10 This policy and these procedures will enter into force for all staff on fixed-term and continuing appointments from 1 January 2017. Transitional measures are specified in the terms of these provisions.
20 The purpose of the mobility, hardship scheme is to encourage geographical mobility, as operationally required, and to compensate staff members for varying degrees of hardship in different duty stations. The following three non-pensionable allowances compose the mobility and hardship scheme and are payable to staff members in accordance with Staff Rule
360 in relation to:
i. mobility, which varies according to the number of assignments and provides incentive for greater mobility of staff (Mobility Incentive);
ii. hardship, which reflects the varying degrees of hardship at different duty stations (Hardship Allowance); and
iii. non-family designation of a duty station (Non-Family Service Allowance).
30 In accordance with Staff Rule 360, staff members who are appointed, reassigned or transferred to a duty station in the A-E categories for a period of one (1) year or longer, or who are assigned or transferred to a duty station for an initial period of less than one year, and whose assignment or transfer is subsequently extended so that uninterrupted period of service at that duty station is one year or longer, are eligible to receive the allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme provided that they meet the conditions governing the payment of those allowances.
40 In accordance with Staff Rule
1310.5, internationally recruited general service staff members may also be eligible to receive the allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme provided that they meet the conditions governing the payment of those allowances.
50 Consultants, United Nations Volunteers, individuals on Special Services Agreements or other similar agreements, or staff on travel status at a duty station are not eligible to receive the allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme.
60 The allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme may be paid to staff members serving in the country of their recognized place of residence provided they are eligible and meet the conditions for payment of the allowances.
70 The allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme will not be paid during periods of non-employment, special leave without pay. Upon resumption of duty at the same duty station, the staff member will continue to receive the allowances subject to meeting the conditions for payment of the allowance.
80 The allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme will be paid to staff during periods of special leave with pay or with half-pay. The amounts of the allowances will be pro-rated during special leave with half pay.
90 Staff members working on a part-time basis will be paid the allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme in the same proportion that their actual working schedule bears to the working schedule of a full-time staff member i.e. at the same percentage as their full time equivalent (FTE). If a change in the percentage of employment occurs during an assignment at the same duty station, the amounts of the allowances will be adjusted accordingly.
100 When staff members eligible for payment of the allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme are on travel status, the allowances will continue to be paid on the basis of their assignment at their duty station.
110 For general service staff, the allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme will be paid in the same manner as for staff at the grades P1 to P3.
120 When both spouses are staff members, each is entitled to payment of the allowances, at the rate corresponding to their individual grade level.
Category of duty stations
130 Duty stations are classified according to conditions of life and work on the basis of criteria agreed among the organizations of the UN Common System. The HR Specialist Policy (HPJ) in HRT shares the resulting list of classified duty stations with the consolidated list of entitlements with the HR Foundation Specialist, GSC, for reflection in the system, with particular attention to the effective date. The classification of duty stations is determined by the ICSC Working Group for the Classification of Field Duty Stations According to the Conditions of Life and Work during its annual meeting in December and mid-term review meeting in July. Ad hoc temporary classification of duty stations may take place outside the bi-annual review, when a new duty station is established or when the situation has suddenly deteriorated for security reasons or due to natural disaster. The same process as above is followed by the HR Foundation Specialist GSC for reflection in the system. Headquarters, North American and European duty stations and similar designated locations are categorized H duty stations, whereas all other duty stations are categorized from A to E (in increasing order of difficulty). The classification of official stations according to conditions of life and work is available in Annex 3.I.
140 The concept of mobility in the United Nations common system includes geographical movement within and across organizations of the United Nations common system. For the purposes of the mobility and hardship scheme, mobility is the geographic reassignment of a staff member for a period of one (1) year or more from one duty station to another.
150 Internationally recruited staff holding continuing or fixed-term appointments will be paid an incentive in the form of a monthly flat amount based on a cluster of moves ranging from one to seven to encourage movement from one duty station to another and according to grade bands.
160 To qualify for payment of the mobility allowance, a staff member must have five (5) years' prior uninterrupted service in WHO or another organization of the United Nations common system.
170 Periods of transfer, secondment and loan within the United Nations common system, periods of special leave with or without pay for study or other purposes, sick leave under insurance cover or special leave without pay for periods of less than 30 days (reference Staff Rules 650 and 750.2) and prior periods of service as Junior Professional Officer (JPO), and in the General Service or related categories will be credited towards this five (5) year requirement.
