10 This section establishes the policies and procedures required to implement Staff Rule
1310.
20 In accordance with Staff Rule
1310, positions at clerical, custodial and sub-professional levels shall be designated as general service category positions. All positions in the general service category are subject to local recruitment and shall be filled, as far as possible, by persons recruited in the local commuting area of each office.
30 The conditions of employment for General Service staff at all duty stations are established by the Director-General in accordance with principles approved by the United Nations General Assembly and methodologies approved by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC). The
United Nations Chief Executives Board (CEB) for Coordination designates the agencies responsible at the duty station for conducting salary surveys and for proposing the resulting conditions of employment (coordinating agencies) and the agencies responsible for approving them (responsible agencies).
40 The conditions of employment for General Service staff in the regions and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) are approved, by Director, Human Resources and Talent Management Department (HRT), by virtue of the delegation of authority from the Director-General.
50 The conditions of employment for General Service staff at Headquarters are proposed by Director, HRT and approved by the Director-General.
60 Each regional office classifies the positions to be filled by General Service staff throughout the region in conformity with classification standards approved by the Director-General and in accordance with the duties and responsibilities involved.
70 Requests to review the classification of a position must follow the procedures for position classification and classification reviews.
(see also
III.3 Salaries, Position Adjustment, and Grants)
80 General Service staff are paid on a local basis. The guiding principle for setting the salaries of locally-recruited staff is the Flemming principle which states that the conditions of service of locally-recruited staff must be determined by reference to the best prevailing conditions of service among other employers in the locality.
Survey of Local Conditions
90 At any duty station, the UN agency named "coordinating agency" under the agreement reached by the CEB on local salary scales will carry out surveys of local conditions of employment.
100 Local salary surveys and the evaluation of their results should be carried out by the Local Salary Survey Committee (LSSC) composed of representatives of the local staff and the local administration of WHO and other UN agencies. The LSSC may be assisted by a salary survey specialist appointed by Director, HRT.
110 WHO administrations participate in local salary surveys under the guidance of Director, HRT. The survey and the evaluation of its results are carried out in accordance with the applicable methodology and approved by Director, HRT by virtue of the delegation of authority from the Director-General.
120 The normal practice should be to maintain a single salary scale in each country. Local salary scales are established in accordance with the ICSC approved methodology outlined in the Chief Executive Board (CEB) Manual for salary survey in Non-Headquarters Duty Stations and ICSC salary survey methodologies I and II for locally-recruited staff. Local salary scales are usually denominated in local currency.
130 Locally recruited General Service staff members' salaries and allowances are paid in the local currency. During periods of economic volatility, LSSCs often request that on an exceptional basis, locally-recruited staff salaries be denominated and paid in convertible currency, usually US dollars. The HR Network of the United Nations Chief Executive Board has drawn up specific guidelines which govern payments to national staff in currencies other than the local currency. However, the Regional Director may authorize exceptions in respect of individual staff members for approved travel outside the duty station on duty or for medical treatment, or in other justifiable circumstances.
Within-grade Increases
140 In establishing local salary scales the service time required for within-grade increases (WIGI) should normally be fixed at one (1) year. General Service staff whose performance has been certified by the supervisor as being satisfactory shall be entitled to a within-grade salary increase of one step as established in the local salary scale upon completion of each unit of service time as defined in Staff Rule
550.2. They shall be appraised on an annual basis through the Performance Management Development System (PMDS). See Section
III.5.4.
Overtime and Compensatory Leave
150 Overtime is considered to be time worked in excess of the common work week. Overtime work is recognized for purposes of compensation only when it has been requested and approved by the supervisor in advance of the work being undertaken. Subject to the exigencies of service, overtime will as far as possible be compensated by time off. Refer to Section III.6.7
Overtime and Compensatory Leave for the provisions regarding compensatory leave.
