If you are wondering which element has had the most impact on our working environment at the Commission, teleworking is a must. While mistrust was rather the order of the day before the COVID pandemic, the administration, forced to resort to it on this occasion, was quickly able to adapt to it and even take advantage of it to impose the accommodation system based on open space or hot desking. Such a significant change does not happen smoothly and without asking many questions. The Union Syndicale has collected the opinions of almost 200 of our affiliates, as well as those of other colleagues who have turned to it.
The most positive aspects of teleworking can be summarised as follows:
- It brings greater autonomy in work
- It is preferable to open spaces and hot desking
- It allows the possibility of reacting to small incidents in daily life (sick child, technician visit, deliveries, etc.)
- It avoids time wasted on commuting
- It allows a better focus
- It gives the possibility of continuing to work during mild illness
However, colleagues also pointed out some drawbacks that should be eliminated or mitigated:
- Lack of social interaction (loss of team spirit), isolation, and difficulties in integrating new colleagues
- Deferral of household costs (heat, electricity, office equipment, etc.)
- The absence of a break between working time and private life
- Extending the working day, even towards weekends
- The challenges of online and hybrid meetings
- The work carried out, mainly on documents, without oral discussion.
Despite these drawbacks, a majority is in favour of maintaining teleworking, with the positive aspects outweighing the others: we will take these opinions into account in our discussions with the Administration.
The issue of teleworking out of the duty station, which some have taken advantage of to the maximum allowed, deserves special mention. While our colleagues are aware that an unrestricted generalisation of teleworking away from Headquarters would entail dangers for statutory rights that are based on being an expatriate, there is a consensus that greater flexibility would be desirable, both in terms of the maximum number of days and in terms of the reasons for waiving the limits.
Union Syndicale is committed to defending and promoting, with the Administration, the idea of greater flexibility regarding teleworking away from Headquarters. This includes the possibility of increasing the maximum number of allowed days and expanding the reasons for a derogation from the current limits, especially in specific situations such as the closure of administrative buildings.
