Bonum Certa Men Certa

EPO Senior Management (Cabal) “Essentially Deaf to the Proposals From Staff Representatives.”

Not really a dialogue, just a box-ticking exercise to fake staff involvement

Egalitarian dialogue
Reference: Egalitarian dialogue



Summary: Representatives of EPO staff feel like the management of the EPO is "deaf" and uncaring; there's hardly any meaningful progress (or none whatsoever) when it comes to truly honest dialogue with real participation

The Central Staff Committee (CSC) of the EPO is trying to make life better for Europeans and for workers of the EPO. It's obviously in the interest of staff that the EPO endures and in order for it to endure citizens of Europe need to consent to it (rebellion comes in many forms, including more 'radical' forms such as 'Brexit'). As António Campinos only joined the Office a couple of years ago (immediately parachuted in as president; at least Benoît Battistelli was associated with the Council before he became the president) we don't suppose he cares about the institution as much as examiners who worked there for 40 years (twenty times as long as he has!) and judging by what has happened since 2018 we can see he's willing to toss it away like a tissue -- much as he did in EUIPO, outsourcing some of its workforce to India (and no, it's likely not legal, but these people are above the law).



"It's obviously in the interest of staff that the EPO endures and in order for it to endure citizens of Europe need to consent to it (rebellion comes in many forms, including more 'radical' forms such as 'Brexit').""In this paper," CSC wrote earlier this year, "we consider that VP1’s apparent good intentions came to nothing - neither in the planning nor in the legal framework of the Office, such as in Circular No. 366. The promise of improvements in respect of the target-setting exercise turned out to be mere lip service - more a manipulation exercise than a genuine interest in taking staff feedback into account."

Here's the full take-down, which gives some praises to Stephen Rowan (Wales/UK):

sc20004cp – 0.2.1/1.3.3

Target setting approach in DG1 for 2020 - Bottom up?



Introduction

On 3 December 2019 VP1 published the DG1 operational plan for 2020 containing the criteria to be applied for setting production targets for next year in DG1.

Mr Rowan calls the so-called “bottom-up planning” an important part of the process, implicitly acknowledging that targets imposed upon staff were sometimes too ambitious in the past.

Staff Representatives in the Working Group on Performance Management (WGPM) repeatedly asked for a proper bottom-up approach to planning.

Bottom up approach

However, observing the results of the current bottom-up approach, as shown in the 2020 operational plan, raises doubts as to its success. When seeing the obscure and arbitrary way in which line managers have implemented the bottom-up process, the scattered results do not come as a surprise. An obscure correction process then apparently happened in the “discussions with the teams” (or rather their managers). The outcome was mixed with a number of other factors (stock levels, timeliness goals, recruitment, resources and SP2023). This resulted (“hey presto!”) in a compliance target of 407k and a target for excellence of 419k, surprisingly close to the target of 2018 (417k). Taking into account the steadily shrinking examiner workforce (not considering a possible further drain due to the 17 measures), it does not look much like the result of any real bottom-up exercise.

VP1’s Communiqué further claims that this target was “suggested by the bottom up plan”. The outcome is however perceived in the Directorates and Teams as more of a “kick in the bottom” than a bottom-up exercise.

Last but not least, some directors are already imposing higher targets than those derived from this pretend bottom-up exercise, citing upper managerial requirements.

Guidelines vs stated intent

Furthermore, one of the last safeguards protecting staff from arbitrarily top-down imposed-upon targets, which is that managers and staff collaboratively agree upon the contribution of individual staff members1, has disappeared in the new version of Circular No. 366 (Guidelines on Performance Management), approved in the GCC on 19 December 2019.

In the meetings of the WGPM that took place last year senior management was essentially deaf to the proposals from Staff Representatives. Mr Rowan, however, appeared to be seriously listening to the CSC’s input, and willing to implement a bottom-up approach while listening to the concerns of staff regarding planning. Nevertheless, and despite our best efforts, one of the last safeguards for staff was removed from Circular No. 366.

Conclusion

VP1’s apparent good intentions came to nothing - neither in the planning nor in the legal framework of the Office, such as in Circular No. 366. The promise of improvements in respect of the target-setting exercise turned out to be mere lip service - more a manipulation exercise than a genuine interest in taking staff feedback into account.

We fear the further devastating effects that this 2020 target, in combination with the New Career System, will have on staff engagement, motivation and health, building on the damage already done since 2015 when the New Career System was implemented.

We also fear the impact that the process will have on the work of the shrinking population of Formalities Officers.

The Central Staff Committee



_______ 1 Circular 366, previously valid version, section I. AIM AND SCOPE: “Performance development is the process by which managers and staff collaboratively agree upon the contribution to be made by individual staff members.”