160 Overtime pay is normally calculated by multiplying the number of hours of authorized overtime by the hourly net salary applicable to the staff member's grade and step and by a rate established by Director, HRT for staff at Headquarters and at offices attached to Headquarters and by each RD for staff in the region, on the basis of the best prevailing local practice and/or the worldwide practice of the Organization.
170 Customary local allowances, other than dependant's allowances, are considered and taken into account at the time of salary surveys and are published with the local salary scale.
180 Dependency allowances are established and reviewed in accordance with the approved methodology and are identified separately from the salary.
190 Under the provisions of Staff Rule
1310.8, General Service staff may qualify for a language allowance for proficiency in a second or third (but not a fourth) approved language (see
Language Incentive Scheme). The amount of the allowance for the third language is 50% of the rate payable for the second language. The allowance amount will be specified in the salary scale and is paid together with salary in the local currency of the duty station. The allowance is treated as pensionable remuneration; it is not subject to staff assessment.
200 Locally recruited General Service staff are not entitled to any allowances which the Organization has established to compensate for the expense and difficulties of recruitment from the outside area. General Service staff are eligible for a special education grant in respect of any disabled child recognized as dependant under Staff Rule
310.5.2 (see
Special Education Grant).
Safe Driving Bonus
210 The purpose of the safe driving bonus is to financially compensate Drivers assigned to A to E duty stations with an additional one week’s net salary for performing accident-free and safe driving functions on a regular basis.
220 A staff member whose functional title is that of driver and who performs regular driving duties, or a staff member who is required to perform regular driving activities for at least half of his working time, is eligible to receive a safe driving bonus.
230 A locally recruited general service staff member (GS) holding a continuing, a fixed term or a temporary appointments under Staff Rule 420.4 is eligible to receive a safe driving bonus provided that the staff member:
- Is appointed as Driver; or assumes driving responsibilities for at least half of his work-time;
- Has completed twelve (12) consecutive months of service as a Driver;
- Has not been involved in any automobile accident considered to be his fault during the qualifying period; and
- Has not been convicted of any traffic violation such as reckless driving, or going through a traffic light during the year. At the discretion of the supervisor, fines for improper parking need not be considered as a traffic violation for this purpose.
240 If employed on a temporary appointed under Staff Rules 420.4, the staff member must have completed the consecutive 12 months service with no period of non-employment exceeding 30 days.
250 A driver on a temporary appointment who has completed more than six months’ service, but less than a year as at the date of separation or the end of the calendar year and who otherwise qualifies for the safe driving bonus, will receive a bonus prorated to the number of months served.
260 A driver, irrespective of the contract type, who has not been employed or has not completed a full six months of regular driving activities as of the date of separation is not eligible for the bonus.
270 The pro-rata payment will be made upon request in writing of the Manager to the RHRM and authorized prior to the separation date or the end of the calendar year.
280 Drivers earn service credit towards safe driving bonus during:
- annual leave (AL)
- sick leave (SL) periods;
- special leave without pay (SLWOP) period of less than thirty days; or
- sick leave under insurance coverage (SLIC) period of less than thirty days;
- special leave with full pay period (SLWFP) of less than thirty days.
290 Drivers do not earn service credit towards safe driving bonus during a continuous:
- SLWOP period of more than 30 days; or
- SLWFP period of more than thirty days;
- SLIC period of more than 30 days.
300 The safe driving bonus is equivalent to 25% of the net monthly base salary payable at the grade and step of the eligible Driver and according to the criteria outlined in paragraphs 20 to 90 above.
310 The safe driving bonus is calculated and paid after completion of twelve consecutive months of regular driving activities upon approval by the supervisor.
320 If the applicable salary scale is subsequently revised affecting the salary calculation, payment of the bonus is adjusted accordingly.
