|
|
STAFF RULES OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT
SALARY AND ALLOWANCES
Rule 103.1 Salary Schedules and Currency for Establishing and Paying Salaries and Benefits
(a) At least once each year, the Secretary General shall publish salary schedules (also referred to as salary scales) which set out for each grade and step the corresponding net basic salary, pensionable remuneration, and post adjustment.
(b) The salary schedules in force for net basic salaries shall be those applied by the United Nations Secretariat for the corresponding duty station, based on salary schedules recommended by the International Civil Service Commission ("ICSC").
(c) On the salary schedules for professional staff, the net salaries for staff members with dependents shall apply only to a staff member who either (i) has a spouse recognized as a dependent under these Rules or (ii) has one or more children for whom he or she provides main and continuing support as determined by the Secretary General in accordance with Rule 103.16 and other pertinent provisions of these Rules. For all other professional staff members, the net salaries for staff members without dependents shall apply.
(d) Pensionable remuneration, as set forth in the salary schedules, shall be computed by the formula established in accordance with the objectives of the Retirement and Pension Plan and the principles approved by the General Assembly or by the Permanent Council acting pursuant to the pertinent delegation of authority.
(e) The post adjustments set out in the salary schedules shall be established in accordance with Rule 103.2 below.
(f) Salaries and other benefits for general services and local professional staff members shall be established and paid in the local currency of the duty station.
(g) For those duty stations in which there are no salary and post adjustment schedules published by the International Civil Service Commission ("ICSC"), the Secretary General will periodically develop such schedules pursuant to a methodology similar to that used by the ICSC for that purpose.
(h) The Secretary General, at his option, may establish special salary schedules in accordance with the corresponding UN Common System schedules or guidelines for additional categories of personnel, provided that the establishment of those categories is approved by the General Assembly and incorporated into the General Standards. Those additional categories may include, but are not limited to field service personnel, language teachers, trades and crafts personnel, locally recruited mission personnel, and consultants.
(i) Notwithstanding the above, the remuneration and basic salary of the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretary General, the Executive Secretaries referenced in the Charter, and the Assistant Secretaries shall be established as provided in the General Standards.
Rule 103.2 Post Adjustment and Rental Allowance
In order to preserve equivalent standards of living at different offices, the United Nations applies to professional salaries post adjustments recommended by the International Civil Service Commission and based on relative costs of living, standards of living, and related factors at the office concerned as compared to New York. That system of post adjustments shall also apply to the General Secretariat's staff members, as further specified in this Rule.
(a) The post adjustment schedules adopted for the United Nations Secretariat shall apply to staff of the General Secretariat.
(b) The rate of post adjustment shown on the schedules for staff members with dependents shall apply to a staff member if his or her spouse is recognized as a dependent under these Rules or the Secretary General determines that the staff member provides substantial and continuing support to one or more of his or her children.
(c) Where both husband and wife are staff members in the professional category or above, and taking into account Rule 104.14 (Family Relationships), post adjustments shall be paid to each at the single rate unless they have a dependent child or children. In that case, the dependency rate of post adjustment shall be paid to the spouse having the higher salary level and the single rate of post adjustment to the other spouse.
(d) The higher rate of post adjustment shall be paid in accordance with paragraphs (b) and (c) above in accordance with the rate of the duty station where the primary dependent with respect to whom it is paid resides.
(e) While the salary of a staff member is normally subject to the post adjustment of his or her duty station during assignments for one year or more, alternative arrangements may be made by the Secretary General under the following circumstances:
(i) A staff member who is assigned to a duty station classified lower in the schedule of post adjustments than the duty station in which he or she has been serving may continue to receive for up to six months the post adjustment applicable to the former duty station while the members of his or her immediate family (spouse and children) remain at that duty station.
(ii) When a staff member is assigned to a duty station for less than one year, the Secretary General shall decide at that time whether to apply the post adjustment applicable to the duty station and, if appropriate, to pay an installation allowance under Rule 103.12 and an assignment allowance under Rule 103.15 or, in lieu of the above, to authorize an appropriate travel subsistence allowance under Rule 103.14.
(iii) When the Secretary General designates an assignment as a special mission assignment under Rule 103.14 (Mission Assignment) with provision for mission subsistence allowance, the post adjustment for the mission area will not be applicable.
(f) At duty stations where the average rental cost used in calculating the post adjustment index is based on the cost of housing provided by the United Nations, by the government, or by a related institution, staff members who have to rent housing accommodation at substantially higher commercial rates will be paid a supplement to the post adjustment in the form of a rental subsidy under conditions established by the Secretary General in accordance with the corresponding administrative issuances and as set out in Appendix A to these Rules.
(a) A staff member on initial appointment shall be placed in the first step of the grade of his post; however, the Secretary General may authorize an initial appointment to a higher step in the post if he considers that the staff member's experience and other qualifications for the duties and responsibilities attaching to the post justify a higher salary and it is necessary to maintain the income level that the staff member enjoyed in his immediately prior employment. The staff member must provide such documentation verifying his experience, qualifications, and salary and benefit levels at his prior employment as the Department of Human Resource Services requires.
