted’ contributions (e.g. covering times of military service or caring duties) from transfers-in and of a failed court case to try to recover the contributions where their inclusion made no difference. Now we cover a further potential complication which is delays in Member States doing their part in this process. Continue reading More missing contributions for a pension transfer-in →

Is it a man’s world?

Newsletter - 2024-03-15, Working conditions Print This Post

When I came to JRC Karlsruhe a some years ago, it became quickly clear to me that the Karlsruhe site had a majority of male colleagues, by far. Being a woman, I felt at times daunted how few women we indeed were.

In the meantime, things have changed at JRC Karlsruhe: we already have the second female site director and more and more women in head of unit (HoU) and DHoU positions[1].

Continue reading Is it a man’s world? →

International Women’s Day: where are we now?

Newsletter - 2024-03-15, Standby duty, Working conditions Print This Post

Generation 2004 wants International Women’s Day (IWD) to be about action, evaluation and noting what still needs to be done. We want more than thanks or praise for women going the extra mile. We cannot pay our bills with applause![1] It’s not enough to simply call women ‘heroes‘ in March each year. Look at every declaration of a push for equality and see whether the actions match the words!

Continue reading International Women’s Day: where are we now? →

Own-initiative training: You are, in fact, on your own

Education, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2024-04-11, Professional mobility, Training, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 09.04.2024 we have received a response to our note below from HR: the own-initiative training budget is very limited but special leave might still be available as a contribution to your OIT. Please use all your options!*

Original article: If you work for the Commission and you would like to keep up with developments in your area of expertise, or to acquire new skills to help you in your work, you are in for an unpleasant surprise. Up until recently, the Commission would contribute to the fees of a successful course, making it easier to take the decision to acquire university or other qualifications later in your career – especially for colleagues at the lower end of the pay scales. Continue reading Own-initiative training: You are, in fact, on your own →

Commission Representations rotate anticlockwise? II

Newsletter - 2024-02-28, Representations Print This Post

As we explained in our previous article on this very topic, there is quite a lot of room for improvement in the current annual reshuffling of staff and posts around the world (‘rotation’) in EU Delegations.

To start with, there is no real provision for the rotation of Contractual Agents (CA), who form a substantial part of the staff in Representations[1]. Continue reading Commission Representations rotate anticlockwise? II →

Conference: transfer-out of pension rights

Events, Newsletter - 2024-02-28, Pensions Print This Post

By popular demand, the pension transfer-out event will take place again in March. The powerpoint is available by email from the Allianz broker. Additional questions from the original presentation (16.01.2024) are added and answered in our transfer-out FAQ. There will be a presentation and then a question and answer session. What does it mean to transfer out of the pension scheme of the European Union institutions (PSEUI)? Who has to do this? What are the options available?

Continue reading Conference: transfer-out of pension rights →

Updated medical-bill ceilings: a step in the right direction

Complementary coverage, Health, Newsletter - 2023-12-13, Working conditions Print This Post

If you’ve entered the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) online you will have been greeted with the good news of Higher reimbursement ceilings, broader access to medically assisted reproduction. There was a similar announcement on MyIntracomm AuQuotidien (see the comments below the line for suggestions and additional information). Commission Decision of 17.11.2023 (C(2023) 7673 final) Continue reading Updated medical-bill ceilings: a step in the right direction →

Work groups on private mobile: voluntary?

'voluntold', Data Protection, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2023-12-13, Standby duty, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 12.04.2024: On the processing of personal data: the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) European Commission’s use of Microsoft 365 infringes data protection law for EU institutions and bodies.* Original article: There’s a difference between the right to disconnect as presented in the working time and hybrid working (WTHW) decision and the reality for those being ‘encouraged’ (voluntold/expected)  to join messaging groups on their private mobile for ‘business continuity’. See our recent communication on this topic. The right to disconnect is in the 2022 WTHW decision and also its 2023 evaluation where it is acknowledged that more needs to be done. Continue reading Work groups on private mobile: voluntary? →