Salaries and related allowances

Article III

Regulation 3.1

         Salaries of staff members shall be fixed by the Secretary-General in accordance with the provisions of annex I to the present Regulations.

Regulation 3.2

         (a)    The Secretary-General shall establish terms and conditions under which an education grant shall be available to a staff member residing and serving outside his or her recognized home country whose dependent child is in full-time attendance at a school, university or similar educational institution of a type that will, in the opinion of the Secretary-General, facilitate the child’s reassimilation in the staff member’s recognized home country. The grant shall be payable in respect of the child up to the end of the school year in which the child completes four years of post-secondary studies or attains a first post-secondary degree, whichever comes first, subject to the upper age limit of 25 years. Admissible expenses actually incurred shall be reimbursed based on a sliding scale, subject to a maximum grant as approved by the General Assembly. Under conditions established by the Secretary-General, travel costs for the child of a staff member in receipt of assistance with boarding expenses and attending school at the primary and secondary levels may also be paid for an outward and return journey once in each scholastic year between the educational institution and the duty station. Such travel shall be by a route approved by the Secretary-General but not in an amount exceeding the cost of such a journey between the home country and the duty station;

         (b)    Under conditions established by the Secretary-General, assistance for boarding-related expenses shall be provided to staff members serving in duty stations other than those classified as headquarters duty stations and whose children are boarding to attend school outside the duty station at the primary and secondary levels, at an amount approved by the General Assembly. The Secretary-General may establish conditions under which boarding assistance may exceptionally be granted to staff members serving at headquarters duty stations whose children are boarding to attend school outside the duty station at the primary and secondary levels;

         (c)    The Secretary-General shall also establish terms and conditions under which an education grant shall be available to a staff member serving in a country whose language is different from his or her own and who is obliged to pay tuition for the teaching of the mother tongue to a dependent child attending a local school in which the instruction is given in a language other than his or her own;

         (d)    The Secretary-General shall also establish terms and conditions under which an education grant shall be available to a staff member whose child is unable, by reason of physical or mental disability, to attend a normal educational institution and therefore requires special teaching or training to prepare him or her for full integration into society or, while attending a normal educational institution, requires special teaching or training to assist him or her in overcoming the disability. The amount of this grant per year for each disabled child shall be equal to 100 per cent of the education expenses actually incurred, up to a maximum amount approved by the General Assembly.

Regulation 3.3

         (a)    An assessment at the rates and under the conditions specified below shall be applied to the salaries and such other emoluments of staff members as are computed on the basis of salary, excluding post adjustments, provided that the Secretary-General may, where he or she deems it advisable, exempt from the assessment the salaries and emoluments of staff members engaged at locality rates;

         (b)    (i)     The assessment shall be calculated at the following rates for staff members whose salary rates are set forth in paragraphs 1 and 3 of annex I to the present Regulations:

                 Staff assessment rates used in conjunction with pensionable remuneration and pensions (effective 1 January 2019)

Total assessable payments

(United States dollars)

Staff assessment rates used in conjunction with 
pensionable remuneration and pensions
(percentage)

 

 

First 20,000 per year..........................................

19

Next 20,000 per year..........................................

23

Next 20,000 per year..........................................

26

Next 20,000 per year..........................................

28

Remaining assessable amount ................................

29

 

                     Staff assessment rates used in conjunction with gross base salaries (effective 1 January 2017)

Assessable payments

(United States dollars)

Staff assessment rates used in conjunction with gross base salaries 

(percentage)

 

 

First 50,000 per year..........................................

17

Next 50,000 per year..........................................

24

Next 50,000 per year..........................................

30

Remaining assessable payments...............................

34

         (ii)    The assessment shall be calculated at the following rates for staff members whose salary rates are established under paragraph 7 of annex I to the present Regulations:

                     Staff assessment rates used in conjunction with pensionable remuneration and pensions (effective 1 January 2019)

Total assessable payments

(United States dollars)

Staff assessment rates used in conjunction with
pensionable remuneration and pensions (percentage)

 

 

First 20,000 per year..........................................

19

Next 20,000 per year..........................................

23

Next 20,000 per year..........................................

26

Next 20,000 per year..........................................

28

Remaining assessable amount.................................