Position in the mobility table - determining the assignment number
180 The following events will be counted as one assignment for the purposes of determining the assignment number on the mobility table as per Annex 3.M:-
- Initial fixed-term appointment of one (1) year or longer, with or without authorized appointment travel or payment of a settling-in grant, provided the staff member remains at the initial duty station for at least one year;
- Each subsequent reassignment of one (1) year or longer which involves a change of duty station;
- If a staff member is assigned to a duty station for a period of one (1) year or longer, which is subsequently reduced at the initiative of the Organization to less than one (1) year, such service will be counted as one (1) assignment for purposes of the mobility incentive.
190 Counting of assignments for the purpose of establishing the position on the mobility table in the special situations described below will be made as follows:
i. Periods of uninterrupted service on travel status for a period of one (1) year or longer at the same duty station will be counted as one (1) assignment for the purpose of establishing the position on the mobility table but only on return to the staff member's duty station, or transfer to a new duty station;
ii. For staff members who were previously locally recruited in the General Service category or in the National Professional Officer category and who become eligible for payment of the mobility allowance upon promotion or appointment to a category eligible for payment of the mobility incentive, all prior periods of uninterrupted service of one (1) year or longer in the country of recruitment will be counted as one (1) assignment.
iii. For locally recruited staff members who are reassigned to a duty station in a different country, and as a result become eligible for payment of the mobility incentive, the corresponding period of uninterrupted service of one (1) year or longer will be counted as for staff in the professional category. Prior service in the country of recruitment as a locally recruited staff member will be counted as one assignment as per (ii) above.
iv. Transfers, secondments and loans to other organizations of the United Nations common system will be counted in the same manner as movements within the Organization.
v. Periods of service as a United Nations Volunteer and periods of service under direct pay secondment without compensation (WOCN) by WHO will not be counted.
vi. Periods of assignment of less than one (1) year that are extended up to one (1) year or longer in the same duty station will be counted as one assignment.
vii. Periods of service of one (1) year or longer as a Junior Professional Officer (JPO) will be counted as per paragraph 170.
Payment of the mobility incentive
200 The mobility incentive will be paid as of the second assignment if at an A to E duty station at the rate applicable as per Annex 3.M. The rate applicable to the second and third assignment is increased by 25% as of the fourth and by 50% as of the seventh assignment (see Annex 3.M). There is no entitlement to payment of the mobility incentive on the first assignment and no entitlement for assignments at H duty stations irrespective of the number of assignments completed previously (see also transition measures below).
210 The mobility incentive will be paid for a maximum of five (5) years of consecutive service at the same duty station. The count towards the five years will begin from the first day of reporting to the duty station regardless of whether or not the staff member is eligible for payment of the mobility incentive.
220 The mobility allowance is an annual lump sum amount paid on a monthly basis for a maximum duration of five (5) years in the same duty station.
Amounts of the mobility incentive
230 As of the assignment start date at the duty station, the following criteria will be considered when determining the amounts of the mobility incentive for which a staff member may be eligible:
i. staff member's grade level - payments in the mobility table (see Annex 3.M) are grouped by grade: Group 1 (P1-P3); Group 2 (P4-P5); and Group 3 (P6/D1 and above). Change in grade will result in adjustment of the mobility incentive. This would also apply for periods of acting against a post of a higher grade as of the fourth consecutive month (Staff Rule 320.4).
ii. number of assignments - clustered into groups: two to three assignments; four to six assignments; seven or more assignments.
240 For staff members who became eligible for the former mobility allowance under the provisions in effect prior to 1 January 2017, the allowance will continue to be paid as follows:
i. within the general five-year limit;
ii. as applicable under the previous mobility scheme (i.e. including H duty stations);
iii. on the basis of the amounts applicable under the previous mobility scheme as of 31 December 2016; changes in the dependency status that occur during the transition phase will be taken into account;
iv. for staff members for whom the mobility incentive effective 1 January 2017 is higher than the amount they were receiving under the previous scheme, the higher amount will be paid for the reminder of the transitional period. If on the contrary the previous mobility allowance amount is higher than the mobility incentive, the higher amount remains payable, however adjusted for monthly payments as necessary.
