Following the announcement regarding the change in the implementation of the policy on Flexible Working Arrangements (ST/SGB/2019/3), the Staff Council wishes to inform you about its recent advocacy efforts.
When a unilateral decision to restrict the number of telecommuting days to a maximum of two days was communicated in the Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) meeting on Wednesday, 22 October 2025, the Staff Council addressed an Inter-Office Memo on the matter to the former Executive Director on 30 October 2025.
In the Memo your Staff Council expressed serious concerns about the planned restrictions and questioned the lack of a clear, evidence-based rationale. We also reiterated our concerns regarding another long-standing issue, namely that some managers and directors have been dissuading the staff they supervise from submitting FWA compact requests in writing, and that the inconsistent and restrictive practices surrounding the granting of FWA options have been taking a toll on staff well-being for many years.
We encourage all colleagues who wish to telecommute to submit their requests in writing, using the dedicated application in SharePoint. While your request might be refused, it should be considered fairly and equitably and evaluated on objective grounds related to the actual workloads or exigencies of service, rather than unjustified discretion, in line with ST/SGB/2019/3.