(b) All staff members who do not have express written authorization to make binding offers of employment are prohibited from making commitments, oral or written, regarding salaries and other aspects of employment. A staff member or prospective staff member shall not rely on any such offer unless it is in writing and signed by the Director of the Department of Human Resource Services as part of the Official Offer of Employment. Any infraction of this Rule will give cause for the application of disciplinary measures under these Rules and additional sanctions as provided under Rule 101.3.
(a) Salary schedules shall provide for periodic within-grade increases (annual or biannual, as the case may be) for employees whose performance and conduct have been satisfactory in accordance with the corresponding annual performance evaluation.
(i) Notwithstanding the above, the entitlement to the "long-service step increases" so designated on the UN salary schedules shall be preceded by at least two years at the previous step and shall be subject to such other longevity requirements as are established in the corresponding UN Salary Schedules.
(ii) Staff members who are in the last step in their Grade will not be eligible for additional step increases for as long as they remain in that Grade.
(b) If performance is unsatisfactory, the periodic step increase shall be postponed for a period of three months, after which another evaluation shall be made. If the second evaluation shows continued unsatisfactory performance, the periodic step increase shall not be granted, and other measures as provided under Rule 110.4(c) may apply.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this Rule, in the absence of exceptional circumstances, staff members holding probationary appointments shall become eligible for a step increase only after they have been granted permanent or regular appointments or if their probationary periods have been extended. Step increases granted under this paragraph shall become effective in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (e) below.
(d) Consideration for a step increase shall be postponed for any staff member otherwise entitled thereto who has been on leave without pay for more than one month during the 12-month period prior to the date on which he or she would be eligible for that increase. The postponement shall be equivalent to the period of leave without pay. Any postponement because of special leave shall be determined in each case. Postponement of a step increase under this paragraph shall not result in postponement of subsequent step increases or alter the schedule of the subsequent corresponding annual evaluations for the affected staff member.
(e) Step increases shall be effective on the July 1 following a year's satisfactory performance in a given grade and step, except as provided in paragraph (d) above.
(f) If a staff member whose performance is satisfactory is reclassified to the grade of a lower-level post, the period of his service since his last step increase shall be credited towards his next step increase within the lower grade. If a staff member whose performance has not been satisfactory is reclassified to the grade of a lower-level post, the staff member's eligibility for a step increase in his new grade will be based on satisfactory service in that lower grade post.
Rule 103.5 Salary Policy on Promotion
The salary of a staff member who is promoted shall be determined as follows:
(a) The staff member shall be placed in the step in his new grade for which the salary is closest to the sum of the salary he was receiving prior to the promotion plus the amount paid for one step in the new grade. Notwithstanding, if the salary for the first step in the new grade results in a greater increase, he will be entitled to that salary. The step and date of the periodic increase in the new grade shall be adjusted accordingly.
(b) If as a result of being promoted a staff member loses his right to the nonresident allowance (Rule 103.17) or the language allowance (Rule 103.6), the amount he has been receiving for these allowances shall be added to his salary before promotion in order to determine his step on the date of his next salary increase in accordance with paragraph (a) above.
(a) A staff member in the general services category who belongs to the career service or holds a long-term contract shall be paid a language allowance if he passes a standard proficiency test prescribed for this purpose in an official language other than the languages required for the post he holds. No staff member shall be paid an allowance for more than two official languages.
(b) Proficiency tests in the use of the official language shall be given at least once a year.
(c) Staff members receiving language allowances may be required to undergo further testing at intervals of not less than three years to determine their continued proficiency.
(d) The amount of the language allowance in each duty station shall equal the corresponding amount paid by the UN Secretariat for the language allowance as published in the pertinent Information Circular or Administrative Instruction, unless otherwise determined by the Secretary General. The amount paid to a staff member for a second language shall be half of that paid for the first.
Rule 103.7 Allowance for Special Duties
(a) Any staff member may be instructed to assume temporarily duties and responsibilities of a post of a higher level as part of his or her regular work and without additional compensation; however, an allowance for special duties shall be paid to a staff member who is required to assume on a temporary basis, for a period of more than six months and up to twenty-four months without interruption, functions which if assigned permanently would warrant reclassification of the post in accordance with the Classification Standards in force.
(b) The allowance shall be paid beginning the day after the completion of the sixth month in which the staff member performs the higher-level duties. Before the expiration of the initial six-month period in which the staff member is assigned to temporarily perform higher-level duties, the Department of Human Resource Services shall conduct a post review in order to verify the level of duties being performed on a temporary basis.
(c) In accordance with Rule 102.3, a supervisor wishing to assign new duties for more than two months shall in advance: (i) provide a staff member with written instructions to that effect, and (ii) through the appropriate channels, so notify the Department of Human Resource Services. A staff member who believes that the duties assigned to him may give rise to the allowance for special duties and who has not received written instructions may himself notify the Department of Human Resource Services in writing. A list of the new duties must be submitted with the written notice.
