Satellite offices: civil servants are evacuated | Luxembourg word

While satellite offices are already widespread in the private sector, there have been no comparable structures for Luxembourg civil servants. On Friday it was the turn of Serge Wilmes, Minister for the Public Service, to officially and in color present such premises for public employees for the first time with Mayor Jean-Paul Zeimes in the municipality of Schieren.

As early as August 2023, the then responsible minister Marc Hansen and the then mayor of the municipality of Schieren, Eric Thill, presented the pilot project for the state’s first coworking space, which is housed in the renovated “Al Schoul” cultural center in Schieren. In addition to social rooms, there are 20 workplaces on 186 square meters – and two as reserves.

In a first phase, these premises were available to employees of the Ministry of Public Service, the Ministry of Digitalization and their affiliated institutions.

Alternative to teleworking

Coworking is a modern method of work organization in which a designated workspace is shared by employees who do not necessarily come from the same department or organization. “These spaces bring the workplace closer to the worker’s home, allowing them to benefit from numerous advantages to improve their quality of life,” says Jean-Paul Marc, Coworking Officer at the Ministry of Public Service.

The advantages of coworking play an important role in employee motivation, explained Minister Wilmes. Aside from saving time by avoiding travel, coworking spaces facilitate direct exchange, networking, collaboration and creativity between workers. “This is what the state is striving for as a modern employer.” The concept of coworking can therefore also be seen as an alternative to teleworking, because for a variety of reasons some employees prefer to go to a shared office near their place of residence rather than alone at home to work.

A survey conducted by the Ministry of Civil Service in 2022 confirmed that 76 percent of agency heads see occasional decentralized work arrangements as an advantage for public sector employees.

The location of the “Al Schoul” cultural center is particularly suitable as it is only a few steps away from the Schieren train station and the RGTR bus stop. Accessibility by car is also practical, as the center of Schieren is close to two junctions on the Nordstrooss N7, as Mayor Zeimes emphasized.

The state is looking for more coworking spaces

The establishment of coworking spaces is also an element of sustainable development and actively contributes to reducing CO₂ emissions. An initial analysis of the journeys of employees from the ministries and administrations involved in the pilot project showed that of the 833 employees, 170 would benefit from traveling to Schieren instead of Luxembourg City.

If you just look at the distance to work, they would save on average more than 30 minutes per day, regardless of traffic, says Marc. This analysis was extended to all civil servants in Luxembourg. The proportion of potential Schieren coworking users increases to almost 6,000, who would save around 36 minutes and drive around 44 kilometers less compared to a trip to Luxembourg.

The coworking contact point will be open to all state officials from April 2nd. They can reserve their place in Schieren using a special app.

The state is now also looking for additional coworking places. Jean-Paul Marc emphasizes the importance of choosing the right community and location, but also offering public servants a space with the right configuration to work. They are therefore currently looking for suitable premises in the east (Grevenmacher, Remich, Echternach, Mondorf) and in the south (Esch/Alzette, Dudelange and Differdingen).

Private sector: Desk from 20 euros per day

By the way, a coworking desk in an open-plan office for the private sector in Luxembourg is available for just 20 euros a day. Many companies and organizations give their employees this opportunity. The rental prices for a desk range from just over 300 to 600 euros per person per month. The actual price can vary depending on the number of people, contract term, coworking location and availability.

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