Staff will be subject to minimum and maximum position occupancy limits that depend on the hardship level of the duty station in which they serve. The minimum position occupancy limit, which is the minimum time a staff member has to be in a position before being able to apply to vacant positions or participate in the lateral reassignment exercise, is two years in H through C duty stations and one year in D and E duty stations.[1] The maximum position occupancy limit in H and A duty stations is seven years; in B and C duty stations four years; and in D and E duty stations three years. Staff will be expected to change position by the end of their maximum position occupancy limit. If this has not been possible by that time, the Organization will assist in finding a suitable lateral reassignment for them. The calculation for position occupancy limits will include time served in the staff member’s current position; however staff members who have reached the maximum position occupancy limit when managed mobility comes into effect for their Job Network (see below for information on the implementation timeline) will not be subject to reassignment in the first year of operationalization in that Job Network.
[1] The International Civil Service Commission has placed each duty station in one of six categories. H duty stations are headquarters and similarly designated locations, where the United Nations has no development or humanitarian assistance programmes, or locations in countries which are members of the European Union. A to E duty stations are field duty stations. Duty stations are categorized on a scale of hardship from A to E, with A being the least difficult.