3. Flexible working arrangements and leave

Flexible working arrangements

At ESA, we work a 40-hour week, based on eight-hour days. Our flexible working hours scheme allows you to adjust your daily start and finish times to better suit your individual needs and commitments.

When you join ESA, you also have the option to work remotely from your principal residence (within 100 km of your workplace in your duty country) for 40% of your work hours each month and up to 80% with the agreement of your management. With some limitations, it is also possible to work remotely from another country.

In addition, we also offer part-time schemes at 50%, 60% or 80% of full-time hours, which can be adopted after you have been working at ESA for a certain amount of time.

Leave

Each year, you are entitled to 12 public holidays and 32.5 days of annual leave (30 days for Young Graduate Trainees and Internal Research Fellows). Under certain conditions, an additional eight days’ home leave are granted to expatriate staff every two years. We also make provision for pregnancy leave, parental/family care and sick leave, special leave for personal and family related reasons.