(d) If, before the end of the six-month period, it appears that the need for the assignment of duties will continue, the supervisor shall send written notice to the Department of Human Resource Services stating the reasons for the extension of the assignment, indicating how the functions normally performed by the staff member will be carried out, and identifying the source of the funds to be used for payment of the allowance. If no source of funds is available the assignment shall be rescinded by either the supervisor or the Department of Human Resource Services. No staff member shall perform or be required to perform special duties for more than six months unless he is paid the special duties allowance provided for under this Rule.
(e) An assignment of special duties in accordance with this Rule shall not exceed 24 months and, except as provided in paragraph (f) below, the payment of an allowance shall not exceed 18 months. Before the assignment expires the supervisor shall inform the Department of Human Resource Services whether he intends to redistribute the functions or, if the functions are attached to a vacant post, to fill it, to make other use of it, or to reassign or redefine the corresponding functions. The staff member shall decline to perform the special duties if he is not paid the allowance beginning six months after having commenced his performance of those duties or if the payment of the allowance ceases.
(i) In the event that the staff member continues performing those duties in violation of this provision, the staff member shall be deemed a volunteer, and the General Secretariat will not be liable to the staff member for the payment of the allowance or any other compensation for the performance of those duties.
(ii) Any supervisor who assigns additional functions to a staff member without notifying the Department of Human Resource Services in advance may be subject to discipline and held personally financially accountable under Staff Rule 101.3 if, as a result of such assignment, the General Secretariat incurs a liability for the special duties allowance or the reclassification of the post.
(iii) Any supervisor or person in authority who threatens, disciplines, or threatens to discipline a staff member for declining to perform special duties assigned under this Rule because he has not received the corresponding special duties allowance may be subject to discipline under these Rules.
(iv) Supervisors are responsible for reallocating functions in their departments in accordance with budgetary limitations.
(f) A staff member whose post is reclassified in accordance with Rule 102.3 shall continue to perform its duties and responsibilities until the resulting vacancy is filled through competition, and shall receive the allowance for special duties of a higher-level post beginning the day after the date the reclassification is approved by the Secretary General. The auditing and decision-making process regarding the classification of a post shall not exceed six months from the date of receipt by the Department of Human Resource Services of the supervisor's written request for the audit and the required written post description or, as applicable, the staff member's required written request and the written list of changes in job duties and responsibilities. The incumbent of the post being reviewed shall not be entitled to any payment prior to or retroactive from the date of approval by the Secretary General of the post reclassification except as otherwise permitted under paragraphs (a) - (e) of this Rule.
(g) The amount of the allowance for special duties shall be equal to the increase in basic salary and post adjustment to which the staff member would be entitled if he were to be promoted to the level of the post whose functions he is performing. The special duties allowance is nonpensionable and shall not be used as basis for computing the amount of other entitlements.
Rule 103.8 Overtime and Compensatory Time
(a) Supervisors may require staff members to work in excess of normal working hours when the needs of the service so demand.
(b) Overtime shall be any time worked in excess of the normal work week.
(c) Only in exceptional circumstances shall staff members be required to work on more than one weekend day.
(d) Staff members in the general services category who are required to work overtime shall be compensated at the rate of 1-1/2 times their regular hourly pay. However, any single period of overtime of less than half an hour shall be disregarded.
(e) The compensation referred to in the preceding paragraph may be given in the form of time off for the number of hours worked. This compensatory time must be taken before the end of the calendar month following that in which the overtime was worked. However, for justifiable reasons and with the approval of the Department or Office director, the compensatory time may be taken within the following six months.
(f) Compensation for work performed on the official holidays listed in Rule 101.2 shall be the regular overtime compensation as specified in paragraphs (d) and (e) above. The Secretary General may require all staff members at Headquarters to work on a particular holiday in the best interests of the Organization. In that event, the Secretary General shall set another working day to be observed as the holiday, and the holiday during which all the staff is required to work shall be treated as a normal working day.
(g) In no case shall overtime be paid to staff members of the professional category, and they shall be entitled to compensatory time off only when they work on the holidays specified in Rule 101.2.
(h) A staff member who is temporarily on mission away from his regular duty station shall observe the schedule of holidays of the duty station where he is on mission rather than the holidays of his regular duty station. He shall not be entitled to any overtime or compensatory time off for working during holidays observed in his regular duty station which are not also observed in the duty station where he is on mission.
(i) The Secretary General may set alternative conditions for overtime work or compensatory time off for staff members serving on temporary missions or on other temporary assignments away from their regular duty stations.
When a staff member in the general services category works a regular night shift, he shall receive a night differential of 10 percent of hourly pay. This differential shall not apply to staff members assigned to work in any conference of the Organization.
(a) Upon written request to the Department of Financial Services, staff members may receive salary advances, in addition to the mid-month pay, under the following circumstances and conditions:
(i) Upon departure for official travel or for approved leave involving absence from work for two or more pay days, the amount of the advances shall be equal to the amount that would fall due for payment during the anticipated period of absence.
(ii) When through no fault of his own a staff member does not receive his regular salary check, the amount shall be equal to the amount owed to him.
