Staff appointed on or after 1 April 2006
10 Home leave is an entitlement granted to internationally recruited staff members appointed on or after1 April 2006 who are serving and residing at a duty station outside the country of their recognized place of residence. Home leave travel consists of travel and travel time, paid by the Organization, from the staff member’s duty station to the staff member’s recognized place of residence. The purpose of home leave is to enable staff members and their eligible family members to maintain cultural and family ties with their country of nationality. See Staff Rules 640, 810.4 and 820.2.4.
Staff appointed prior to 1 April 2006 – Transitional measure
15 Home leave applies to internationally recruited staff members appointed prior to 1 April 2006 who are serving at a duty station outside the country of their recognized place of residence. This transitional measure will not apply to staff who have been reassigned to another duty station or reappointed after 1 April 2006.
20 The following family members are eligible for home leave:-
- A spouse, recognized by WHO, and who resides with the staff member at the duty station. The dependency status of a spouse has no bearing on their eligibility to travel on home leave. If the spouse does not reside at the duty station the staff member may have an entitlement to family visit travel between home leaves. See WHO e-Manual section III.6.14 on family visit travel;
- Dependent children up to the age of 21 residing with the staff member at the duty station. A dependent child who reaches the age of 21 during the home leave eligibility period may exercise a final entitlement to home leave at any time during that period; In the case of a child recognized by the Organization as a dependent child with disability, the age requirements are waived.
- Dependent children attending school outside the duty station (excluding those who reside at the staff member's recognized place of residence) are entitled to travel from the place of schooling to the place of home leave. The Organization's liability is limited in such cases to the actual cost of travel not exceeding the cost of return travel between the duty station and the recognized place of residence; In the case of a child recognized by the Organization as a dependent child with disability, the age requirements are waived.
- The spouse and dependent children will be permitted to travel separately at the same or at a different time to the same or an alternate home leave destination in the same home leave cycle.
Qualifying service for home leave
30 The qualifying service period for home leave is 24 months in all duty stations except category D and E duty stations where there is no entitlement to Rest and Recuperation. For such category D and E duty stations the qualifying service is 12 months. Please find the list of D and E duty stations along with their Rest and Recuperation entitlements at this link.
Home leave eligibility due dates and the eligibility period
40 The home leave eligibility due date (the “due date”) is effective when the staff member has accrued 24 home leave credit points. Staff members assigned to 24-month home leave duty stations accrue one home leave credit point per month of active service.
50 For staff members assigned to D and E duty stations with no entitlement to Rest and Recuperation travel, the home leave due date is effective after 12 months of qualifying service at the duty station or when 24 home leave credit points are accrued. Staff at 12 month duty stations accrue two home leave credit points per month of active service.
60 A staff member may request home leave either before or after the date on which 24 credit points have been accumulated (due date). The eligibility period defined in Staff Rule 640.6.1 corresponds to the accumulation of a minimum of 18 points and a maximum of 30 points calculated as follows:
- 24-month duty station – up to 6 months before and after the due date;
- 12-month duty station – up to 3 months before and after the due date.
Provided the staff member’s appointment is expected to continue after return from home leave for a minimum of 6 months at a 24 month duty station or 3 months at a 12-month duty station, the home leave may be approved. If the home leave return date is after the end of the eligibility period the same service time is required after the return date.
70 With the approval of the first-level supervisor, home leave may be advanced provided that the staff member has accumulated a minimum of 12 points. The service time requirements after completion of home leave remain the same.
