Article 1. Subject-matter and scope
Article 2. Definitions
Article 3. Eligible staff members
Article 4. General principles
Article 5. Standard teleworking
Article 6. Extended teleworking
Article 7. Medical cases
Article 8. Disabilities
Article 9. Teleworking away from the place of employment
Article 10. Data protection, health and safety at work outside Parliament's premises
Article 11. Specific job profiles
Article 12. Entry into force
Article 13. Transitional provision

European Parliament
The Secretary-General
DECISION OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON
TELEWORKING IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT,

• having regard to the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union ('the Staff Regulations'), in particular to Article le(l) and (2) thereof, and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union ('the CEOS'), in particular Articles 10, 80 and 126(2) thereof,
• having regard to Article 2 of the Bureau Decision of 13 January 2014 on the delegation of the powers of the appointing authority and of the authority empowered to conclude contracts of employment,
•whereas Parliament, while safeguarding the interests of the service and the proper organisation of its work, wishes to enhance flexible and modern management of its staff in order to strengthen their motivation by encouraging a better work-life balance, thereby contributing to the quality of work produced,
• whereas Parliament is conscious of the responsibility to contribute to appropriate working conditions for teleworkers,
after consulting the Legal Service, the Staff Committee, the Committee on Equal Opportunities and Diversity, the Advisory Committee on Prevention and Protection at Work and the Data Protection Officer,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1. Subject-matter and scope

1 . This decision lays down the teleworking rules applicable to Parliament's Secretariat.
2. Members and political groups may also decide to apply the teleworking rules set out in this decision.

Article 2. Definitions

For the purposes of this decision:
a) 'staff member' means all members of the staff of Parliament's Secretariat to whom the Staff Regulations or the CEOS apply, trainees and Seconded National Experts.
b) 'line manager' means a staff member's immediate superior, who must be either, as a minimum, a head of unit or a head of service reporting directly to a Director or Director-General.
c) 'teleworking' means, in principle, working at the address notified to the administration in accordance with Article 20 of the Staff Regulations.
d) 'teleworker' means a staff member within the meaning of point a) teleworking in accordance with the present decision.

Article 3. Eligible staff members

1. Staff members who perform tasks that can be carried out remotely are eligible to telework.
2. Each Directorate-General or, by analogy, independent administrative entity, shall establish a list of job profiles for which the post holder is not, or only occasionally, eligible to telework. The lists shall be published on the websites of each Directorate-General.

Article 4. General principles

1 . Teleworking shall be performed on a voluntary basis. There are two teleworking schemes: standard and extended.
2. For staff members authorised to work part time, the weekly teleworking entitlements are calculated on a pro-rata basis.
3. Teleworking may be taken in full or half working days. A teleworking period shall cover the same working hours as the corresponding period worked at Parliament's premises.
4. During any teleworking period, teleworkers shall ensure that they can be contacted via their professional telephone number and video connection or by any other means accepted by the line manager, during the working hours.
5. A line manager shall ensure a minimum presence of staff members in the office throughout the working week.
6. A line manager may decide that for one or more days during a working week, all staff members of a unit or team be present at the office.
7. Teleworkers may be recalled to Parliament's premises if their presence in the office is required.
8. Teleworking days proposed to staff, or decided, by the institution in cases of force majeure will not be taken into account for the calculation of the average monthly basis.

Article 5. Standard teleworking

1 . Standard teleworking means teleworking up to one day per week on an average monthly basis. Eligible staff members shall be entitled to this teleworking scheme subject only to the conditions laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3.
2. Staff members shall inform their line manager of their intention to telework and the requested period at the latest four working days before the teleworking day. In duly justified circumstances, the line manager may authorise a staff member to telework even if the notification is introduced later. However, the notification may in no cases be introduced later than on the day for which teleworking is requested.
3. In cases where the proper functioning of the service would be compromised, the line manager retains the right to require physical presence for the relevant period.

Article 6. Extended teleworking

1 . Extended teleworking means teleworking up to two days per week on an average monthly basis. An authorisation may be granted by the line manager upon request by a staff member, excluding trainees, to work according to this teleworking scheme. A request for extended teleworking shall be introduced at least one month before the requested start date.
2. An authorisation for extended teleworking is granted for a renewable period of six or 12 months. For a staff member whose contract is shorter than one year, an authorisation is granted for the duration of the contract.
3. Any refusal to grant an admissible request for authorisation must be substantiated by reasons related to the interest of the service.
4. Staff members authorised to use extended teleworking shall inform their line manager of the requested teleworking period at the latest four working days before that period. In duly justified circumstances, the line manager may authorise a staff member to telework even if the notification is introduced later. However, the notification may in no cases be introduced later than on the day for which teleworking is requested.
5. In cases where the proper functioning of the service would be compromised, the line manager retains the right to require physical presence for the relevant period.
6. An authorisation may be modified at any time:
a) at the request of the teleworker, at least one month before the requested modification can enter into force; or
b) by the line manager, after hearing the staff member concerned.
7. In the case provided for under paragraph 6(b), any reduction of teleworking shall be substantiated by reasons related to the interest of the service and notified to the staff member at least one month in advance.

Article 7. Medical cases

In exceptional and justified medical cases, the Director-General concerned may, at the request of the staff member and after consulting Parliament's Medical Service, authorise teleworking adapted to the staff member's situation for a fixed period.

Article 8. Disabilities

1 . Staff members living with a disability may request an adapted teleworking scheme by submitting a request for reasonable accommodation.
2. At the request of a staff member with a dependent family member living with a disability, the Director-General concerned may authorise a teleworking scheme adapted to the staff member's situation for a fixed period, which may be renewed.

Article 9. Teleworking away from the place of employment

1 . The Director-General concerned may authorise a staff member to telework away from the place of employment for up to 5 working days per calendar year unless it is considered not to be in line with the interest of the service.
2. In addition, in case of family circumstances such as those that could justify family leave, the staff member may be authorised to telework from the place where the family member concerned is based.
Such authorisation may be granted on a case-by-case basis by the Director-General of the staff member, after consultation of Parliament's Medical Service, for a period of maximum 10 working days per calendar year.

Article 10. Data protection, health and safety at work outside Parliament's premises

1. Teleworkers shall act in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.
2. Teleworkers shall familiarise themselves with Parliament's policy on well-being, health and safety at work, in particular the rules governing the use of display screen equipment in accordance with Directive 90/270/EEC on Parliament's intranet, which also contains ergonomic and organisational recommendations for teleworkers.
3. The health and safety of the work environment outside Parliament's premises is the responsibility of teleworkers, except where equipment provided by Parliament is concerned and properly used by the staff member. It is the responsibility of teleworkers to take into account Parliament's recommendations concerning health and safety at work, including when teleworking.

Article 11. Specific job profiles

In duly justified circumstances, the Secretary-General may, on a proposal from the DirectorGeneral concerned, grant additional teleworking possibilities for specific job profiles.

Article 12. Entry into force

1 . This decision shall enter into force on 1 March 2024. It shall replace the decision on teleworking of 29 November 2022.
2. A survey on the functioning of the teleworking scheme will be conducted every two years, for the first time in 2025.

Article 13. Transitional provision

Staff members authorised to work under the maxi or moderate teleworking scheme in accordance with the decision on teleworking of 29 November 2022 will, upon the entry into force of this decision, be automatically authorised to work under the extended teleworking scheme for the remainder of the period originally authorised.
Done at Brussels, 18 DEC. 2023. Alessandro Chiocchetti