29

         (iii)   The Secretary-General shall determine which of the scales of assessment set out in subparagraphs (i) and (ii) above shall apply to each of the groups of personnel whose salary rates are established under paragraph 6 of annex I to the present Regulations;

         (iv)   In the case of staff members whose salary scales are established in currencies other than United States dollars, the relevant amounts to which the assessment applies shall be fixed at the local currency equivalent of the above-mentioned dollar amounts at the time the salary scales of the staff member concerned are approved;

         (c)    In the case of a person who is not employed by the United Nations for the whole of a calendar year or in cases where there is a change in the annual rate of payments made to a staff member, the rate of assessment shall be governed by the annual rate of each such payment made to him or her;

         (d)    The assessment computed under the foregoing provisions of the present regulation shall be collected by the United Nations by withholding it from payments. No part of the assessment so collected shall be refunded because of cessation of employment during the calendar year;

         (e)    Revenue derived from staff assessment not otherwise disposed of by specific resolution of the General Assembly shall be credited to the Tax Equalization Fund established by Assembly resolution 973 A (X);

         (f)     Where a staff member is subject both to staff assessment under this plan and to national income taxation in respect of the salaries and emoluments paid to him or her by the United Nations, the Secretary-General is authorized to refund to him or her the amount of staff assessment collected from him or her provided that:

         (i)     The amount of such refund shall in no case exceed the amount of his or her income taxes paid and payable in respect of his or her United Nations income. The amount of such refund shall not include tax credits applied to income taxes paid and payable in respect of his or her United Nations income;

         (ii)    If the amount of such income taxes exceeds the amount of staff assessment, the Secretary-General may also pay to the staff member the amount of such excess;

         (iii)   Payments made in accordance with the provisions of the present regulation shall be charged to the Tax Equalization Fund;

         (iv)   A payment under the conditions prescribed in the three preceding subparagraphs is authorized in respect of dependency benefits and post adjustments, which are not subject to staff assessment but may be subject to national income taxation.

Regulation 3.4

         Staff members whose salary rates are set forth in paragraphs 1 and 3 of annex I to the present Regulations shall be entitled to receive a dependent spouse allowance in the amount of 6 per cent of net base salary plus post adjustment, under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Regulation 3.5

         Staff members without a spouse whose salary rates are set forth in paragraphs 1 and 3 of annex I to the present Regulations shall be entitled to a single parent allowance in respect of the first dependent child in the amount of 6 per cent of net base salary plus post adjustment, under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Regulation 3.6

         (a)    Staff members whose salary rates are set forth in paragraphs 1 and 3 of annex I to the present Regulations shall be entitled to receive dependency allowances for a dependent child, for a disabled child and for a secondary dependant at rates approved by the General Assembly as follows:

         (i)     The staff member shall receive an allowance for each dependent child, except that the allowance shall not be paid in respect of the first dependent child if the staff member receives a single parent allowance under regulation 3.5;

         (ii)    The staff member shall receive a special allowance for each disabled child. However, if the staff member is entitled to the single parent allowance under regulation 3.5 in respect of a disabled child, the allowance shall be the same as the allowance for a dependent child in subparagraph (i) above;

         (iii)   Where there is no dependent spouse, a single annual allowance shall be paid for a secondary dependant in respect of either a dependent parent, a dependent brother or a dependent sister;

         (b)    If both husband and wife are staff members, one may claim, for dependent children, under subparagraph (a) (i) and (ii) above, in which case the other may claim only under subparagraph (a) (iii) above, if otherwise entitled;

         (c)    With a view to avoiding duplication of benefits and in order to achieve equality between staff members who receive dependency benefits under applicable laws in the form of governmental grants and staff members who do not receive such dependency benefits, the Secretary-General shall prescribe conditions under which the dependency allowance for a child specified in subparagraph (a) (i) above and regulation 3.5 shall be payable only to the extent that the dependency benefits enjoyed by the staff member or his or her spouse under applicable laws amount to less than such a dependency allowance;

         (d)    Staff members whose salary rates are set by the Secretary-General under paragraph 6 or paragraph 7 of annex I to the present Regulations shall be entitled to receive dependency allowances at rates and under conditions determined by the Secretary-General, due regard being given to the circumstances in the locality in which the office is located;

         (e)    Claims for dependency allowances shall be submitted in writing and supported by evidence satisfactory to the Secretary-General. A separate claim for dependency allowances shall be made each year.

Chapter III

Rule 3.1

Salary scales

         (a)    The Secretary-General shall publish the salary scales, pensionable remuneration and conditions of salary increments for all categories of staff members.

         (b)    The Secretary-General may establish special conditions of employment applicable to language staff in the Professional category appointed for specific temporary assignments.