Home leave points on change in duty station or duty station category
80 When staff members change duty stations, credit points will accrue at the rate of the new duty station as from the effective date of assignment to that duty station and will be added to the points already accumulated in the previous duty station. Accrual of credit points will be based on full calendar months of service. Fractions of a month will be treated in the following manner:
- 15 days or less: no credit;
- more than 15 days: full credit
90 To facilitate the computation of qualifying service when a staff member is reassigned from one duty station to another where the home leave cycle is different, the staff member accumulates credit points towards home leave entitlement for every month served at the duty station(s) as follows:
- for every month served at any duty station: 1 point
- for every month served at a D or E category duty station with no entitlement to Rest and Recuperation travel: 2 points
100 The same procedure is followed when there is a change in the classification of a duty station or when Rest and Recuperation is introduced or discontinued in D and E duty stations which will affect the home leave cycle: The accumulation rate (1 or 2 home leave points per month) will change from the effective date of the change in the classification of the duty station or in the Rest and Recuperation entitlement.
110 Home leave credit points are not accumulated during periods of special leave without pay (SLWOP) or sick leave under insurance cover (SLIC) in excess of 30 days, nor during periods of non-expatriate status due to the staff member’s assignment or residence in the country of the staff member's recognized place of residence. All credit points accrued prior to assignment or residence to the country of recognized place of residence will be lost. Accrual of credit points will resume afresh upon reassignment to a duty station outside the country of recognized place of residence.
Expected service time after return from home leave
120 In accordance with Staff Rule 640.3.2 staff members are eligible to exercise home leave when:
- If the staff member is assigned to a 24 month duty station, their service is expected to continue at least 6 months beyond the date of return from home leave, or 6 months beyond the date of eligibility for home leave, whichever is later, or,
- If the staff member is assigned to a 12 month duty station, their service is expected to continue at least 3 months beyond the date of return from home leave, or 3 months beyond the date of eligibility for home leave, whichever is later.
130 If a staff member is assigned to a 24 month duty station, travel for the spouse and dependent children may be authorized provided that they will remain at the duty station for at least six months beyond the date of return from home leave or 6 months beyond the date of eligibility for home leave, whichever is later.
140 If a staff member is assigned to a 12-month duty station, travel for the spouse and dependent children may be authorized provided that they will remain at the duty station for at least three months beyond the date of return from home leave or 3 months beyond the date of eligibility for home leave, whichever is later.
Intervals between Travel
145 For staff members assigned to a 24-month duty station, there shall normally be an interval of no less than 12 months of qualifying service between the date of return from home leave travel and the departure date of the next home leave travel.
146 For staff members assigned to a 12-month duty stations with an accelerated home leave cycle, there shall normally be an interval of no less than six months of qualifying service between the date of return from home leave, travel and the departure date of the next home leave travel.
Alternate home leave destination
150 In accordance with Staff Rule 640.1 this is to recognize situations where staff members and their families are of multi-cultural backgrounds and where, during the course of their careers, they have established cultural/family ties in places other than the recognized place of residence. In such cases the staff member may have an alternate home leave destination subject to provision of proof of established cultural and family ties in a country other than the recognized place of residence. Normally, only one alternate home leave destination is approved. The Organization's liability for the staff member, the spouse and dependent children is up to the cost of travel between the duty station and the staff member’s recognized place of residence or the alternate destination, whichever is less.
160 A staff member, the spouse and dependent children travelling on home leave are required to spend no fewer than seven days (six nights exclusive of travel time), in the country where home leave is exercised.
170 "Reasonable" timing of travels in the context of Staff Rules 640.6.4 and 810.5.3 means that the time spent by the staff member at the duty station between two statutory travels should be adequate in relation to work requirements.
180 When both spouses are staff members of organizations in the United Nations system and entitled to home leave, the total number of return travels authorized for both of them together in each cycle of home leave may not exceed two, irrespective of whether each travels as a staff member or one accompanies the other. The dependent children may accompany either parent. If the parents travel to different destinations or at different times, the children may accompany either parent. A staff member who chooses to accompany their spouse will be granted travel time appropriate to travel to their recognised place of residence or elsewhere home leave destination and should include the travel time in the absence dates when confirming the home leave in the leave and absence system and indicate the home leave travel was under the spouse's entitlement under comments.
