Generation 2004 is hiring a secretary in the European Commission in Brussels

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For our daily work ‘For the many, not the few’ Generation 2004 employs a team of committed and dedicated colleagues.

Please do not hesitate to share this message with trustable colleagues who share our values and fulfil the conditions.

If you are a Contract Agent FG II (in the Commission, trade unions and staff associations are limited to employing CAs FG II for this type of post) OR If you have a valid CAST.
Continue reading Generation 2004 is hiring a secretary in the European Commission in Brussels →

No EU allowances unless you first try elsewhere

allowances, Newsletter - 2023-05-10, PMO, Services, Working conditions Print This Post

It’s always nice to get financial support (e.g. family allowances), and some of us can get it from either our institution or a national authority.  While this is a fortunate situation, it is quite clear that you should not be paid twice for the same request, whether that is for your medical expenses or allowances for your children. The staff regulations are quite clear in this respect, and we all have to declare any allowances received from national sources (check out our IDOC article).

Continue reading No EU allowances unless you first try elsewhere →

Have you been IDOC(ed)?

Newsletter - 2023-05-10, workplace bullying and harassment Print This Post

*Update 27.08.2024: Check out the the 2023 IDOC report.*

Original article: You have probably already asked yourself: What is IDOC? What is a difference between an administrative inquiry and disciplinary procedure? What are possible sanctions? Will I be treated fairly?

IDOC stands for Investigation and Disciplinary Office of the Commission [1]. (Nearly) everything that the IDOC does is secret. Continue reading Have you been IDOC(ed)? →

Out-of-hours building access (fingerprints and lone working)

Health, Newsletter - 2023-05-10, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 17.09.2024 we have found a lone-worker procedure from 2017 for Luxembourg.*

*Update 14.03.2024 fingerprints are considered sensitive biometric data and even the European Parliament has been held to account by the EDPS on this.*

Original article: While we’re not enthusiastic about colleagues being in the office overnight or at the weekend, sometimes it might be necessary[1]. Nevertheless, we’d like those who do this to be safe.  On a practical note, please prepare: is your mobile charged, do you have it on you and is there generally a good enough signal? Continue reading Out-of-hours building access (fingerprints and lone working) →

Webinar on EEAS internal competitions

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Generation 2004, in cooperation with Ya Semos Europeos, has organised a webinar on the application and competition process for the internal competitions in the External Action Service (EEAS). These don’t happen very often and we understand that you want to make the best of this opportunity.

We focus on practical aspects of the application:

  • work experience requirements
  • tips for the talent screener for those competitions which have it
  • the most common mistakes done by the candidates

You can find the PowerPoint presentation  here.

Thanks to all who voted! Historic success in EEAS and promising result in Petten

Elections, Newsletter - 2023-04-20 Print This Post

The Generation 2004 team thanks everyone who voted in all elections: we can do nothing without your participation! All OSPs now have over a year to dedicate our time exclusively to defending your rights before the next local staff committee elections in 2024: check out the issues we’re raising. A special thanks goes to everyone who voted for us! We give you a rundown here of the most recent elections:  the European External Action Service (EEAS)[1] and Petten Local Staff Committee, which both finished in March 2023. Continue reading Thanks to all who voted! Historic success in EEAS and promising result in Petten →

Meeting the Head of Cabinet: it’s all about the money

Cost of living Luxembourg, EPSO, Luxembourg, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2023-04-20, Social Dialogue, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 09.10.2023 please participate in the Commission survey on the environmental impact of teleworking: deadline 11.10.2023. These emmissions must also be counted in greening the Commission!* Original article: Here are the issues we  raised at the OSPs meeting with David Mueller, the Head of Commissioner Hahn’s (budget and administration) Cabinet (15.03.2023). We are all aware that we are reasonably consistently in a series of difficult situations which require additional financial resources and which put the EU Budget under pressure. But we did get an earworm during that meeting: Continue reading Meeting the Head of Cabinet: it’s all about the money →

EPSO competition cancelled – is this really the least-bad option?

Central Staff Committee, EPSO, Newsletter - 2023-04-20 Print This Post

*Update 21.02.2024, Politico picked up this story.* Original article: Here’s the story so far on the revamped, updated and not-quite-ready-for-general-release rollercoaster ride of recruitment to the European institutions that was AST/154/22.  From the launch of this competition (22.09.2022) to the opening of an ombudsman inquiry (OI/1/2023/VS, 15.03.2023[1]) and on to the unexpected (and abrupt) decision of the EPSO director to cancel the whole thing (31.03.2023), Generation 2004 and all OSPs have been inundated with requests for help on the many and various issues encountered by candidates (covering everything from technical aspects to poor instructions to odd and alarming experiences), and it’s not finished yet! Continue reading EPSO competition cancelled – is this really the least-bad option? →

Evaluations of working time and hybrid working so far

New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2023-04-20, OIB, Surveys, Teleworking Print This Post

*Update 13.12.2023 Here is the official evaluation of working time and hybrid working and our experience of the corresponding ‘town-hall’ meeting. Do you agree with the conclusions?* Original article: It’s been a year since the implementation of the working time and hybrid working (WTHW) decision (entered into force 01.04.2022). The only official feedback sought during this time are the Pulse surveys of June 2022 and February 2023 (comparative) which show increasing satisfaction on  every single point measured, from flexible working overall to physical working arrangements in the office to impact on work-life balance and impact on trust within the organisation. Are you surprised? We were surprised. Continue reading Evaluations of working time and hybrid working so far →

Lunchtime conference: the Picard case

CA screening, Contract Agents, Events, Newsletter - 2023-04-20, Pensions Print This Post

*Update 23.06.2023: HR MyIntracomm article.* Do you want to know more about the recent Picard judgement C-366/21 P concerning Contract Agent (CA) pension rights? This case has repercussions on pension accrual and also on retirement age. We presented the different aspects of the judgement in this during our lunch-time conference. You can find the recorded video and the PowerPoint presentation  here.

Continue reading Lunchtime conference: the Picard case →