         (c)    The transitional measures governing the salary scales and pensionable remuneration are subject to the provisions of staff rule 13.1 (Salary scales).

Rule 3.2

Salary step increments

         (a)    Satisfactory service for the purpose of awarding a salary step increment shall be defined, unless otherwise decided by the Secretary-General in any particular case, by satisfactory performance and conduct of staff members.

         (b)    Salary step increments shall be effective on the first day of the pay period in which the service requirements are completed. No step increment shall be paid in the case of staff members whose services will cease during the month in which the step increment would otherwise have been due.

         (c)    If a staff member with satisfactory service changes level downwards, the period of service since the last step increment shall be credited towards the next step increment within the lower level.

         (d)    If a staff member whose service has not been satisfactory is demoted to a lower level, the staff member’s eligibility for salary step increment in the lower level will be based on satisfactory service at the lower level.

Rule 3.3

Salary policy

         (a)    On appointment, or on selection to a different category, staff members shall normally be placed at the first step of the level of their post, unless otherwise decided by the Secretary-General.

         (b)    On selection for a new position at a higher level within the same category, staff members who hold a fixed-term or a continuing appointment shall be placed at the lowest step of the level to which they have been assigned that provides an increase in net base salary equal to at least the amount that would have resulted from the granting of two steps at the lower level, unless otherwise decided by the Secretary-General.

Rule 3.4

Pensionable remuneration

         (a)    The definition of pensionable remuneration is set out in article 51 of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund.

         (b)    The pensionable remuneration of staff members in the Field Service category shall be established in the same manner as for staff in the Professional and higher categories.

         (c)    When a staff member from the General Service and related categories is recruited to the Professional category and this results in a reduction of the pensionable remuneration, the level of pensionable remuneration reached prior to the change in category shall be maintained until it is surpassed by that applicable to the staff member’s grade and step in the Professional category. Contributions payable in accordance with article 25 of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund shall be based on either:

         (i)     The pensionable remuneration of the staff member used to determine such contributions at the time of change in category; or

         (ii)    The pensionable remuneration applicable to the staff member’s grade and step in the Professional category;

whichever is higher.

Rule 3.5

Dependency allowances
Definitions

         (a)    For the purposes of the Staff Regulations and Rules:

         (i)     A “dependent spouse” is a spouse whose earnings, if any, do not exceed the lowest entry level of the United Nations General Service gross salary scales in force on 1 January of the year concerned for the duty station in the country of the spouse’s place of work. In the case of staff in the Professional and higher categories and in the Field Service category, the entry level amount referenced shall not at any duty station be less than the equivalent of the lowest entry level salary at the base of the salary system (G-2, step I, for New York);

         (ii)    A “child” is any of the following children for whom the staff member provides main and continuing support:

                   a.      A staff member’s natural or legally adopted child; or

                   b.      A staff member’s stepchild who is residing with the staff member; or

                   c.      A child who cannot be legally adopted, for whom the staff member has legal responsibility and who is residing with the staff member;

         (iii)   A “dependent child” is a child for whom the staff member provides main and continuing support and who meets one of the following criteria:

                   a.      The child is under the age of 18 years;

                   b.      The child is between the ages of 18 and 21 years and attends university or its equivalent full-time; the requirement of residing with the staff member does not apply in this case;

                   c.      The child is of any age and has a disability as medically determined by the Secretary-General as being permanent or for a period that is expected to be long-term that prevents substantial gainful employment;

         (iv)   Staff members claiming a child as a dependant must certify that they provide main and continuous support. This certification must be supported by documentary evidence under conditions established by the Secretary-General, if a child:

                   a.     Does not reside with the staff member;

                   b.     Is married; or

                   c.      Is recognized as a dependant under subparagraph (a) (iii) c. above;

         (v)    A parent or a sibling of a staff member shall be considered as a secondary dependant if the staff member provides such a person with not less than half of that person’s financial resources, and in any case with not less than twice the amount of the dependency allowance. The conditions regarding age, school attendance and disability are the same for a sibling as those applicable to a staff member’s child in subparagraph (iii) above.

