2023 appraisal and promotion/reclassification exercises conference

Events, Newsletter - 2022-12-19, Newsletter - 2023-01-09, Promotions, reclassification, workplace bullying and harassment

*Update 27.01.2023, we assisted 274 colleagues with their evaluation text. The link to register is no longer functional*

We found one more reason not to use the new option of transferring the report from the previous year: ad hoc input from panels and committees might need to be updated and the transfer does not allow for any modifications.

Also, here is the guidance that used to be available within sysper for the first 3 sections of the appraisal (please use Firefox or Edge). * Continue reading 2023 appraisal and promotion/reclassification exercises conference →

High time for the Commission to show flexibility!

additional teleworking costs, Cost of living Luxembourg, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2022-11-29, return to the office-new normal, Social Dialogue, Surveys, Teleworking, Working conditions

*Update 14.12.2022 list of buildings closed Dec/Jan* We, the Commission staff, have shown (and continue to show) outstanding flexibility, especially during the recent crises: whether that’s the pandemic and the lockdowns, war in Ukraine, energy resources or skyrocketing inflation. In spite of all this and the exceptional workload these crises created for many DGs, staff made every possible effort to continue to deliver business continuity in the interest of the European people we serve.  Continue reading High time for the Commission to show flexibility! →

Internal competitions: AST/SC2, AST2, AD6, 7, 9, 12

Administrators, Assistants, Events, Newsletter - 2022-11-29, Secretaries and clerks, Staff Categories, Temporary Agents, Training

Generation 2004 in cooperation with the company YSE will offer a  workshop-webinar on the application process for internal competitions  (AST/SC2, AST2, AD6, AD7, AD9, AD12). We will focus on practical aspects of the application, work experience requirements, tips for the talent for those competitions which have it and the most common mistakes done by the candidates.   At the end, micros will be open for your questions. Continue reading Internal competitions: AST/SC2, AST2, AD6, 7, 9, 12 →

Staff Committee Elections in Luxembourg – please vote!

Elections, Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2022-11-29

*Thank you Luxembourg! The elections are over! You reached the quorum! Thanks! Results published 07.12.2022.*

Voting has started in Luxembourg for the elections to the local staff committee (LSC), this is your local staff representative parliament. Each of the 5 lists on the ballot is either an OSP or a grouping of OSPs. Each list is a bit like political parties or groupings in national elections and parliaments. If you have not voted yet, please check our guide to vote video. Of course, Generation 2004 is participating in these elections – we are list 5. If you know our work AND you consider that this is enough information for you to vote for us, please go ahead. At which point we wish you a nice day and you can stop reading 🙂 Continue reading Staff Committee Elections in Luxembourg – please vote! →

Phone lines: the option exists!

Health, Newsletter - 2022-11-29, Working conditions

*Update 03.10.2025 phone numbers are available under  PMO JSIS PHONE LINES and contact point: permanent invalidity*

Original article: Our manifesto wish  came true: we now have a direct phone number for HR to complement those which already exist for the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) and the Office for the Administration and Payment of Individual Entitlements (PMO). Continue reading Phone lines: the option exists! →

Follow-up special DGT meeting

Events, Institutions, Newsletter - 2022-11-29, Standby duty, Working conditions

*Update 14.03.2023 DGT staff meeting Luxembourg 09.03.2023 the acting DG stated that the only element of standby duty which is voluntary (yes, this there is a bit of mental gymnastics in a duty being voluntary) is that the translator has some flexibility in the choice of week. That is, this is official confirmation of what was stated in the 2019 Central Staff Committee note 18/12/2019 (2019)7798989: ‘The scheme is ‘voluntary’ in that it is stated that staff are not obliged to be on standby. In practice staff report that they feel obliged to ‘volunteer’ in order to share the burden with colleagues.’ Note also that compensation is ‘up to middle managers'(Article 55(3) requires a more detailed system than this.**Update 19.12.2022, congratulations on finishing the Permanent Delegation of Translators (DPT) elections and we note with concern the suggested plan to fit Brussels DGT staff to the available space in any new building, as opposed to finding a building to fit the number of staff.* Continue reading Follow-up special DGT meeting →

Incorrect Sysper sick leave warning message: you asked, we acted!

disability and special needs, Health, Newsletter - 2022-11-29, Working conditions

Everyone knows the first 3 days of sick leave don’t require a certificate, right? If you are off for longer then yes, you need a certificate. Those first days can be used to wait and see whether you get better or even just to try to organise an appointment with your GP in order to have their opinion on your options: sometimes getting an appointment can take some time! So, yes, sick leave without a certificate which subsequently becomes sick leave with a certificate is not unusual (≤ 3 days without + x days with = good). Though note that the medical service can still check in with you as they wish. Continue reading Incorrect Sysper sick leave warning message: you asked, we acted! →

Use it or lose it at the Commission

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*Update 30.08.2023: opaque and short-notice permanent closure of (well-used) childcare facilities at Grange site* *Update 13.03.2023 here is the presentation on hotdesking from our 10.03.2023 event.* *Here’s our collaborative note to HR on the topic of the building policy (12.12.2022) and on the topic of the North Light building in Brussels(10.02.2023).* Original article: Use your own allocated desk as much as possible, or you might find yourself soon in hot-desking (or as the Commission calls it, a ‘dynamic’ environment). In fact, this non-optimal use of workstations was the reasoning used as a basis to move colleagues to hot-desking environments of the most extreme type – large open-plan office space with no assigned desks, where furniture, individual storage space and quiet rooms are reduced to the bare minimum. Continue reading Use it or lose it at the Commission →

An update on workplace bullying and harassment

disability and special needs, Events, Newsletter - 2022-11-29, workplace bullying and harassment

*Update 20.11.2024 the question of how to distinguish between bullying and conflict has been brought up a couple of times lately so we link to an explanation here.*

Original article: Have you ever been harassed? Or have you ever had the impression you might be harassed? Have you ever witnessed something that didn’t sit right with you and didn’t know what to do? What exactly is harassment or bullying? Note that in the Commission the terms ‘bullying’ and ‘harassment’ are used to mean the same thing: an often-present phenomenon in all personal, educational and professional contexts. Continue reading An update on workplace bullying and harassment →

Nine months on, what’s happening with the 12 actions for Luxembourg?

Cost of living Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2022-11-29

*Update 13.03.2023 non-Luxembourg nationals, please register to vote in the June municipal elections!*

*Update 19.02.2023, the latest Corporate Management Board minutes make no mention of the 12 actions. We’ve asked about it in the comments.* *Update 16.01.2023 the Caisse Nationale de Santé (CNS) has shared a hospital tariff list. Here are the PMO contact details for follow-up questions.*

In September 2022 it was announced that ‘progress was made‘ on the 12 actions proposed in March 2022 by the Heads of Administration (Chefs d’Administration) of EU institutions and bodies based in Luxembourg (CALux) to address the difficulties of recruiting staff. So, 9 months on, let’s look at the achievements declared. As ever, we check the sources; in this case, the minutes of the 29.09.2022 meeting (point 4) for the details: updates in italics. Continue reading Nine months on, what’s happening with the 12 actions for Luxembourg? →