330 Payment of safe driving bonus is not taken into account in determining the following entitlements, where applicable:
- pensionable remuneration (safe driving bonus is not pensionable), contributions to and benefits payable by the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF), e.g. retirement benefits, surviving dependent(s) benefits;
- compensation for service-incurred illness, injury or death;
- insurance premiums; and
- separation payments, e.g. commutation of annual leave, death benefit, termination indemnity, etc.
340 Payment of the safe driving bonus is withheld in respect of any driver who was involved in an accident and was found to have not respected the Code of Driving in the country or who was prosecuted/fined by the local authorities.
350 If the payment is due upon separation, the clearance process must be completed prior to releasing the bonus.
Roles and Responsibilities
360 The supervisor of the driver is responsible for monitoring the driver’s performance and for initiating, through Manager self-service in GSM, the safe driving bonus after determination of the staff member’s qualification for the safe driving bonus. The Manager self-service should be used to authorize safe driving bonus for 12 months’ at a time. See HR.SOP.III.160.
370 Pro-rata payments will be made upon request of the Supervisor to the RHRM at the time of separation. RHRM will provide the pro-rata calculation to GSC/Payroll for payment upon separation.
380 General Service positions should be filled by staff recruited from the local area, provided that qualified candidates are available. Each office defines the geographical bounds of the local area qualifying a candidate to be considered as local (normally, the local commuting area of each office). Geographical distribution need not be considered in recruiting and selecting candidates for these positions.
390 All general service vacancy notices for fixed-term or temporary appointments must indicate the local grade and salary scale and must include a clear statement that the position is subject to local recruitment.
400 If, following a competitive process at the local level, no candidate is identified who meets the minimum requirements of the general service vacancy notice, consideration may be given, on an exceptional basis, to the recruitment of a qualified candidate from outside the local area. In such cases, subject to the prior approval of Director, HRT or RD, the position shall be readvertised and applicants from outside the local area can be considered.
410 General Service staff may be granted temporary appointments, as defined in Staff Rule
420.4, of up to two (2) years. If the temporary appointment is of less than two (2) years, it may be extended, provided that the total duration of uninterrupted service under consecutive temporary appointments does not exceed two (2) years. General Service staff may also be granted Temporary Appointments of 60 Days or Less.
Fixed-term Appointments
420 Initial fixed-term appointments of one (1) year and up to two (2) years may be granted under Staff Rule 420.3 to General Service staff members. A fixed-term appointment is subject to a probationary period.
425 Fixed-term appointments may be extended for up to two (2) years, subject to the conditions in III.5.12.
430 The provisions applicable for granting staff members a continuing appointment became obsolete on 1 January 2019 pursuant to Staff Rule 420, except for staff joining WHO on an inter-agency transfer holding such appointments. Those staff may be considered for a continuing appointment on a case-by-case basis with particular importance being paid to the practice in the releasing Organization of reciprocally honoring such appointments upon transfer of WHO staff to them. The continuing appointment status will be subject to successful completion of the probationary period in accordance with Staff Rule 480.1.3. Refer to
Conversion to Continuing Appointment policy and III.4.7 Interorganization transfer, loan, secondment for additional information.
440 The requirements and opportunities for changes in status apply equally to all staff members. General Service staff are given full consideration for promotion, appointment or reassignment to positions for which they may be qualified and become subject, from the date of the change, to the staff provisions applicable to the type of appointment. Refer to
Performance and Change in Status for additional information.
450 A General Service staff member may be considered for a developmental assignment with a view to providing career enrichment and development, for a period normally not exceeding six (6) months. These assignments are jointly administered by the Recruitment Specialist and Learning Specialist in the Regional Office concerned and/or Headquarters based on the requirements of the service and the best interests of the Organization. Staff members may be considered for a developmental assignment based on the PMDS appraisal system including development of individual and departmental workplans, ongoing performance dialogue between the staff member and the supervisor, and the year-end performance review. A competitive selection process may be used.
460 The staff member remains officially assigned to the original duty station and retains the related salary and allowances. During the period of assignment, the staff member is considered to be in travel status and is granted per diem at the temporary duty station at the full rate for the first sixty (60) days and at the reduced rate thereafter.
