The accusations stem from a former employee who, despite being retired for over six months, remains convinced of ongoing violations within the organisation. Speaking to RTL, the employee sheds light on practices that he believes may breach the law.
The accusations revolve around the period spanning July 2020 to mid-March 2021. The former employee, accustomed to early starts, found himself regularly working from early hours, with consent from superiors. This meant he could leave his desk by 3pm. However, changes in policy required employees to apply for time off through the Compte épargne-temps (CET) system, noting an hour off until 4pm, as two officers had to be on duty at all times.
Only two CET requests would be permitted per week, and if the official continued to request time off, disciplinary action would be taken. Despite complying with regulations, the employee faced rejection and alleged harassment, leading to illness and sick leave.
Since the reform of the IGP in 2018, officials have been allowed two sports hours per week. The former employee believed this rule to be illegal, basing it on a law on the status of civil servants. He complained to the then Minister of Civil Service, Marc Hansen.
In response, IGP director Monique Stirn decided in mid-March 2021 that sports hours would be abolished that month. The official was particularly upset by the fact that every possible type of activity would be accepted as sport, including going for a walk with the dog.
The situation escalated with disciplinary action against the employee, resulting in a retrogradation—a severe penalty impacting pension benefits. The case now rests with the administrative court.
While attempts were made to obtain a response from the IGP, officials declined to comment on the matter.
