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Salary Scales
The remuneration of staff in the Professional and higher
categories is made up of two main elements; a base salary and post adjustment.
The Professional and higher categories comprise five Professional
levels (P-1 to P-5), two Director levels (D-1 and D-2) as well as the levels of Assistant
Secretary-General and Under Secretary-General. The scales are expressed as gross and net base
salaries and applied uniformly, worldwide, by all organizations in the United Nations common
system. Although salaries are expressed in United States
dollars, in most duty stations staff are paid part of their salary in local currency . The base
salary is obtained by deducting staff assessment from gross base salary. The current salary scale is
to be found under the following link: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/salary.htm
Post Adjustment
Post adjustment is a cost-of-living adjustment designed to achieve equivalent purchasing power for all duty stations. As the
cost-of-living varies significantly between duty stations, post adjustments are set at different levels at each duty station
so as to compensate for these differences in living costs and also the USD exchange rate. The post adjustment is expressed in
a percentage and is considered as indicative since variations may occur each month either upwards or downwards due to
currency rate fluctuations.
Post adjustment is a non-pensionable amount which is paid at a single or dependency rate, and is not subject to staff
assessment. Together, base salary and post adjustment form net remuneration. The Vacancy Announcement provides the monthly
post adjustment percentage that was current at the time of publishing. For further details about post adjustment, see
UN ICSC web site.
Benefits and Allowances
Annual Leave
Staff members accrue annual leave at the rate of 2.5 working days
per month or 30 working days per year.
Sick Leave/Maternity Leave
UNFCCC offers sick leave and maternity leave benefits in
accordance with the established United Nations rules.
Dependency allowance
For Professional and higher category staff, dependency benefits
are provided in the form of higher net salaries and
allowances for staff with dependants (dependency or "D" rate) than for those without
dependants (single or "S" rate), and by flat-rate allowances for children and secondary
dependants. To qualify as a dependant, a child must be under the age of 18, or, if in full-time
attendance at university, be under 21 years of age.
Pension Scheme
The United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) provides
retirement, disability and survivor's benefits as well as lump sum withdrawal
settlements to members of the Fund.
The conditions for entitlement to a benefit, as well as the
determination of the amount of the benefit, are governed by the Regulations of the Funds. Elements
for such determination are the length of contributory service, the amount of the final average
remuneration ( based on the best 36 months of pensionable remuneration during the last five years of
contributory service), the applicable rate of benefit accumulation per year of contributory service
and the age on separation. The staff member's
contribution to the pension scheme amounts to 7.9% of
the pensionable remuneration (which varies according to the grade and step). The secretariat's
contribution is double that of the staff member, ie. 15.8%
The United Nations Joint Service Pension Fund's web site is
www.unjspf.org
Health
Insurance
UNFCCC provides a health insurance plan (UNSMIS) for the
reimbursement of a major portion of the expenses incurred by the staff member in accordance with the
established rules. Coverage extends to all of the staff member's recognized dependants.
Recruitment Travel and Shipment of Personal
Effects
On appointment, the travel of the staff member, spouse and
dependent children is paid by UNFCCC as well as the shipment of personal effects and household goods
in accordance with the established United Nations rules.
Education Grant and Education Grant
Travel
An education grant is available to internationally recruited
staff members serving outside their home country to cover a part of the additional cost of educating
children, arising from the fact of an official's expatriation.
The grant pays 75% of the cost for attendance up to a
maximum which varies according to the currency and
country in which expenditures are incurred and which is subject to regular review. Additionally,
UNFCCC pays a flat rate for a child in a free school or boarding, if away from the duty station. The
grant is payable from primary level up to the fourth year of post-secondary studies OR the award of
the first recognized degree OR the end of the school year in which the child reaches the age of
25 - whichever comes first.
UNFCCC also pays for one outward and return journey from an
overseas educational institution to Bonn per child per
year.
Assignment Grant
An assignment grant is paid on recruitment for a period of
service to be of at least one year. The grant is intended to cover the additional costs of taking up
residence at the duty station and any pre-departure expenses incurred as a result of the
relocation.
Home Leave
What is Home Leave?
A period of annual leave taken by a staff member in order to
visit his or her home country. Home Leave travel is
intended to permit staff members and their families to renew their ties with the home country and to
restore cultural links..
Who is eligible?
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Staff member regarded as an international recruit who continues
to reside in a country other than that of which he or she is a national, while performing his or
her official duties; and
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Staff member whose service is expected to continue at least six
months beyond the date of his or her return from any proposed home leave.
How often?
Normally once in every two years of qualifying service. Staff
members and their eligible family members travelling on home leave shall be required to spend no less
than one week, excluding travel days, in the place of home leave.
Rental Subsidy
Purpose
The rental subsidy scheme is designed to provide equity in
accommodation expenses among UN staff in duty stations where rents vary considerably; and to
alleviate hardships of staff facing higher than average rent costs for reasonable standard
accommodations.
Who is Eligible?
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Professionals (Ps) and higher categories (Ds)
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Newly appointed staff (Newcomers) enjoy a seven-year
period of subsidy eligibility;
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Staff members forced to change dwelling due to circumstances
beyond their control (affected by "Force Majeur") have only a five-year subsidy
eligibility
What is reasonable maximum rent level?
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It is the yardstick against which the reasonableness of
accommodation is assessed;
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It is based on family size (i.e., recognized spouse and
dependants residing with staff member) and on a survey of rent levels in the local market. In view
of representational responsibilities, an adjustment is made in the maximum allowable rent for D-1
and higher staff;
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If actual rent paid by staff member exceeds the applicable
maximum reasonable rent, the latter is used in the subsidy formula
What is a rental subsidy?
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Subsidy rates provided for the portion of the rent (subject to
reasonable maximum rent level) exceeding the individual rental subsidy threshold vary as
follows:
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1st
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2nd
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3rd
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4th
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5th
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6th
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7th
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Reimbursement Rates
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year
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year
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year
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year
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year
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year
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year
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Newcomers
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80%
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80%
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80%
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80%
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60%
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40%
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20%
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Force majeur
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80%
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80%
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60%
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40%
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20%
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What is a subsidy for an agent's fee?
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A subsidy to cover an agent's fee will be only issued once
to staff qualifying for a rental subsidy.
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The subsidy will not affect the seven or five-year eligibility
period and will be treated as a one-time rental expenditure using the rental subsidy
formula;
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Only licensed rental agents/brokers' fees
qualify;
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The subsidy request must be included in the original rental
subsidy application;
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Should the rent upon which the fee is calculated exceed the
reasonable maximum rent level, only the portion of the fee corresponding to the latter will be
subject to the rental subsidy formula.
When does the subsidy not apply?
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The period during which a staff member is on a UN mission
assignment and continues to receive emoluments of the parent duty station;
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The period during which a staff member is receiving Daily
Subsistence Allowance (DSA) instead of post adjustment, usually the first 30 days following arrival
in a duty station;
What is a standard rental subsidy?
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80% of portion of rent exceeding the individual rental subsidy
threshold;
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Up to max.40% of rent.
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Normally payable in local currency.
When to submit a rental subsidy application form? A copy
of lease or receipt
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Upon arrival at the new duty station;
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When a change of accommodation occurs;
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When a change in rent occurs;
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When changes in family size occur (dependency status) following
marriage, birth or adoption, spouse/children joining staff member at duty station.
Mobility and hardship scheme
The mobility and hardship allowance is designed to encourage mobility between duty stations and
compensate for service at difficult locations.
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