Working at the Commission – conditions and environment

Flexible working time for a healthy work-life balance 

As a Commission employee, you can organise your day in a flexible way. This means you can choose when to start and end your working day, and you can also work part of the week from home. Staff work 40 hours a week and have at least 24 days of annual leave every year. 

You can also work part-time for family or educational reasons.  

Varied career prospects

A career in the Commission gives you the opportunity to work in many different areas and move to other Commission departments and other EU institutions.

We encourage staff to take on different roles in the same team or move to other teams. These teams can be in the same department (Directorate-General) or in other departments. There are also opportunities for temporary assignments (secondments) inside the Commission, in another EU institution or national governments. Career advisers are available to help staff identify the best steps to develop their career. 

Trainees and young recruits can also apply to join an internal professional development programme – junior professionals programme. It aims to keep and develop junior talent, through a comprehensive learning, development, and mobility programme. There is a limited number of places every year offering temporary agent positions.

There are also opportunities to work in every EU country and even around the world

Newcomers and their families

The Commission’s Welcome office helps newcomers and their families settle in Brussels and Luxembourg  and other Commission sites. Training is organised for new staff to help them learn about the Commission's tools and procedures.

Children of staff can attend a European school in their native language. These schools provide multilingual and multicultural education at nursery, primary and secondary level.

For more detailed information on what to expect when moving to your new place of employment, read the following guides: ‘Soon in Brussels’ Soon in Geel. Soon in Ispra. Soon in Karlsruhe. Soon in Luxembourg. Soon in Petten. Soon in Seville.

A greener organisation

The Commission has set out an ambitious plan for the organisation to be climate neutral by 2030. It is introducing greener ways of working, travel policies and IT infrastructure.

Inclusiveness

Equality has been one of the core values of the EU since its foundation. Throughout the years, the Commission has strengthened its commitment to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace for its staff.

Staff well-being

The Commission has an extensive programme to ensure the mental and physical well-being of its staff, including a healthy work-life balance across the organisation. It also has its own medical service, which offers annual medical check-ups, ensures safety at work and organises regular vaccination campaigns, such as flu vaccinations.

Life-long learning

The Commission supports life-long learning. There are many training courses on offer to maintain and develop the knowledge and skills you need to do your job effectively. Training opportunities include in-house courses, study visits to EU countries, coaching and mentoring. In addition, staff can also pursue learning and development opportunities outside the institution.

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