{"id":2506,"date":"2023-04-24T11:38:26","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T10:38:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unionsyndicale.eu\/agora_article\/lhoraire-flexible-une-conquete-essentielle-de-lunion-syndicale\/"},"modified":"2023-07-24T14:18:50","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T13:18:50","slug":"flexible-working-hours-a-key-achievement-of-union-syndicale","status":"publish","type":"agora_article","link":"https:\/\/unionsyndicale.eu\/en\/agora_article\/flexible-working-hours-a-key-achievement-of-union-syndicale\/","title":{"rendered":"Flexible working hours \u2013 a key achievement of Union Syndicale"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Flexible working hours \u2013 a key achievement of Union Syndicale<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Flexible working hours \u2013 a key achievement of Union Syndicale<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Agora #88<\/span><\/div>
Pages 42 - 43<\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Today, working at the Council would be unthinkable without flexitime. It allows for the right balance between the needs of an unpredictable Institution, which needs its staff at all times, including nights, holidays and weekends, and the needs of the staff to preserve their health and to have a life outside work.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Today, working at the Council would be unthinkable without flexitime. It allows for the right balance between the needs of an unpredictable Institution, which needs its staff at all times, including nights, holidays and weekends, and the needs of the staff to preserve their health and to have a life outside work.<\/p>\n

These are things that our elders dreamed of. Prior to 2006, working hours were fixed, with no adjustments, from 8:30am to 5pm. Any absence had to be covered by annual leave. Night or weekend work was not recoverable (except for grades 1-4) \u2013 some of them might have found an understanding boss\u2026<\/p>\n

In 2004, things started to change changed. The Council\u2019s administration introduced a system of automatic recording of attendance hours, to combat so-called \u2018illegal absenteeism\u2019\u201d. Union Syndicale, quickly supported by the FFPE, took advantage of this to demand flexible working hours in return.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The deal succeeded! Opposed by some of the staff, in particular the embryonic new R&D organisation, Union Syndicale and the FFPE submitted the compromise with the administration to a referendum. More than 80% of the Council\u2019s staff voted in favour of the deal. The new system came into force in 2006.<\/p>\n

From now on, if Margus wants to take care of his school children every Wednesday afternoon, he can plan a free slot accordingly. Clara had a trilogue meeting until 4:00 a.m.; she can take that day off, and not return to work until the next day.<\/p>\n

Susanna\u2019s mother-in-law shows up unexpectedly, and Susanna takes time off to recover her overtime. Finally, Dirk has to see the doctor in the middle of the day. He can do so during his working hours if there is no other possible appointment.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

The new challenges<\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>
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The system works perfectly, to everyone\u2019s satisfaction, as long as there are enough staff for the work to be done. The overload of work at the Council, which has exploded over the last 10 years, is undermining the flexitime system. When the workload is such that the extra hours accumulated in the counters can no longer be recovered, or that even the minimum daily and weekly health breaks can no longer be guaranteed, the system loses its interest for the staff.<\/p>\n

But it is not the system as such from which a solution can come \u2013 it is only through the reduction of the workload that weighs on each and every one of us, in particular by changing the number of staff, that a balance can be found.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Union Syndicale will work with all colleagues to find the answers for tomorrow!<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, there is another challenge hanging over everything: the massive digitalisation of office work is erasing the boundaries between work and free time. When I look at my screen the last time in bed, at 11:17 pm, while spending 20 minutes answering some \u2018urgent\u2019 messages, it raises brand new questions about how to protect the privacy of colleagues.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

<\/div>\"\"<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Bernd Loescher<\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>
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About this author<\/h6>\n<\/div><\/div>
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General Secretariat of the Council
\nMember of the Staff Committee
\nVice President USB and USF<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"agora_edition":[79],"class_list":["post-2506","agora_article","type-agora_article","status-publish","hentry","agora_edition-agora-88-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFlexible working hours \u2013 a key achievement of Union Syndicale - Union Syndicale<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Today, working at the Council would be unthinkable without flexitime. 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