 Amount of dependency allowances

         (b)    The dependency allowances, which are applicable to the different categories of staff, shall be payable in accordance with the applicable rates published by the Secretary-General:

         (i)     Dependent spouse allowance: a dependent spouse allowance in the amount of 6 per cent of net base salary plus post adjustment shall be paid to a staff member in the Professional and higher categories and in the Field Service category with a recognized dependent spouse, under conditions established by the Secretary-General;

         (ii)    Single parent allowance: a staff member in the Professional and higher categories and in the Field Service category recognized as a single parent shall receive a single parent allowance in the amount of 6 per cent of net base salary plus post adjustment in respect of the first dependent child, under conditions established by the Secretary-General. A staff member who receives a single parent allowance in respect of the first dependent child shall not be eligible for payment of a child allowance for that child;

         (iii)   Dependent child allowance: eligible staff members shall receive a dependent child allowance for each recognized dependent child, under conditions established by the Secretary-General. Subject to the provisions of staff regulations 3.5 and 3.6 (a), the full amount of the dependency allowance provided under those regulations and under the Staff Rules in respect of a dependent child shall be payable, except where the staff members or their spouse receives a direct governmental grant in respect of the same child. Where such a governmental grant is made, the dependent child allowance or single parent allowance payable under this rule shall be the approximate amount by which the governmental grant is less than the dependent child allowance or single parent allowance set out under the Staff Regulations and Rules. No dependency allowance is payable if the governmental grant is equal to or exceeds the rate set out under the Staff Regulations and Rules;

         (iv)   Secondary dependent allowance: a secondary dependency allowance shall be paid in respect of not more than one secondary dependent and such payment shall not be made when a payment is being made for a dependent spouse. Staff members in the General Service and related categories shall receive a dependency allowance with respect to a secondary dependant when local conditions and/or the practices of comparator employers call for the establishment of such an allowance, under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

         (c)    Staff members shall be responsible for reporting to the Secretary-General any change in the status of a dependant that may affect the payment of dependency allowances.

Rule 3.6

Post adjustment

         (a)    Post adjustment is an amount paid to staff members serving in the Professional and higher categories and in the Field Service category to ensure equity in purchasing power across duty stations.

         (b)    While the salaries of staff members in the Professional and higher categories and in the Field Service category are normally subject to the post adjustment of their duty station during assignments for one year or more, alternative arrangements may be made by the Secretary-General under the following circumstances:

         (i)     When staff members are assigned to a duty station whose post adjustment classification is lower than that of their previous duty station, they may continue to receive for up to six months the post adjustment applicable to the previous duty station while at least one member of their immediate family (spouse and children) remains at that duty station;

         (ii)    When staff members are assigned for three months or less to a United Nations field mission or for less than six months elsewhere, the Secretary-General shall decide whether to apply the post adjustment applicable to the duty station and to pay entitlements applicable when there is a change of official duty station or, in lieu of the above, to authorize appropriate payments of the daily subsistence allowance.

Rule 3.7

Rental subsidy

         (a)    Internationally recruited staff members who incur higher-than-average rent costs for reasonable standard accommodations will be paid a supplement to the post adjustment in the form of a rental subsidy under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

         (b)    When staff members are assigned to a new duty station and they continue to receive the post adjustment of the previous duty station under the provisions of staff rule 3.6 (b) (i), they may claim the previous post adjustment and rental subsidy applicable to the previous duty station for up to six months while at least one member of their immediate family (spouse and children) remains at that duty station.

Rule 3.8

Language allowance

         (a)    Staff members in the General Service, Security Service or Trades and Crafts category, or in the Field Service category up to and including the FS-5 level, holding a fixed-term or a continuing appointment may be entitled to a pensionable language allowance, under rates and conditions determined by the Secretary-General, provided that they have demonstrated proficiency in two or more United Nations official languages as follows:

         (i)     Staff members whose mother tongue is one of the official languages of the United Nations must successfully pass the prescribed test in any other official United Nations language, which may be the language in which proficiency is required for the purpose of their appointment;

         (ii)    Staff members whose mother tongue is not one of the official United Nations languages must successfully pass the prescribed test in any official United Nations language other than the one in which proficiency is required for the purpose of their appointment.

         (b)    Staff members already in receipt of a language allowance under paragraph (a) above shall be entitled to receive a second such pensionable allowance, equal to half of the amount of the first, provided that they have demonstrated proficiency by passing the prescribed test in a third official language.

         (c)    The language allowance shall be taken into account in determining United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund, medical and group insurance contributions; overtime and night differential compensation; and payments and indemnities on separation.

