Working conditions

The future of our survey on the rise in teleworking energy bills

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*08.11.2022 we have republished this survey to enable a comparison, please participate!*

*Update 07.11.2022 we add a list of all available state aid in Luxembourg.*

*23.10.2022 the teleworking costs court case has been unsuccessful.*

It’s the perfect storm of costs: increased consumption of utilities and higher bills due to teleworking meets increased energy costs due to the political situation and even higher bills. We intend to show the compounded effects of these two hits by comparing the snapshot we took at the end of 2021 with a new pic from now: we will republish our survey and ask you again to contribute. Continue reading The future of our survey on the rise in teleworking energy bills →

Inflation and rising energy cost impact in delegations

Local Agents, Newsletter - 2022-10-14, Working conditions Print This Post

Generation 2004 is closely following the financial impact of inflation and rising energy costs to all staff in 144 Delegations around the world.  We noted that especially for Delegations which are paid in local currencies (whether legally or not, we hear you Turkey!), colleagues are severely harmed by growing inflationary pressure and are experiencing deteriorating purchasing power.  To illustrate (this is not an exhaustive list, information is based on available internet figures of inflation statistics [*] and the latest available information of salary review status) with a few examples: Continue reading Inflation and rising energy cost impact in delegations →

It happened to me! Schrödinger’s reimbursement

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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 →

We live and work in a burnout culture (long read)

Health, Newsletter - 2022-09-15, Surveys, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 11.10.2022 check out The relationship between loneliness and health, JRC129972.* What is the state of burnout these days amongst our colleagues? Do we know what proportion of us are feeling burnt out? What is it to be burned out? Where are we on this topic? What help is available? Are there any negatives to seeking help?

Burnout was already a problem prior to COVID 19: so much so that in 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon and conceptualized it as a syndrome: Z73.0 Burn-out State of vital exhaustion: a result of chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Continue reading We live and work in a burnout culture (long read) →

Is working from home really voluntary?

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*Update 14.07.2023 many buildings will again be closed over the summer. Here is a list of buildings and dates (note Luxembourg is mentioned only at the bottom). Here is  how to find and book a desk (Brussels only).*

There’s a disconnect between the image presented in the working time and hybrid working (WTHW) decision and the reality for Commission staff in terms of choice of work location and working-from-home (WFH) costs.  First on choice, the WTHW states that WFH/teleworking is voluntary (Article 9(3)) while the Commission simultaneously pursues a building policy of reducing overall office space and open-plan/hot-desking environments. Would there really be a desk for everyone if all Commission staff chose to work from the office at the same time? Continue reading Is working from home really voluntary? →

New working time and hybrid working committee

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*Updated 04.05.2023: We raised the issue of the dissolution of all local part-time committees in the WTHW decision (Article 18(3) April, 2022) in the April 2023 Central Staff Committee plenary. It is not clear to whom those refused part-time work can now appeal, has the new and centralised Committee on Working Time and Hybrid Working (CTT) taken over all corresponding responsibilities? We will keep you posted. Also the WTHW FAQ remain unchanged so far.**Update 10.03.2023 in January 2023 the Commission abandoned its draft guidelines [*] in favour of reworking the frequently asked questions (WTHW FAQs which were last updated 25-5-2022)* Continue reading New working time and hybrid working committee →

Invited to a medical ‘control’ during sick leave? Here’s what you need to know (FAQ)

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*Update 27.09.2022 several of you got in touch with us to add information to this article and we thank you all for your contributions, we have added them to the relevant sections below. Please feel free to continue to send us your experiences, we will add them here anonymously.* At Generation 2004, we understand just how unnerving it can be to find yourself the recipient of a  formal Medical Service invitation and confidentiality statement, particularly if the date  stated there has already passed or the location given is incompatible with your current mobility. What to do?

Stay calm, remember that these checks are routine and read our FAQ below. Continue reading Invited to a medical ‘control’ during sick leave? Here’s what you need to know (FAQ) →

Council request to further reduce spending on staff

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*Update 22.03.2023: see our article on the latest council request to reduce spending on staff. *Update 21.09.2022 : all representatives OSPs met with the Cabinet on the Commission response to the Council.* Continue reading Council request to further reduce spending on staff →

Time for the Commission to focus on inclusion: cancer survivors

disability and special needs, Health, Leave, Newsletter - 2022-07-08, Staff Regulations Reform, Working conditions, workplace bullying and harassment Print This Post

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]. Continue reading Time for the Commission to focus on inclusion: cancer survivors →

Preserving acquired rights of Local agents – empty promises?

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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 (a loss of rights was mentioned as a distant possibility in 2020). First and foremost, Generation 2004 does not agree with the approach of setting the deadline for LAs to sign the new contract which was before all the annexes of the contract were in place.  The national law reference guides were not provided to colleagues at the time of signing the contract and some of the implementing decisions (i.e. the assessment procedure, guidance policies to assist Delegations in exercising their duty of care towards the local staff) are even still missing today. Continue reading Preserving acquired rights of Local agents – empty promises? →