Article 55

Officials in active employment shall at all times be at the disposal of their institution.

F2The normal working week shall range from 40 to 42 hours, the hours of the working day to be determined by the appointing authority. Within the same limits the appointing authority may, after consulting the Staff Committee, determine the hours to be worked by certain groups of officials engaged on particular duties.

F3An official F4 paid from appropriations in the research and investment budget and employed in an establishment of the Joint Research Centre or on indirect action may, moreover, be required because of exigencies of the service or safety rules to remain on standby duty at his place of work or at home outside normal working hours. The appointing authority of each institution shall lay down detailed rules for the application of this paragraph after consulting the Staff Committee.

The appointing authority of each institution may introduce flexible working-time arrangements. Under those arrangements, entire working days shall not be granted for officials in grade AD/AST 9 or higher. Those arrangements shall not be applicable to officials to whom the provisions of the second paragraph of Article 44 apply. Those officials shall manage their working time in agreement with their superiors.