250 Upon assignment to another duty station transitional measures will cease and the provisions under the mobility incentive scheme will apply. Overpayments made under the annual advance pay modality, as per previous practice, will be recovered on a pro-rata basis.
260 The amounts of the mobility allowance are set out in
Annex 3.M.
Procedures for the processing of payment
270 The mobility incentive, including transitional measures, is calculated automatically in the payroll system.
280 The hardship allowance aims to compensate internationally recruited staff holding continuing, fixed-term and temporary appointments for difficult living conditions at the duty station. The allowance is paid at one uniform rate per grade group.
290 Hardship categorization assesses the overall quality of life at a duty station. In determining the degree of hardship, consideration is given to local conditions of safety and security, health care, education, housing, climate, isolation and the availability of the basic amenities of life. Duty stations are categorized on a scale of difficulty from A to E with A being the least difficult. The effective date of the classifications is 1 January of each year, however, exceptionally a different effective date may apply for new duty stations.
Qualifying service for payment of the hardship allowance
300 To qualify for the payment of the hardship allowance, a staff member must be assigned for a period of one (1) year or longer to a duty station classified in categories B, C, D and E. The hardship allowance is not payable to staff serving in H and A duty stations.
310 Hardship allowance is paid from the effective date of the staff member's first assignment to any of the qualifying duty stations and for the duration of the staff member's assignment at those duty stations.
Payment of the hardship allowance
320 The hardship allowance is a flat amount paid on a monthly basis.
330 A change in grade level will result in the adjustment of the amount of the hardship allowance when the change makes the grade fall into a different grade group - see below Annex 3.N.
340 Upon reassignment to a duty station not qualifying for payment of the hardship allowance, resignation or separation from service, appropriate adjustments and recoveries will be made for the period not served.
Amounts of the hardship allowance
350 To determine the amount of the hardship allowance payable to a staff member, the following criteria, as at the effective date of assignment to the duty station, are considered:
i. staff member's grade level - payments are grouped by grade: Group 1 (P1-P3); Group 2 (P4-P5); and Group 3 (P6/D1 and above); and
ii. duty station category as at the effective date of the assignment.
360 The amounts of the hardship allowance are set out in Annex 3.N.
Procedures for the processing of payment
370 The hardship allowance is calculated automatically in the payroll system.
Non-removal allowance (discontinued)
380 The non-removal allowance is discontinued as of 1 January 2017. The following transitional measures are effective:
390 For staff members who became eligible for the non-removal allowance under the provisions in effect prior to 1 January 2017, the allowance will continue to be paid
for a maximum duration of five (5) years in the same duty station and on the basis of the same amounts, unless lower than the amounts applicable under the new provisions.
With effect from 1 January 2017, the payment modality of the allowance will change from annual to monthly and any necessary adjustment will be made accordingly.
400 Transitional measures will cease upon reassignment to another duty station or upon completion of five (5) years of service in the same duty station.
410 When a staff member is transferred to another duty station, resigns or is separated from service within less than one (1) year, the amounts already paid under the annual advance modality shall be prorated and overpayments recovered. Exceptions may be granted by Director, HRT if the staff member was transferred in the interest of the Organization.
420 The Non-family Service Allowance compensates staff members assigned to non-family duty stations to offset the cost of maintaining a second household. This replaces the previous Additional Hardship Allowance. It is paid in addition to the Hardship Allowance in non-family duty stations. In the event a discrepancy exists between the non-family duty stations list and Annex 3G – the Global R & R, Danger pay and Non-family Service Allowance, Annex 3G prevails.
430 The Non-family Service Allowance consists of a flat amount as follows:
i. USD 19,800 p.a. (USD 1,650 per month) for staff with at least one recognized dependant; and
ii. USD 7,500 p.a. (USD 625 per month) for staff without any recognized dependant.
440 The allowance is payable monthly to eligible staff members as follows:
i. upon assignment to a non-family duty station;
ii. for the duration of the assignment in the designated non-family duty station.
Relation to other entitlements
450 The amounts of the allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme are not taken into account in the calculation of rental subsidy.
460 The allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme are not subject to any deductions for Staff Health Insurance or the WHO Accident and Illness Insurance.
Final provisions
470 The amounts of the mobility incentive, hardship allowance and non-family service allowance, are reviewed every three (3) years by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), in consultation with the organizations of the United Nations common system.