(iii) Upon separation from service, where final settlement of accounts cannot be made at the time of departure, the amount of the advance may not exceed 80 percent of the estimated final settlement due.
(iv) When a new staff member arrives without sufficient funds, or a staff member is transferred to another duty station, an amount deemed appropriate shall be advanced.
(b) Salary advances may also be granted to staff members in cases of extreme emergency if the request is approved by the Department of Human Resource Services.
(c) The advances referred to in paragraphs (a)(iv) and (b) above shall be deducted from the staff member's salary in equal amounts as determined at the time the advance is authorized, in consecutive pay periods commencing not later than the next pay period following that in which the advance is made, and within a period not to exceed four months.
Rule 103.11 Retroactivity of Payments
A staff member who has not been receiving an allowance, pay differential, or other payment to which he is entitled shall not receive such payments retroactively unless he has made written claim within the following periods:
(i) In the case of cancellation or modification of the Staff Rule governing such right, within three months following the date of its cancellation or modification.
(ii) In every other case, within one year following the date on which he would have been entitled to the payment.
Rule 103.12 Installation Allowance
(a) Subject to the conditions stated below, and except in the case of a mission, a staff member recruited internationally who is sent to a new duty station shall receive an installation allowance for himself and his eligible dependents when he is expected to be at his new station for at least one year and his dependents join him there within six months following the date on which he begins his duties and remain there for at least six months. This allowance shall represent the total contribution for the special expenses that the staff member incurs for himself and his dependents immediately upon his arrival at the new duty station. For the purposes of this rule, dependents are those persons for whom the General Secretariat is obligated to provide transportation (a spouse and dependent children) in accordance with Rule 108.5(a).
(b) The amount of the installation allowance shall be the equivalent of thirty days of subsistence allowance at the appropriate daily rate applicable under subparagraph (c) (i) below in respect of a staff member and at one half that rate in respect of a family member for whom travel expenses have been paid by the General Secretariat. This amount shall be calculated on the basis of the rate prevailing on the date of the staff member's or the family member's arrival, as appropriate.
(c)
(i) The special rates of subsistence allowance for purposes of the installation allowance for specific categories of staff at the various duty stations adopted by the United Nations Secretariat, as published in the corresponding administrative issuances, shall apply, unless otherwise determined by the Secretary General. Where such special rates have not been established, the travel subsistence allowance rates established under Rule 108.14 shall be used in computing the installation allowance.
(ii) Under conditions established by the General Secretariat, as published in the corresponding administrative issuances, the Secretary General may increase extend the limit of thirty days provided in paragraph (b) above up to a maximum of ninety days. The amount of the allowance during the extended period shall be up to 60 per cent of the appropriate rate applicable to the initial period.
(iii) In addition to any amount of allowance paid at the daily rates under this Rule, the payment of a lump sum may be authorized at designated duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary General. The lump sum shall be $600 for the staff member and $600 for each eligible family member who joins the staff member at the duty station, up to a maximum of $2,400.
(d) If a change of official duty station or a new appointment involves a return to a place at which the staff member was previously stationed, the full amount of the installation allowance shall not be payable unless the staff member has been absent from that place for at least one year. In the case of a shorter absence, the amount payable shall normally be that proportion of the full allowance which the completed months of absence bear to one year.
(e) When both husband and wife are staff members traveling at the Organization's expense to a duty station, the installation allowance for a staff member with dependents shall apply to one of them, and the rate for a spouse shall apply to the other. If they have a dependent child or children, the installation allowance in respect of such child or children will be paid to the staff member on whom each child is recognized to be dependent. With regard to the lump sum provided for in subparagraph (c)(iii) above, the amount payable to both spouses jointly shall not exceed the maximum amount payable under that subparagraph.
(f) The installation allowance shall not be payable in connection with education grant travel.
(g) The Secretary General may, at his discretion, authorize payment of all or part of the installation allowance in cases where the Organization has not been required to pay travel expenses of a staff member recruited internationally.
(h) The Installation Allowance is applicable only to eligible staff members who as of April 1, 2002, were members of the career service or employed under either trust appointments or long term contracts. It is not applicable, however, to any of those staff members who elect to receive a Mobilization Allowance or who separate from service and subsequently are re-employed after that date.
(a) For the purposes of this Rule:
(i) "Child" means a dependent child under Rule 103.16, except for the purpose of applying Paragraph "d" below;
(ii) "Home country" means the country in which the staff member is entitled to take home leave under Rule 106.4; and
(iii) "Duty station" means the country, or area within commuting distance, national boundaries notwithstanding, where the staff member is serving.
