Yes, staff on Temporary Appointments are eligible for the non-family hardship allowance.
No. Only eligible staff assigned to duty stations with non-family designation receive the new hardship allowance. When a staff member is assigned to a family duty station, the organization has not restricted travel of family and thus this is the personal choice of the staff member. In cases where the family does not join, the staff member may avail of Family Visit travel.
This is in recognition of the fact that a single staff member has less liabilities in maintaining a second household.
The non-family hardship allowance is equivalent to the applicable dependency rate of hardship allowance in a category “E” duty station for staff with dependents, and half of the applicable single rate of the hardship allowance in a category “E” duty station for staff paid at the single rate. As is the case with the mobility and hardship allowances, the amount of the non-family hardship allowance will vary depending on dependency status and grade level.
The non-family hardship allowance is to compensate for the added financial burden and psychological hardship of keeping a second household and being away from family.
The Secretary-General’s bulletin ST/SGB/2003/14 details the Secretariat-wide policy, it applies to all nursing mothers of infants under one year of age and is not linked to national staff status. It is one of the rather straightforward policies, though local conditions in terms of facilities (“pump-room”, cold storage, etc.) may vary outside HQ and Offices away from HQ (UNON, UNOV, UNOG) and Regional Commissions).
The amount of the relocation grant, which is in lieu of shipment of personal effects, is linked to the travel of the family members. As only family members are being authorized to travel to the duty station join the staff member, that portion of the relocation grant relating to family members is payable.
Travel of family members in connection with a staff member’s appointment or assignment can be made only to the duty station that the staff member is assigned to, as the purpose of the travel to for the family to reside with the staff member at the duty station of assignment. However, children attending school outside of the duty station may be eligible for education grant travel.
Entitlements are based on the duty station where the staff member is assigned. As you are assigned to a non-family duty station, there is no entitlement to travel of your family members to the duty station or an alternative location. However, you are entitled to the non-family hardship allowance, which compensates for the added financial burden and psychological hardship of being separated from your family members.
Where a non-family mission location is designated as a family duty station internationally-recruited staff members with eligible dependents (i.e. a spouse and dependent children who would normally reside with the staff member when not serving in a non-family duty station) are eligible for travel related entitlements for family members. These include:
Initial travel of eligible family members to the duty station,
