Frequently Asked Questions

Whilst preferences made at the time of application will be taken into account where possible for all YPP recruits, all successful candidates must be prepared to accept the first position offered to them. Failure to do so will mean that they are removed from the list of successful candidates and made no further offers.

Subject to your supervisor’s approval, staff should be allowed to take the YPP examination without having to take annual leave. Preparation for the examination should be done outside of work hours, or during leave.

During periods of SLWOP, staff members retain their status as international civil servants with all obligations this entails. Therefore, SLWOP is not normally granted to provide staff members with an avenue to pursue employment in other UN or non-UN entities but rather is granted for work-life balance, to accompany a spouse to a different duty station, etc. Should a staff member during the period of his or her SLWOP be presented with an opportunity to engage in outside employment/activities, he or she must request approval to engage in such activity.

Except for sabbatical leave, staff members are required to address a memorandum through their Chief to their Director/ASG for approval. The approved memorandum is then forwarded to the Executive Office for administrative action. Depending on the request, it may be further reviewed by OHR.

Staff on secondment who maintain a lien on their post have certain “return rights” as stated below in the Administrative Issuance on Staff Selection (ST/AI/2010/3 – section 6.7). Please note that OHR is revising this issuance which will address the issue of “return rights”.

There will be no change for NCRE candidates who were appointed before the implementation of the YPP and have already attended their orientation.

Those who have not been placed yet, will be invited to the same orientation as the YPP candidates and will participate in a rotation programme after having normally served in the Organization at the Professional level for two years.

As outlined in staff rule 5.3 (a) (i), Special Leave without Pay (SLWOP) may be granted at the request of a staff member holding a fixed-term or continuing appointment. It is usually envisaged for advanced study or research in the interest of the United Nations, to meet personal obligations, such as for child-care in cases of extended illness, or for other important reasons, and for such period of time as the Secretary-General may prescribe. Requests for SLWOP are reviewed on their merits and approved on the basis of the interest of the Organization.

Mobility allowance is payable to staff in the P and FS categories. To qualify for payment of the mobility allowance, a staff member must have five years’ prior consecutive service as a staff member in the United Nations or another organization of the common system. Service credited towards the five-year requirement may include service as a GS or NO staff member.

Rental subsidy is an integral part of post adjustment. If an internationally-recruited staff member at Headquarters goes on assignment to a field mission which involves a change of duty station, on return from assignment he/she would have a new change of duty station and be again installed at the Headquarters duty station. He or she would be eligible to apply for rental subsidy.

For the purpose of payment of salary and allowances, General Service staff members who are assigned to a non-family duty station are temporarily converted to the Field Service level for the duration of their assignment. The staff member’s pensionable remuneration, however, will remain at the General Service level. Upon return to the parent duty station, the staff will revert to their General Service level.