*update 19.02.2022: unfortunately the 14th edition of the teleworking guidelines [1] (valid from 21.02.2022) have not applied the simple solutions Generation 2004 suggested below.*
We have listened to all of you who contacted us to enquire about teleworking from abroad/outside the place of employment (TWA) for this year. Many would like to have at least the same arrangements as last year so that they can request their 10 days of TWA now, while planning for the school holidays of Carnival and Easter. If not, it would be good to at least know exactly what the rules are: you are planning the year ahead: you need certainty!
Version 13 of the teleworking guidelines (valid from 08.12.2021) allows for using TWA days until 15 January 2022 only. From that date onwards, there is a big gap with no official provision for TWA, a gap which will be filled only once the new Decision on Working time and Hybrid working [2] (WTHW) is approved: and indeed the new decision allows for 10 days of TWA each year [1]. Interestingly, sysper [3] still allows you to request TWA. Should you just submit your requests and see what happens?
To complicate the matter, the Carnival holidays are not on the same week in the European and national schools (e.g. Belgium), thus creating issues for parents with children in both systems.
Generation 2004 already proposed a simple and practical solution to this conundrum [4]: the administration could just issue updated teleworking guidelines (a version 14), changing the dates to make 10 days of TWA available in 2022. This would be completely in line with the new TWA regime established in the new WTHW decision, to be approved soon.
Additionally, we requested that the requirement of combining these teleworking days with 5 days of leave be removed. This would again be in line with the new decision, where this requirement was removed from one draft version during the negotiations, also thanks to Generation 2004 repeated questioning of the rationale and the objectives of this unjustified burden. After all, teleworking has nothing to do with leave, and we have been demonstrating this for two years now, right?
This simple solution that Generation 2004 put forward would represent a good chance for the administration to start testing the new regime currently set up in the draft decision, where teleworking would be on the same footing as working in the office and no link is established with leave. Even more importantly, this would be an important step to foster the culture of trust that the administration states to be one of the key principles not only of the decision, but also of the new HR Strategy as a whole.
You know very well that the Generation 2004 proposal on teleworking from abroad [5] is considerably more generous and progressive, and we are still convinced it would allow the Commission to position itself as a more attractive employer, caring for the well-being of its staff. That is why Generation 2004, considering that the draft decision does not go far enough, disagreed with the draft Decision on Working time and Hybrid working as it stands and asked for a conciliation meeting. We were the only trade union or staff association to do so.
Nevertheless, we are pragmatic and strongly believe that, in the spirit of trust and fairness, a bridging solution before that WTHW decision comes into effect would allow for better planning, in the interest of both individual colleagues and the services, thus ensuring appropriate business continuity and better reconciliation of work and private life.
What do you think? Are you struggling to plan for the weeks and months ahead because you do not know whether you again have a pot of 10 TWA days to use? Let us know [6]!
Please also consider other types of leave available to you [7]: there might be more than you think!
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[1] Note that the new Decision on Working time and Hybrid working [2] reinstated and then removed the obligation to connect the TWA days to 5 days of annual leave (an obligation originally introduced in March 2021, suspended finally and at very short notice (08.12.2021) for end-of-year days starting 23.12.2021).