Periods of Duty and Leave
470 General Service staff normally observe a forty (40) hour work week. However, maintenance personnel, ushers, messengers, drivers and guards may have to observe a different work week from other General Service staff when prevailing local practice or the needs of the office so require. Leave provisions for all staff members are normally the same, unless the granting to manual and custodial workers of the leave benefits described in the Staff Rules would seriously disrupt local practice in any area. In this case the provisions may be modified, subject to the approval of Director, HRT. Refer to
Leave and Absence for additional information.
480 General Service staff participate in the Staff Health Insurance plan and are insured against death or disability by the insurance policies contracted by the Organization. General Service staff, except those holding temporary appointments of 60 days or less and paid on a daily basis participate in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund. Their pensionable remuneration is determined in accordance with the applicable methodology. Refer to
Pensions and Insurance for additional information.
490 General Service staff are in every sense fully fledged members of the Organization and are subject to the Staff Regulations and Staff Rules of WHO, except as otherwise stated herein. They are accorded the same respect and the same courtesies as other staff members; Administrative Review request and appeal as other staff; and have the same responsibility to conduct themselves at all times as international civil servants. Refer to
Staff Relations for additional information
500 The policy of the Organization on separation from service, whether by resignation, completion of contract, abolition of position or termination for cause, is the same for all staff. Refer to
Separation from Service for additional information.
510 When applicable, abolition of position and the related reassignment procedure will be limited to equivalent positions subject to local recruitment within the local area in which the position is to be abolished. Refer to
Abolition of Position for additional information.
Non-locally Recruited General Service Staff
520 In certain circumstances, because qualified candidates cannot be recruited locally, General Service staff may be recruited from outside the local area. They are appointed at a salary fixed in accordance with the local salary scale and receive the same allowances as locally recruited staff plus any allowances to which they may be entitled under the Staff Rules as non-locally recruited staff. If such staff are recruited outside the local area, and outside the country, they are entitled to:
i. Mobility and Hardship allowance as per Staff Rule 1310.5 payable to staff members described in Staff Rule 1310.4 in accordance with the conditions defined under Staff Rule
360. In accordance with Staff Rule
1310.5, the allowances of the Mobility and Hardship scheme may be payable to staff members described in Staff Rule 1310.4 in accordance with the conditions defined under Staff Rule
360. The allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme will be paid to non-locally recruited General Service staff members either at the dependency or single rate in the same manner as for staff at the P1 to P3 levels. In cases where a payment is generated under the mobility and hardship scheme to a non-locally recruited General Service staff member with an entitlement to non-residents allowance (by virtue of retaining an entitlement to the non-resident's allowance in effect prior to 1 September 1983), the non-resident's allowance shall be considered as subsumed under the allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme. If, however, the amount of the allowances under the mobility and hardship scheme are less than the staff member's non-resident entitlement, the difference between them shall be payable, as a personal transition allowance, until the amount of the allowances of the mobility and hardship scheme overtake the amount of the non-resident's allowance
ii. Settling-in grant under the conditions described in Staff Rule
365. The settling-in grant is composed of a per diem portion and a lump-sum portion. The conditions governing the payment of the per diem portion of the settling-in grant are indicated in
Settling-in Grant,
per diem portion. The basis for calculation of any lump-sum portion to which the staff member is entitled is as follows:
(a) For a staff member without recognized dependants: the staff member's net base monthly salary (including language allowance and other pensionable elements) at the duty station of appointment or reassignment at the grade and step applicable on the actual date of appointment or reassignment.
(b) For a staff member with recognized dependants, as (a) above, plus the monthly amount of any spouse allowance payable at the duty station of appointment or reassignment. If no spouse allowance is payable, the allowance for the first dependent child should be added instead.
iii. distribution of salary and allowances;
iv. education grant;
v. home leave;
vi. travel of spouse and children; and
vii. shipment of personal effects and removal of household goods;
viii. repatriation grant, if eligible under Staff Rule
370.
