Teleworking

Building closures in winter – ding, ding, ding, we have a winner

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*Update 13.03.2023 here are the results of our June 2022 working time and hybrid working survey!**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.* *Update 9.11.2022 a colleague got in touch to say that Berlaymont (BERL) is also to move to open space and hot-desking but the timeline is not yet fixed.*

Many rumours are currently spreading around the potential closure of Commission buildings during winter. It seems that we now have a clear winner: the Commission has decided not just to close the Hitec (HTC) building in Luxembourg temporarily, but to abandon it completely. The building, home to DG SANTE’s directorate B, is to be handed back to the owner by the end of the year, yes this current year. Continue reading Building closures in winter – ding, ding, ding, we have a winner →

Don’t forget to use your 10 days of teleworking from outside the place of employment!

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If you still haven’t used up all your days of teleworking from anywhere (TWA) do not forget to file the request in Sysper as soon as possible. We have no information on any extension to the end-of-year deadline (the 2021 days could be used until 15.01.2022) and so conclude that there is unlikely to be any extension: best to use the 2022 quota of days rather than lose them! Continue reading Don’t forget to use your 10 days of teleworking from outside the place of employment! →

Commission to respect expected salary adjustment for some, but not for all

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*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

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*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 →

No work-life balance for colleagues in Delegations?

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While the flexible working arrangements such as offsetting and recuperating working hours (‘flexitime’) and working from home are implemented for Member States and headquarters (HQ), as of today, colleagues in 144 Delegations around the world still have no legal basis to telework.  This issue has been flagged multiple times in different meetings with management and a social dialogue was planned to be concluded in September 2022.  As of today, still, nothing. Continue reading No work-life balance for colleagues in Delegations? →

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 →

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 →

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 →

Hybrid working guidelines for DGs and Delegations, what should we expect? 

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*Update 10.03.2023 in January 2023 the Commission abandoned its draft guidelines in favour of reworking the frequently asked questions (FAQs).*

Generation 2004 firmly believes that the EU institutions should focus on impact and output rather than the means of work.  When the pandemic has shown that, for many roles, teleworking can be as effective as office presence (and is considered equivalent), why does the EU appear to prefer to go back in time? Why burden colleagues with again finding balance, having to revamp their schedules and routines with the associated stresses in order to be present in their place of employment rather than letting them continue to telework in peace, efficiently, effectively, and happily? Continue reading Hybrid working guidelines for DGs and Delegations, what should we expect?  →

New rules on Working Time and Hybrid Working. Tell us what you think.

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*Check out the results of this survey*It is now two months since its adoption: is the new Decision on Working Time and Hybrid Working in line with your expectations? How many days are you allowed to telework? Do you feel everyone has the same opportunities?

Since DG HR has not yet gathered its courage to formally and concretely ask you what you think about the so-called “New Normal” and how it is affecting your professional and private lives, Generation 2004 dares to face “the elephant in the room” and ask YOU what YOU REALLY THINK.  Continue reading New rules on Working Time and Hybrid Working. Tell us what you think. →