(b) A staff member in the professional category who belongs to the career service or holds a long-term contract and who is not a national or permanent resident or immigrant of the country of his duty station shall be entitled to receive an education grant for each dependent child who is in full-term attendance at a school, university, or other educational center that, in the opinion of the Secretary General, will facilitate the child's reassimilation in the staff member's recognized home country. However, this grant shall not be payable with respect to:
(i) Attendance at a kindergarten or nursery school;
(ii) Attendance at a free school or one charging only nominal fees at the duty station;
(iii) Correspondence courses, except when the Secretary General considers that no better source is available at the duty station;
(iv) Attendance at a university or similar educational institution at the duty station;
(v) Vocational training or apprenticeship which does not involve full-time schooling or in which the child receives payment for services rendered;
(vi) Private tutoring, except for study of the language of the home country at duty stations where satisfactory school facilities for learning that language are not available; or
(vii) Attendance at teaching centers at the duty station, or away from it, whose classes are given in a language that is not that of the home country of the staff member, unless the Secretary General otherwise determines in accordance with paragraph (n) below that payment of the grant is consistent with its purposes.
(c) For purposes of this allowance, an educational institution located in a country other than that of the duty station, but close enough to it so that the child can travel daily to that institution, shall be understood as included within the duty station.
(d) The grant shall be payable up to the end of the school year in which the child reaches the age of 23 years or completes four years of post-secondary education, whichever occurs first. If the child's education is interrupted for at least one year by national service or by illness, the period of eligibility shall be extended by the period of interruption.
(e) Requests for education grants shall be submitted in writing and supported by evidence satisfactory to the Secretary General.
(f) In the case of attendance at an educational institution outside the duty station, the amount of the grant shall be:
(i) When the institution provides board for the child, 75 percent of the sum of admissible educational expenses and board up to a maximum of $13,000 a year, with a maximum grant of $9,750.
(ii) When the child attends as a day student, $2,900 for board plus 75 percent of the expenses for attendance up to a maximum of $9,133, with a maximum grant of $9,750 a year for each child (i.e., $2,900 for board and $6,850 for attendance).
(g) In the case of attendance at an educational institution at the duty station, except as provided in subparagraph (b) (iii) above, the amount of the grant shall be the same as in paragraph (f) above; however, no expenses shall be allowed for board, and the maximum grant payable will not exceed the amount allowed for attendance under that paragraph.
(h) Where attendance is for less than two thirds of the school year, the amount of the grant shall be reduced proportionally.
(i) When the period of service of the staff member does not cover the full school year, the amount of the grant for that year shall normally be proportionate to the ratio between the period of service and the full school year, except as provided in Rule 103.18(b).
(j) A staff member whose child attends an educational institution outside his or her duty station shall be entitled to travel expenses of one round trip each school year between the educational institution and the duty station, provided that:
(i) Such travel expenses shall not be paid if the requested journey is unreasonable, either because of its closeness in time to other authorized travel of the staff member or his dependents, or because of the brevity of the visit in relation to the expenses involved.
(ii) Where attendance is for less than two thirds of the school year, travel expenses shall not normally be payable.
(iii) Transportation expenses shall not normally exceed the cost of a round trip between the staff member's home country and the duty station.
(k) The Secretary General will decide in each case whether the education grant shall be paid for tuition for study of the mother tongue. Mother tongue means the official language of the staff member's home country.
(l) Notwithstanding the above, the maximum grant available for reimbursement of expenses of pre-university education shall not exceed 70 percent of the amounts established in paragraphs (f) and (g) above; and the maximum grants established under those paragraphs, may be adjusted, when necessary, at an amount and in accordance with conditions established by the Secretary General.
(m) The grant shall not normally be available with respect to children who are citizens or permanent residents of the duty station country unless the child is studying at a qualifying educational institution in the home country of the eligible staff member parent; however, when in the opinion of the Secretary General, the budgetary resources approved by the General Assembly for the Education Grant so permit, the grant may be temporarily extended, in accordance with paragraph (n) below, to eligible staff members with respect to such children under the age of eighteen for studies outside the staff member's home country.
(n) Further guidelines for determining eligibility for the education grant shall be published in the administrative issuances of the General Secretariat, which may from time to time modify those guidelines to take into account the funds allocated to the Education Grant in the Program-Budget, together with other reasonable considerations.
Rule 103.14 Salary and Allowances During Special Mission Assignment
(a) The Secretary General may designate certain mission assignments as special, including those for periods of one year or more, during which a travel subsistence allowance shall be authorized in lieu of assignment allowance under Rule 103.15, the installation allowance under Rule 103.12, and the cost-of-living adjustment or post adjustment applicable to the area under Rule 103.2. Where such a designation has been made, the travel subsistence allowance shall be payable to staff members recruited or assigned from outside the area of the mission, and the salaries of staff members assigned from another duty station shall continue to be subject to the cost-of-living adjustment or post adjustment applicable at the duty station from which the staff members were assigned.
(b) The Secretary General shall set the rates and conditions for the travel subsistence allowance payable on each such assignment. Eligible staff members who are accompanied at the place of the mission by their spouse or by one or more dependent children may be authorized to receive a higher rate of allowance than staff members not having such dependents. Where both husband and wife are staff members who are entitled to the travel subsistence allowance, and taking into account Rule 104.14, the allowance will be paid to each at the single rate. If they have a dependent child or children at the duty station of the Mission, the allowance will be paid at the dependency rate to the spouse having the higher salary level and at the single rate to the other spouse. The allowance may be paid wholly or partially in the currency of the mission area or in kind in the form of provision of food and/or lodging.
