Teleworking

UPDATE on teleworking in delegations – adapting work practice to a new reality

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Generation 2004 wish to update you on teleworking in EU Delegations.

In January 2018, the European External Action Service (EEAS) started a teleworking pilot project in four Delegations. This was possible also thanks to the proactive role of Generation 2004 members who worked closely with the EEAS and the Commission (‘COM’) on this file. By the end of 2019, the number of Delegations covered by teleworking increased from 4 to 24 (out of 143 Delegations and Offices). In the pilot phase, colleagues had the opportunity to apply for occasional teleworking, subject to the approval of their hierarchy. Some Delegations have excluded local agents (LA) assistants and secretaries which is an issue of concern to be addressed. Continue reading UPDATE on teleworking in delegations – adapting work practice to a new reality →

COVID-19: The latest on the digital certificate, vaccination and more

COVID-19, IT kit for telework, Newsletter - 2021-06-16, return to the office-new normal, Teleworking Print This Post

According to the data provided by DG HR in the latest information meeting on 11 June 2021 and on intranet updates: the EU Digital Covid Certificate will become available with legal effects in all EU Member States as of 1 July 2021, although some might start issuing it earlier: for example, Luxembourg  started issuing it on 14 June, Belgium on 16 June [1] and Italy from the end of June. Some travel rules will also change as of 1 July 2021 (but no exemption from  PCR tests). There’s an online information session from the medical services together with DG SANTE on Tuesday 22 June lunchtime via EULearn. Continue reading COVID-19: The latest on the digital certificate, vaccination and more →

Teleworking from abroad: YES, WE CAN!

COVID-19, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2021-06-16, Teleworking, teleworking from anywhere Print This Post

*Update 25.09.2025 1: TWA can now be combined with parental leave. 2: Details of the outcome of the court case (T-39/21) related to the removal of the expatriation allowance for some staff in the Parliament while working from outside the place of employment during Covid is added as footnote [**].*

Original article: Who said teleworking from outside the place of employment (TWA) [1] cannot be reconciled with the interest of the service and our duty to serve the public? Continue reading Teleworking from abroad: YES, WE CAN! →

‘Wild West of Teleworking’ Photography Contest: winners!

additional teleworking costs, Cost of living Luxembourg, IT kit for telework, Newsletter - 2021-05-21, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

Thanks to all of you who submitted photos of your home-office/kitchen-table/cupboard-under-the-stairs/garden IT setup and your increased bills and accommodation costs. We always appreciate your interaction and comments and you can still send us your teleworking photos and evidence of costs incurred: let us know where and how you are working! Continue reading ‘Wild West of Teleworking’ Photography Contest: winners! →

Get ready: the return to the office is starting in June

COVID-19, Newsletter - 2021-05-21, return to the office-new normal, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

At last, on Wednesday evening (19.05.2021) HR announced a date for the start of operation ‘return to the office’: from Wednesday 9 June onwards the Commission anticipates moving from phase 0 to phase 1. In practice, this means that while teleworking will remain the norm, staff will be encouraged to go to the office, still on a voluntary basis. The maximum presence in the buildings – to be complied with at all time – will be raised to 20%. The canteen in the Berlaymont building will be reopened. Continue reading Get ready: the return to the office is starting in June →

New teleworking scheme: longer working days and more micromanagement?

Childcare, Health, IT kit for telework, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2021-04-28, Open Plan Office, Staff Regulations Reform, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 27.02.2025: the question of whether managers can/should  use Teams/Skype or other status as an indication of your presence/availability has been raised repeatedly, particularly given that you might have a different status on each platform. Check out question 14 of the flexible working FAQs for written confirmation that this is not their intended use and that status is not a reliable indicator of presence or non-presence.* Continue reading New teleworking scheme: longer working days and more micromanagement? →

Welcome to ‘The Wild West of Teleworking’ Photography Contest

additional teleworking costs, IT kit for telework, Newsletter - 2021-04-28, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*We would still like to receive your pics and stories*

Still working at the kitchen table after 13 months? Your bills increased exponentially? Cannot afford a decent home office with your salary?

If all of this sound familiar, it is time to participate in our photography contest!

Send us pictures of your home office set-up, your bills before and after compulsory teleworking started Continue reading Welcome to ‘The Wild West of Teleworking’ Photography Contest →

Latest on COVID: vaccines a little behind initial estimates

Childcare, COVID-19, Leave, Newsletter - 2021-03-26, Open Plan Office, return to the office-new normal, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*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* Commissioner Hahn said in his video message (16.3.2021) that ‘we are all impatient to be free again’. At this stage, please allow me to modify his message and stress that ‘we are all impatient to be finally vaccinated’ (at least most of us). After 1 year of teleworking at home we are all fed up with this situation and cannot wait to resume a normal life. While entering the third wave, we are facing yet another lockdown. As most countries begin to tighten the restrictions, the vision of going to visit our loved ones over the Easter period seems to be vanishing. The pressure is high, our workload has increased, some of us at the brink of burnout, digital overload is a hard reality and some of us are worried about our family members in other Member States, which are currently fighting for their lives. Continue reading Latest on COVID: vaccines a little behind initial estimates →

Remote-working precedent: a workaround or a can of worms?

CHAFEA, Cost of living Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2021-03-26, Outside the Union, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

In January a call for expression of interest presented the possibility to work in a DG Health and Food Safety (SANTE [1]) unit in Luxembourg from any Commission site ‘for about six months’. As stated in the email, the initial Luxembourg-wide call had been unsuccessful, so this was a ‘plan B’ of sorts in these difficult times, a workaround.

Unfortunately, this quick fix opens a can of worms (there are so many issues here we almost didn’t know where to begin, hence the delay in writing this article. If you spot any additional issues, please feel free to get in touch and we’ll add them to this list!) Continue reading Remote-working precedent: a workaround or a can of worms? →