Rule 3.9

Education grant
Definitions

         (a)    For the purposes of the present rule:

         (i)     “Child” means a child of a staff member who is dependent on the staff member for main and continuing support as defined in staff rule 3.5 (a) (ii) and 3.5 (a) (iii);

         (ii)    “Child with a disability” means a child who has been medically determined by the Secretary-General as being unable, for reasons of physical or mental disability, to attend a regular educational institution and who requires special teaching or training to prepare the child for full integration into society or, while attending a regular educational institution, who requires special teaching or training to assist the child in overcoming the disability;

         (iii)   “Home country” means the country of home leave of the staff member under staff rule 5.4 (Home leave). If both parents are eligible staff members, “home country” means the country of home leave of either parent;

         (iv)   “Duty station” means the country, or area within commuting distance notwithstanding national boundaries, where the staff member is serving.

Eligibility

         (b)    Subject to conditions established by the Secretary-General, a staff member who holds a fixed-term or a continuing appointment shall be entitled to an education grant in respect of each child, provided that:

         (i)     The staff members are regarded as international recruits under staff rule 4.5 (Staff in posts subject to international recruitment) and reside and serves at a duty station which is outside their home country; and

         (ii)    The child is in full-time attendance at a school, university or similar educational institution.

         (c)    Notwithstanding the eligibility criteria set out in paragraph (b) above, if staff members eligible to receive the education grant are reassigned to a duty station within their home country in the course of a school year, they may receive the education grant for the balance of that school year under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Duration

         (d)    The duration as regulated under staff regulation 3.2 on the education grant may be extended if the child’s education is interrupted for at least one school year by mandatory national service, illness or other compelling reasons. In such cases, the period of eligibility shall be extended by the period of interruption.

Amount of grant

         (e)    The amount to which a staff member may be entitled under the grant is set out in appendix B to the present Rules.

         (f)     The amount of the grant to be paid when the staff member’s period of service or the child’s school attendance does not cover the full school year shall be prorated under conditions established by the Secretary-General. If a staff member in receipt of the education grant dies while in service during the school year, the full entitlement for that particular school year shall be granted.

Travel

         (g)    When a staff member is entitled to boarding assistance in respect of a child under paragraph (ii) or (iii) of appendix B to the present Rules, the staff member shall be entitled to travel expenses for the child for one outward and return journey each scholastic year between the educational institution and the duty station, under conditions established by the Secretary-General. If travel to the duty station by the child is not possible, one outward and return journey by the staff member or spouse may be authorized in lieu of travel by the child, under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Special education grant for a child with a disability

         (h)    A special education grant for a child with a disability shall be available to staff members in all categories, whether serving in their home country or not, provided that they hold a fixed-term or a continuing appointment. The amount to which a staff member is entitled under the grant is set out in appendix B to the present Rules, under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Claims

         (i)     Education grant claims shall be made in accordance with conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Rule 3.10

Special post allowance

         (a)    Staff members shall be expected to assume temporarily, as a normal part of their customary work and without extra compensation, the duties and responsibilities of higher-level posts.

         (b)    Without prejudice to the principle that selection to a higher-level position under staff rule 4.15 (Senior review bodies and central review bodies) shall be the normal means of recognizing increased responsibilities and demonstrated ability, staff members holding a fixed-term or continuing appointment who assume the full duties and responsibilities of a post at a clearly recognizable higher level than their own for a temporary period exceeding three months may, in exceptional cases, be granted a non-pensionable special post allowance from the beginning of the fourth month of service at the higher level.

         (c)    In the case of a staff member holding a fixed-term or continuing appointment who is assigned to serve in a mission, or when a staff member in the General Service category is required to serve in a higher-level post in the Professional category, or when a staff member in any category holding a fixed-term or continuing appointment is required to serve in a post which is classified more than one level above the staff member’s level, the allowance may be paid immediately when the staff member assumes the higher duties and responsibilities.

         (d)    The amount of the special post allowance shall be equivalent to the salary increase (including post adjustment and dependency allowances, if any) which the staff member would have received had the staff member been promoted to the next higher level.

Rule 3.11

Mobility incentive

         (a)    The purpose of the mobility incentive is to encourage movement of staff members to duty stations classified as A to E in accordance with the classification of duty stations established by the International Civil Service Commission.

         (b)    Staff members in the Professional and higher categories, in the Field Service category, and internationally recruited staff in the General Service category pursuant to staff rule 4.5 (c) may be paid a non-pensionable mobility incentive provided that they:

         (i)     Hold a fixed-term or continuing appointment; and

         (ii)    Are on an assignment of one year or more to a new duty station classified as A to E by the International Civil Service Commission; and

         (iii)   Have served for five consecutive years or more on a fixed-term or continuing appointment in the United Nations common system of salaries and allowances.