Rule 103.15 Assignment Allowance
(a) Subject to the provisions of Rules 103.14 and 108.20, an assignment allowance shall be paid to a staff member in the professional category who is appointed or assigned to a duty station outside his home country for a specific period of service.
(i) The allowance will be authorized when a long-term contract for a period of no more than two years is involved, or when the staff member is assigned to a duty station for the same period.
(ii) The assignment allowance may be authorized when the contract is for a term of no less than two years and no more than five, or when the staff member is assigned to a duty station for the same period. Normally, the allowance will be paid when the services are rendered away from headquarters, and removal costs will be paid when services are rendered at headquarters.
(b) The allowance will not be paid to a staff member for more than five years for service in one duty station.
(c) The allowance will normally not be paid when a staff member is assigned to a duty station for less than one year; however, appropriate subsistence payments will be made where this allowance is not paid.
(d) When the allowance has been paid for an initial period and the contract or assignment is extended for an additional fixed term at the same duty station, payment of the allowance may be continued, subject to the limit established in paragraph (b).
(e) When a staff member has served under contract at one duty station for five years, the assignment allowance shall cease, and the person concerned shall acquire the right to payment of moving expenses.
(f) In exceptional cases, the assignment allowance may be paid to a staff member who, after having rendered at least two years of service at a duty station outside of his home country, is sent to another duty station in the same country.
(g) The assignment allowance shall equal 3 per cent of basic salary of a P-4, step 6 staff member, computed on the basis of the salary scale (with dependents or without dependents) to which the staff member is entitled.
(h) When both husband and wife are staff members, the assignment allowance shall be paid to the one with the higher salary.
Rule 103.16 Dependency Allowance
(a) A staff member who belongs to the career service or holds a long-term contract and who satisfies the Secretary General that he or she has a primary dependent, i.e., a dependent spouse or dependent child, or has a secondary dependent, shall be entitled to a dependency allowance. The amount of the dependency allowance for primary and secondary dependents shall be established and paid in accordance with the schedules for professional and general services staff implemented by the UN Secretariat.
(i) Professional staff members paid under the salary schedule for staff members with a primary dependent shall not be eligible for the dependency allowance for the first primary dependent except in those cases in which the primary dependent is a disabled child.
(ii) Where a staff member or his or her spouse receives a direct governmental grant, by way of a cash payment or tax benefit, with respect to his General Secretariat income in respect to the same child or other eligible dependent, the dependency allowance payable under this Rule shall be reduced by the amount of that grant.
(iii) The amounts of this allowance shall be equal to the corresponding amounts paid by the UN Secretariat pursuant to the pertinent schedules.
(b) Staff members shall make claims for dependency allowance to the Department of Human Resource Services in writing, accompanied by documentary evidence as required by that Department. For each child claimed as a dependent, the staff member must also certify in writing that he or she provides the main and continuing support. Staff members shall also immediately report to the Department of Human Resource Services any change in the status of a dependent or in their own status affecting the payment of this allowance. Changes in amounts paid for dependency allowance shall be made effective on the first day of the month in which the change occurs or the first day of the month in which the change is reported to the Department of Human Resource Services, whichever is deemed appropriate by the Director of that Department in each case. The making of any false claim or certification for this benefit or failure to make timely notification of such changes may result in disciplinary action, including dismissal, and the General Secretariat may deduct from any payments owed the staff member, including salary and benefits, any amounts paid as a result of the staff member's false claims and certifications or failure to notify the Department of those changes.
(c) A secondary dependency allowance shall be paid for not more than one dependent parent, brother, or sister, and such payment shall not be made when a payment is being made for a dependent spouse.
(d) The following definitions shall govern the payment of dependency allowance:
(i) A dependent spouse shall be a spouse whose occupational earnings, if any, do not exceed the lowest entry level salary ("cutoff salary amount") of the United Nations General Service gross salary scales in force on January 1 of the year concerned for the duty station in the country of the spouse's place of work. Nonetheless, in the case of staff in the Professional category or above, the cutoff salary amount shall not at any duty station be less than the equivalent of the lowest entry level salary at the base of the UN salary system.
(ii) A dependent child shall be the natural child, adopted child, or stepchild of a staff member, under the age of 18 years or, if the child is in full-time attendance at a school or a university or similar educational institution, he shall be considered a dependent child up to the end of the school year in which he reaches the age of 21 years. If the child is totally and permanently disabled the requirements as to school attendance and age shall not apply.
(iii) Where divorce has occurred and the child does not reside with the staff member, dependency allowance will be payable only where the staff member submits satisfactory documentary evidence that he has assumed responsibility for the main and continuing support of the child.
(iv) A dependent parent, brother, or sister shall be a parent, an unmarried brother, or an unmarried sister for whom the staff member provides 50 percent or more of his or her financial support, and in any case at least twice the amount of the dependency allowance, provided that the brother or sister is under the age of 21 years and in full-time attendance at a school, university, or similar educational institution. In that case, he or she shall be considered a dependent up to the end of the school year in which he or she reaches the age of 21 years. If the brother or sister is totally and permanently disabled, the requirements as to school attendance and age shall not apply.