Mr Rowan would not be the first Brit who, according to staff representatives we had heard from, showed genuine interest in listening to staff. We wrote about this before. But he probably lacks the influence and clout needed to really turn things around, so whatever goodwill may be there, it'll get overridden by colleagues/superiors.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Confirmed in the Mainstream Media: A Lot of Microsoft "Workloads" Were Just LLM Slop (Helping to Fake Growth for Years, as Microsoft Had Paid "Open" "AI" to Become a "Client") and Demand is Rapidly Waning, Datacentres Canceled and/or Shut Down
Anything to facilitate further accounting fraud
Taiwan's Media Covers Closure of Microsoft's "AI" Lab, It's Time to Talk About the Gradual Death of Windows and Implosion of the "AI" Bubble
Earlier this week we showed that mostly Asian media had the 'nerve' to mention Microsoft silently shutting down its 'AI' lab
More Gains for GNU/Linux, Based on Web Surveys
the Steam site shows rapid growth for "Linux" this month
 
Microsoft's Trouble in Africa and Asia
A new all-time high for GNU/Linux
Brett Wilson LLP Reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
The saddest thing in all this is that law firms can maintain high standards shall they wish to
Links 03/04/2025: Tariff Pains and C.D.C. Cuts
Links for the day
StatCounter: Microsoft is Masking a Disaster, It's Way Behind DeepSeek Already and Interest in LLMs Has Waned
it turns out the money "raised" for "Open" "AI" may not even exist at all
Links 03/04/2025: SoftBank Money for Microsoft "Open" "AI" Probably Doesn't Even Exist, Wikimedia Foundation Blasts LLM Nuisance While Microsoft Admits Demand Has Shrunk
Links for the day
Gemini Links 03/04/2025: Patch Panel and Pictures
Links for the day
Islamic Republic of Iran: GNU/Linux at All-time High This Month, Windows Falls to 12%
Vista 10 is up this month despite being "end of life" (EoL) soon
Indonesia: All-Time Highs for GNU/Linux
What's noteworthy right now is the growth of GNU/Linux
statCounter Says GNU/Linux Usage is Up Again (Internationally)
some preliminary April data
Only on April 1st Can the Free Software Foundation Associate With Microsoft's Open Source Initiative (OSI)
We saw some pranks that day linking the FSF to Microsoft (e.g. "endorsing" Windows)
IBM Gets Rid of Kelly Chambliss as Mass Layoffs Reported in IBM Consulting, IBM Loses Key Contracts/Graft
IBM Consulting has been in disarray lately
Slopwatch: Anti-Linux Articles, Not Even Written by Humans
Why aren't Web sites more vocal about this problem?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, April 02, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, April 02, 2025
Links 03/04/2025: Apple Fined Over Secret Surveillance, "Elegant Writer For A More Civilized Age"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 02/04/2025: Books and Cold Tea
Links for the day
Links 02/04/2025: More Layoffs, Nokia Again Takes Advantage of Illegal and Unconstitutional Patent Court With Nokia Staff as 'Judges'
Links for the day
Links 02/04/2025: Seizures and Returns to Windows of 24 Years Ago
Links for the day
LLM Slop Helps Obscure and Distort News About Layoffs (IBM, GAFAM)
It's hard to find accurate information
Links 02/04/2025: Microsoft Developers Are Threatening to Go on Strike, World Backup Day Noted
Links for the day
Gemini Protocol Has Growing Appeal (the Web Got Too Bloated and Full of LLM Slop)
For any "data plan" with bandwidth limits or "tiers" it would be cheaper to use/browse Geminispace
The Web Can Survive LLM Slop, But Only If We Collectively Shun and Discourage Serial Sloppers
Doing nothing ought not be a possibility
Amid Secret Shut-downs and Mass Layoffs at Microsoft (4 Waves of Layoffs in 3 Months of 2025) Some Microsoft Staff Expected to Go On Strike
workers going on strike
Gemini Links 02/04/2025: No more on Mastodon and Gemini Mention Script in Go
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, April 01, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, April 01, 2025
My Motion Disbarring or “Striking Off” Brett Wilson LLP for Enabling Violent Americans Who Try to Crush Microsoft Critics in the United Kingdom by Multiple SLAPPs
"Guns for hire" (for Microsoft people who received Microsoft salaries)
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Hijacked Again by Patent Litigation Industry, as President Cheeto Prioritises Aggressors
The "mafia" has taken over the "industry" and the Federal system (justice and constitutions trampled upon)
Ubuntu Slop and FUD Manufactured With LLMs and Funded (by Oneself) 'Studies'
Slop and FUD are ruining the Web
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: Games and More
Links for the day
Links 01/04/2025: Apple Fined $162M for Privacy Abuses, Disinformation Online a Growing Concern
Links for the day
Why We're Reporting Brett Wilson LLP for Apparently Misusing Their Licence to Protect American Microsofters Who Attack Women
For those who have not been keeping abreast
Newer Press Reports Confirm That Microsoft Shuts Down 'Hey Hi' (AI) Labs Despite All the Hype
The "hey hi" (AI) bubble is not sustainable
Links 01/04/2025: Mass Layoffs at Eidos and "Microsoft Pulls Back on Data Centers" (Demand Lacking); "Racist and Sexist" Slop From Microsoft
Links for the day
Stefano Maffulli and His Microsoft-Funded OSI Staff Are Killing the OSI and Killing "Open Source" (All for Money!)
This is far from over
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: XKCDpunk and worldclock.py
Links for the day
50 Years of Sabotage and a Gut Punch to Computer Science (and Science in General)
Will we get back to science-based computing rather than cult-like following?
Techrights Headlines as Semaphore
"If you are hearing this, thank you"
3 Months in 2025, 4 Waves of Mass Layoffs at Microsoft, Now Offices Shut Down Permanently
"A recent visit by the South China Morning Post confirmed that the office was dark, unoccupied, and had its logo removed."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 31, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, March 31, 2025