Criteria for the payment of danger pay
10 Danger pay is a special allowance established for internationally and locally recruited staff who are required to work in duty stations where very dangerous conditions prevail as follows:
- Duty stations where United Nations staff, owing to the very fact of their association with, or employment by, an organization of the United Nations common system, are clearly, persistently and directly targeted or where premises are clearly, persistently and directly targeted, thus presenting an imminent and constant threat to staff and activities;
- Duty stations where United Nations staff or premises are at high risk of becoming collateral damage in a war or active conflict;
- Non-protected environments where medical staff are specifically at risk to their life when deployed to deal with public health emergencies as declared by the World Health Organization.
20 The Chairman of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) is responsible for authorizing the application of danger pay to a duty station, based on the recommendation of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) and the World Health Organization. The authorization is granted for a period of three (3) months at a time, and is subject to on-going review. The application of danger pay is lifted when dangerous conditions are deemed to have abated.
30 The list of countries/duty stations where danger pay applies and the applicable amounts are updated on a regular basis and may be found at
Danger Pay | ICSC.
40 Danger pay is a non-pensionable allowance payable in respect of:
-
Staff members who have been internationally recruited as determined by the Staff Rules and are appointed or are on travel status to the duty station qualified for danger pay;
-
Staff members who have been locally recruited as determined by the Staff Rules and are appointed or are on travel status to the duty station qualified for danger pay;
45 Danger pay does not apply to internationally or locally recruited United Nations Volunteers, Consultants and Contractors.
50 For both internationally and locally recruited staff, danger pay will be paid monthly as follows;
a) For staff members who spend one complete month in the area where the allowance is applicable, the monthly amount is paid irrespective of the number of days in the month;
b) Except as provided in paragraph c below, danger pay is not payable for days spent away from the duty station on any types of leave or teleworking outside the duty station. Danger pay is payable for durations of teleworking at the duty station and will not be affected by the requirement of presence in the office.
c) No deductions will be made for up to and including seven (7) consecutive days spent away from the duty station. Absences in excess of this period of seven (7) consecutive days will be pro-rated and deducted from the full monthly amount of danger pay.
d) Regional offices are to report on a monthly basis to the GSC Payroll the number of days to be deducted due to absences in excess of seven (7) consecutive days from the duty stations qualified for danger pay.
55 For internationally recruited staff danger pay is payable for time away from the duty station qualified for danger pay on rest and recuperation travel five (5) consecutive calendar days of authorized leave and travel time) and/or on official duty travel up to a maximum of seven consecutive calendar days including weekend and official holidays falling during that period.
Rate of the allowance
60 Danger pay for internationally recruited staff is a fixed monthly rate which is determined by the ICSC. (see link in paragraph 30 above).
70 The monthly amount of danger pay for locally recruited staff (General Service and National Professional Officer Categories) is 30 per cent of the net mid-point of the applicable 2022 General Service local salary scale (excluding long-service and longevity steps, if any). The ICSC calculates the fixed amounts of danger pay and the UN issues the list of duty stations where danger pay is applicable on a quarterly basis.
80 For periods of less than one month, the amount of danger pay is prorated on the basis of 365 days: the daily rate is calculated by dividing the annual amount by 365 days.
Part-time staff
90 Eligible part-time staff members will be paid danger pay under the same terms and conditions as full-time staff members. As the purpose of this allowance is to compensate staff for the risk they take in being present in designated dangerous duty stations, and being associated with or employed by WHO, danger pay is not pro-rated for part-time staff members.