530 Entitlements resulting from non-local status (home leave, education grant, repatriation grant, etc.) are withdrawn if:
- the staff member voluntarily (i.e. by naturalization) acquires the nationality of the country of the official station; or
- the staff member's original nationality is invalidated by his/her acquiring the nationality of the country of the official station.
Within Country Redeployment
540 A Country Office, may, in agreement with the staff member, and in consultation with the Regional HR Manager (RHRM) and Regional Director, redeploy a locally-recruited staff member to another duty station within the country based on the staffing needs of the office to ensure efficient service and programme delivery.
550 This policy is applicable to staff members already on board holding a fixed-term or continuing appointment. The decision to redeploy a staff member may take the form of a lateral transfer or may be based on a competitive process. It does not apply to staff members on temporary appointment. The redeployment period will be for at least one (1) year. On redeployment, the staff member will be entitled to travel and shipment of personal effects in respect of him/herself and recognized dependants to the new duty station, as well as an allowance to assist with the installation expenses.
Travel and shipment of personal effects
560 WHO will cover the cost of travel and shipment of personal effects of the staff member and his/her recognized dependents to the new duty station.
570 The staff member will be entitled to a shipment, organized by the Office, of personal effects of 1,000 kg for himself/herself, 500 kg for his/her spouse or first dependent child, and 300 kg for each dependent child up to a maximum of six children.
580 Alternatively to the above, the staff member can request a lump sum amount as follows: US$ 3,000 for a staff member with dependents, and US 2,000 for a staff member without dependents. This lump sum is called “lump sum in lieu of shipment”.
590 Upon separation from the service, the staff member who was redeployed within country will be eligible to travel and shipment of personal effects, at the conditions and rates as set out below.
600 The lump sum in lieu of shipment option will be available upon separation provided that the staff member has served in the new duty station for a minimum of one year, and choses to return to the original duty station, namely the first duty station where the staff member was appointed by WHO on fixed term appointment.
610 The lump sum in lieu of shipment upon separation is not applicable to a staff member who is summarily dismissed.
620 A staff member who was redeployed away from the original duty station may, upon separation from WHO, choose to settle elsewhere in the country. In such a case the Organization will cover the cost of travel and shipment up to cost to the original duty station.
630 To assist with expenses related to his/her installation in the new duty station, a staff member will receive upon arrival a Redeployment Allowance equivalent to one month’s salary, based on the salary scale of the new duty station, and thirty (30) days’ per diem at the established rate of the duty station. An additional 15 days per diem will be paid for each accompanying recognized dependent for whom travel was authorized by the Organization.
Forfeiture of travel and shipment
640 Entitlements to travel and shipment will be forfeited if the staff member resigns after serving less than one year at the new duty station. The entitlements to travel and shipment will also be forfeited if the staff member fails to avail of them within a period of one year following separation from service.
Inter-organization Transfers
650 Any proposal to transfer, second or loan a General Service staff member from another United Nations organization to WHO or from WHO to another United Nations organization must be referred to Director, HRT for approvals relating to staff at Headquarters, or to the relevant DAF for approvals relating to regional staff. Any transfer is considered on its own merits with due regard to the interests of the Organization and of the individual concerned.
660 If the transfer, secondment or loan is approved, the Recruitment Specialist concerned at Headquarters or in the Regional Office as appropriate, arranges with the other organization when and under what terms it will take place (see
Inter-organization transfer, loan, secondment and III.20
Annex 4.B).
670 No offer of appointment is made to a staff member of another organization wishing to transfer to WHO until medical clearance has been granted by the Staff Physician, SHW/RSP. Recruitment is subject to satisfactory interview report and tests as necessary and to receipt of satisfactory personal and professional references.
