No work-life balance for colleagues in Delegations?

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.

It is therefore difficult for colleagues in Delegation not to feel to be left behind, if not constantly being told on a subliminal level ‘you are simply not a priority’ by management.

‘In Delegations, it has been up to the Heads of Delegation, in consultation with HQ to define the rules for a progressive return to the office, alternating physical presence and teleworking … In countries where a majority of staff has been vaccinated presence in the office was the norm. Pending the adoption of a specific decision on teleworking and working time, one day of teleworking per week has been authorized.’ (P. 26, EEAS, Human Resources Report 2021, July 2022)

The dire contrast of approaches is also astonishing:  while colleagues in HQ are encouraged to telework at least 2 days a week, and there are even talks about whether they should make Fridays or Mondays a standard teleworking day for all in order to cut energy consumption and ‘Save gas for a safe winter’:

‘Looking ahead, the Commission will further decrease its own consumption … Other avenues will be explored such as making more efficient use of our buildings. This will allow the institution to further decrease the overall number of buildings to be heated or cooled.​’

In Delegations the exceptional teleworking regime is implemented haphazardly (i.e. according to the personal preference of Heads of Delegation).  It ranges from no teleworking at all, teleworking only for statutory staff, or teleworking only 1 day per week without any leeway of additional flexibility – and that is still the case regardless of your family composition (i.e. a lone parent with additional caring duties etc.).

Generation 2004 strongly encourages management to have at least a legal basis offering teleworking in a structural and fair manner.  While work-life balance for colleagues in HQ is facilitated and promoted, no colleagues in Delegations should be left behind.  In particularly, letting a specific category of staff telework while the rest of colleagues are not offered this possibility is extremely demotivating and even discriminatory.

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