How have the harmonized conditions of service affected staff serving in field missions?

• There are now more staff in the field serving in family duty stations. In some duty stations, there was the discrepancy whereby, in some locations, staff serving with UN agencies, funds and programmes or other UN offices could bring their families but staff serving with field missions in the same location could not. Before 1 July 2011, only about 10 % of the posts in peacekeeping and special political missions (about 680) were in family duty stations. As of 1 July 2011 this increased to approximately 30 % of the posts (over 2,000) in missions. Staff who have eligible dependents (i.e. spouse and dependent children) and who are assigned to family duty stations are able to have their eligible family members installed at their duty station, if they so wish. Eligible family members are entitled to travel related entitlements.
• For staff serving in non-family duty stations there is an additional hardship allowance (non-family hardship allowance) to compensate for the added financial burden and psychological hardship of keeping a second household and being away from family. Through the additional hardship allowance, international staff serving in non-family duty stations will be paid between $500 – $1,900 per month depending on grade and whether you are paid at the dependency rate or single rate.
• The rest and recuperation scheme is harmonized within the UN common system. International staff, as well as UN Volunteers, serving in locations with R&R, get paid for R & R travel to a designated location. However, where there is UN transportation available, travel will be provided to staff free of charge and no payment for travel costs apply. The duration of R & R travel is five consecutive calendar days not charged to annual leave plus an appropriate number of calendar days for travel time. R & R designations and cycles are harmonized across the common system.