(e) A married staff member whose spouse's gross occupational earnings exceed the lowest entry-level salary for the duty station will not be eligible for payment of a dependency benefit in respect of a child in the form of salary and post adjustment at the dependency (primary dependent) rates under these Rules unless his pensionable remuneration under the salary scale for staff members without primary dependents and post adjustment for that scale equals at least two thirds of the gross occupational earnings of his spouse.
(f) Staff members with children between the ages of 18 and 21 who are not eligible for the education grant but for whom they receive the dependency allowance must submit a certificate of school attendance at the end of each school year. Failure to do so will result in discontinuance of the allowance.
Rule 103.17 Non-resident Allowance
(a) Staff members in the General Service category serving at designated duty stations who have been recruited from outside the country of their duty station or in respect of whom the General Secretariat assumes an obligation to repatriate shall receive a non-resident allowance under conditions determined by the General Secretariat, provided that in no case shall the allowance be paid to a staff member whose home country or nationality is that of the country of the duty station or to a staff member while he or she is otherwise excluded from receiving this benefit under these Rules. The non-resident allowance shall be payable at the rate of $2,400 a year for a staff member with no dependent spouse or child and at the rate of $3,000 a year for a staff member with a dependent spouse or child. These rates will change so as to equal those implemented by the United Nations Secretariat in accordance with the pertinent administrative issuances, unless otherwise determined by the Secretary General. The allowance shall be paid for a maximum period of five years at the duty station. Where both husband and wife are staff members entitled to the non-resident allowance, the allowance will be paid to each at the single rate. If they have a dependent child or children, the allowance will be paid at the dependency rate to the spouse having the higher salary level and at the single rate to the other spouse. No staff member shall receive the dependency rate of the allowance unless the dependent spouse or child on which the claim for that rate is based is at the duty station.
(b) Staff members recruited specifically for service with a mission shall not be eligible for the non-resident allowance.
(c) The non-resident allowance shall not be taken into account in determining Retirement and Pension Fund contributions and benefits, medical and any other group insurance contributions, overtime and night differential compensation, and payments and indemnities on separation.
(a) At the time of appointment, each staff member shall designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries in writing on a form prescribed by the Department of Human Resource Services. It shall be the responsibility of the staff member to notify the Department of Human Resource Services of any revocations or changes of beneficiaries.
(b) In the event of the death of a staff member, all amounts standing to the staff member's credit will be paid to his or her designated beneficiary or beneficiaries, subject to the application of the Staff Rules and of the Retirement and Pension Plan Regulations. Such payment shall afford the General Secretariat a complete release from all further liability in respect of any sum so paid. An education grant shall be continued only until the dependent child completes the corresponding school year or, if he does not complete it, until the adult responsible withdraws the child from school. This payment shall free the Organization from all future obligations with respect to the sums paid.
(c) If a designated beneficiary does not survive, or if a designation of beneficiary has not been made or has been revoked, the amount standing to the credit of a staff member will, upon the staff member's death, be paid to his or her estate.
Rule 103.19 Reimbursement of Income Tax
(a) Staff members who pay income taxes in relation to their income from the General Secretariat to a member state, or a state or local government within a member state, shall receive reimbursement for those taxes, provided that the Member State where such taxes are paid funds the full amount of said reimbursement. The method for computing the amount of reimbursement under this Rule shall be established by the General Secretariat based on an agreement between the General Secretariat and each member state funding the reimbursement. In the event that an agreement does not establish the method for computing the amount of reimbursement, the General Secretariat shall determine the appropriate method.
(b) Staff members whose posts are funded by voluntary funds or special contributions may receive tax reimbursement on their General Secretariat income, if payment of that reimbursement is not otherwise prohibited. Staff members receiving tax reimbursement under this paragraph must provide evidence of payment of taxes and comply with the provisions of paragraph (c) below.
(c) Staff members seeking reimbursement for income taxes under this Rule shall furnish the General Secretariat with all the information and documentation deemed necessary by the General Secretariat for both computation of the tax reimbursement requested and verification of the tax owed. Reimbursement shall be conditioned upon the submission of such information and documentation as requested. Staff members who fail to provide such information or documentation or who make false statements in relation to same shall be subject to the disciplinary measures provided under these Staff Rules.
Staff Rule 103.20 Deductions and Contributions
(a) There shall be deducted, each pay period, from the total payments due to each staff member:
(i) Contributions to the OAS Retirement and Pension Fund in accordance with the provisions of the Fund;
(ii) Deductions for the health insurance premium paid with respect to the staff member and his eligible dependents.