190 The days spent on home leave are charged to the staff member’s annual leave balance, except for allowable travel time. Working day/s will be considered as a travel day/s if the staff member travels during working hours and does not work the standard office hours at the duty station before commencing travel. Otherwise, if the staff member travels after working hours the following day will be considered to be a travel day.
200 Staff members are requested to provide exact start and end dates of leave including their travel days in the leave request regardless of whether or not travel days fall on a working day:
- The start and end dates of travel may be different from the actual start and end dates of the home leave and are used solely for the purpose of calculating the travel time entitlement.
- Upon completion of home leave travel, the staff member must first submit a travel claim online - indicating the actual travel dates and attach the proof of travel and payment of tickets.
- After submitting the travel claim, the home leave absence record must be confirmed in the absence system by indicating the absence dates and confirming the travel claim is available.
- After approval of the absence dates by the supervisor, Global Human Resources (GHR) verify the home leave dates against the travel claim and boarding passes. If required, the number of travel days or the actual travel dates may be amended by GHR and approved, or the request may be returned for correction. If no change is required, GHR approve the home leave absence confirmation request.
Travel time for travel by air
210 Staff members authorized to travel under home leave entitlement will be granted travel days by Global Human Resources (GHR) upon submitting their planned home leave absence request. Travel days which fall on working days will not be deducted from the staff member's annual leave.
220 No travel time shall be granted for travel undertaken on a weekend or official holiday.
230 When staff members are permitted to travel for reasons of personal convenience by a route, mode of transportation or standard of travel other than the official one, their entitlement in respect of a particular journey shall be limited to the maximum travel time to which they would have been entitled had the travel been undertaken by the official route, mode and standard of travel.
240 Where travel is to an alternative destination on home leave, travel days will be granted according to the actual destination or the recognized country of residence, whichever is less.
Travel time for travel by private car, train or boat
250 A staff member who is authorized to travel by private car, train or boat shall be granted travel time, not chargeable to annual leave if the travel falls on a working day, equivalent to the actual travel day(s) that would have been required had the staff member travelled by air.
Other provisions
Home leave taken outside the eligibility period
260 Staff members must declare when submitting their home leave absence request before or after the eligibility period:
- Delay at the Organization's request: should home leave be delayed at the request of the Organization the subsequent home leave due date will not change and the previously established due date is maintained. However, there should normally be twelve months qualifying service (or 6 months for a 12-month cycle) between home leaves.
- Delay for personal reasons: if the delay was not at the request of the Organization, the next home leave due date will be 18 credit points after the date of departure on leave at 24-month home leave duty stations or 9 credit points after the date of departure at 12-month home leave duty stations.
- In advance of the eligibility period.
270 Upon reviewing the staff member’s home leave request, the supervisor reviews the staff member’s declaration and if in agreement, approves the home leave request. If the supervisor does not agree with the declaration, the supervisor returns the leave request to the staff member for correction.
Abnormal conditions in the recognized place of residence
280 When travel to the recognized place of residence is precluded by prevailing abnormal conditions (e.g. war, civil strife, other security reasons, or public health requirements), home leave may be authorized either to a neighbouring country with social and cultural affinities to the staff member's home country, or to another country of the staff members choice where s/he has close family or cultural ties. In such cases, travel expenses payable will not exceed the cost of travel to the recognized place of residence or the other place, whichever is less. Such declaration should be made on the home leave absence request for approval by GHR.
290 Staff members planning to travel on home leave to areas where a security phase has been declared should seek advice prior to any travel, as special instructions will apply depending on the security phase declared in the country. In such cases exceptional approval may be given to take home leave in another country.
Staff members working on a part-time basis
300 Staff members working part time are eligible for home leave according to the percentage they work. If during the period of service time the staff member worked at different percentages a pro-rata calculation for the purpose of establishing the reimbursement rate of the tickets or the home leave lump sum is made by the GHR.