(b) Deductions from salaries, wages, and other emoluments may also be made for the following purposes:
(i) For contributions, other than those stated above, for which provision is made under these Rules;
(ii) For indebtedness to the General Secretariat;
(iii) For indebtedness to third parties when any deduction for this purpose is authorized by the Director of the Department of Human Resource Services;
(iv) For lodging provided by the General Secretariat, by a government, or by a related institution;
(v) For contributions to a staff representative body established pursuant to Article 50 of the General Standards, provided that each staff member has the opportunity to withhold his consent to, or at any time to discontinue, such deduction by notice to the Treasurer.
Staff Rule 103.21 Mobilization Allowance
(a) Purpose of Allowance: The Mobilization Allowance is an allowance given to an internationally recruited staff member to cover the moving, travel, and other transportation expenses incurred by a staff member in transporting the staff member, the staff member's family, and their personal property upon recruitment or upon transfer to and from another duty station.
(b) Eligibility: The Mobilization Allowance shall be payable to any eligible staff member who does not receive the Installation Allowance and who is otherwise eligible to receive the Mobilization Allowance. Subject to subsection "e" below, an eligible staff member for purposes of receiving the Mobilization Allowance under this Rule is any internationally recruited staff member who is sent to a new duty station in another country or at a place at least one hundred and fifty miles from where he was recruited in his home country for more than one year. Home country for purposes of this Rule, is the place where a Staff Member must take home leave under Staff Rule 106.4(c).
(c) Amount: The amount of the allowance shall be $9,000 for a staff member without eligible dependents; $12,000 for a staff member with one eligible dependent; and $15,000 for a staff member with more than one eligible dependent. Eligible dependents are those defined as "eligible" in Staff Rule 103.16.
(d) When Payable: The Mobilization Allowance is due and payable in its entirety with respect to the staff member once the staff member arrives at the new duty station; however, the Secretary General may advance up to 50% of the allowance prior to the move upon the staff member's request. The additional amount for dependents shall be payable within nine months of the staff member's arrival, provided those dependents join the staff member in the duty station within that period; however, the staff member shall reimburse the Secretariat the amount paid for any dependent who does not remain in the duty station for at least six months following that dependent's arrival.
(e) Adjustments and Reimbursements
(i) A staff member whose contract is for a period of less than two years, but more than one year, shall receive an adjusted allowance as follows: For contracts more than one year but less than fourteen months -- 50%; for contracts fourteen months or more but less than sixteen months -- 60%; for contracts of sixteen months or more but less than eighteen months --70%; for contracts eighteen months or more but less than twenty months --80%; for contracts of twenty months or more but less than twenty-two months -- 90%; for contracts of twenty-two months or more but less than two years -- 95%. Any extension of a contract for more than one year shall be taken into account in determining the amount of this adjustment. A similar adjustment shall apply to an eligible staff member who is transferred from one duty station to another for a period of more than one year but less than two years.
(ii) A staff member with a contract of two years or more who resigns or is separated from service under Staff Rule 110.5 or Staff Rule 111.1(b)(v) shall return to the Secretariat a percentage of the allowance based on the duration of service completed prior to separation from service as follows: For less than one year of service -- 100%; for more than one year but less than fourteen months of service -- 50%; for more than fourteen months but less than sixteen months of service -- 40%; for more than sixteen months but less than eighteen months of service -- 30%; for more than eighteen months but less than twenty months of service -- 20%; for more than twenty months less than twenty-two months of service -- 10%; for more than twenty-two months but less than two years of service -- 5%. A similar adjustment shall be made for a staff member who is transferred to a new duty station but resigns or is separated from service under Staff Rule 110.5 or Staff Rule 111.1(b)(v) before completing two years of service in that duty station.
(iii) The Secretary General may increase the amount of this allowance under subsection "c" above in any year by a percentage no greater than the over-all percentage increase in the Program-Budget for the corresponding year.
Staff Rule 103.22 Repatriation Travel and Moving Allowance
(a) Purpose of Allowance: The Repatriation Travel and Moving Allowance is an allowance given to an internationally recruited staff member to cover the moving, travel, and other transportation expenses incurred by a staff member and his/her family and their personal property upon repatriation.
(b) Eligibility: The Repatriation Travel and Moving Allowance shall be payable to staff members eligible to receive payment of travel expenses in connection with their repatriation under Staff Rule 108.1(c); however, no person who receives other payments for moving expenses or travel expenses in connection with repatriation under any other provision of these Rules shall be eligible for the Repatriation Travel and Moving Allowance.
(c) Amount: The amount of the Repatriation Travel and Moving Allowance shall be as follows:
(i) For staff members with more than one year of service but less than two years: $4,350 without dependents; $5,800 with one dependent; and $7,250 with two or more dependents; and
(ii) For staff members with two or more years of service: $6,000 without dependents; $8,000 with one dependent; and $10,000 with two or more dependents.
(d) When Payable: The Repatriation Travel and Moving Allowance is due and payable in its entirety with respect to the staff member once the staff member provides satisfactory proof to the Department of Human Resource Services of his/her repatriation to a place outside the duty station, together with repatriation to a place outside the duty station of any dependents included in the computation of the Allowance. Nonetheless, upon the staff member’s request, the Secretary General may advance up to 50% of the allowance prior to the staff member’s repatriation.