         (c)    The mobility incentive shall be discontinued upon five continuous years at the same duty station. In the exceptional case of staff members who remained at the same duty station for more than five years at the explicit request of the Organization or for compelling humanitarian reasons, the mobility incentive shall be payable for one additional year, but in no case for more than a total of six years.

         (d)    The amount of the mobility incentive, if any, and the conditions under which it will be paid, shall be determined after taking into account the number of duty stations at which staff members have previously served for a period of one year or longer and the hardship classification of the new duty station to which staff members are assigned.

Rule 3.12

Hardship allowance

         (a)    The purpose of the hardship allowance is to compensate for the hardship experienced by staff members serving in duty stations classified as B to E by the International Civil Service Commission.

         (b)    Staff in the Professional and higher categories and in the Field Service category, and staff in the General Service category considered internationally recruited pursuant to staff rule 4.5 (c) who are appointed or reassigned to a new duty station may be paid a non-pensionable hardship allowance.

         (c)    The amount of this allowance, if any, and the conditions under which it will be paid shall be determined by the Secretary-General taking into account the degree of difficulty of life and work at each duty station in accordance with the classification of duty stations established by the International Civil Service Commission.

Rule 3.13

Non-family service allowance

         (a)    The non-family service allowance is an incentive for staff members to undertake assignments at non-family locations and recognizes the increased level of financial and psychological hardship incurred by involuntary separation from their families, including additional service-related costs.

         (b)    Staff in the Professional and higher categories and in the Field Service category and staff in the General Service category considered internationally recruited pursuant to staff rule 4.5 (c) who are appointed or reassigned to a non-family duty station may be paid a non-pensionable non-family service allowance.

         (c)    The amount and conditions under which the allowance will be paid shall be determined by the Secretary-General. When a duty station has been designated as non-family, the presence of eligible family members of the staff member shall not be authorized at the duty station, unless exceptionally approved by the Secretary-General. In no event shall the allowance be payable if the Secretary-General has exceptionally approved the presence of eligible family members of the staff member at the duty station.

Rule 3.14

Salary advances

         (a)    Salary advances may be made to staff members under the following circumstances and conditions:

         (i)     In cases where new staff members arrive without sufficient funds, in such amount as the Secretary-General may deem appropriate;

         (ii)    In exceptional and compelling circumstances, and if the request of the staff member is supported by a detailed justification in writing.

         (b)    Salary advances shall be recovered at a constant rate as determined at the time the advance is authorized, in consecutive pay periods, commencing not later than the period following that in which the advance is made.

Rule 3.15

Retroactivity of payments

         (a)    The Organization shall make retroactive payments:

         (i)     In cases where staff members have not received their regular pay, through no fault of their own, in the amount due; and

         (ii)    Upon separation from service, where final settlement of pay accounts cannot be made at the time of departure, subject to the payment not exceeding 80 per cent of the estimated final net payments due;

         (b)    Staff members who have not been receiving an allowance, grant or other payment to which they are entitled shall not receive retroactively such allowance, grant or payment unless the staff members have made a written claim within one year following the date on which the staff member would have been entitled to the initial payment, except in the case of the cancellation or modification of the staff rule governing eligibility, in which case the written claim must be made within three months following the date of such cancellation or modification.

Rule 3.16

Deductions and contributions

         (a)    Staff assessment shall be deducted, each pay period, from the total payments due to each staff member, at the rates and subject to the conditions prescribed in staff regulation 3.3.

         (b)    Contributions of staff members who are participating in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund shall be deducted, each pay period, from the total payments due to them.

         (c)    The Organization shall take voluntary action to provide effective relief for unpaid family support obligations pursuant to final court orders by making deductions from salaries and other emoluments in respect of the amounts reflected in such final court orders, under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

         (d)    Deductions from salaries and other emoluments may also be made for:

         (i)     Contributions, other than to the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund, for which provision is made under the present Rules;

         (ii)    Indebtedness to the United Nations;

         (iii)   Indebtedness to other third parties not involving family support court orders when any deduction for this purpose is authorized by the Secretary-General;

         (iv)   Housing provided by the Organization or another entity, including a government or a non-government source, when the housing is either free of charge or with a rental cost substantially lower than the average rent used in calculating the post adjustment index for the duty station;

         (v)    Contributions to a staff representative body established pursuant to staff regulation 8.1 or any other United Nations entity, provided that staff members have the opportunity to withhold their consent to or at any time to discontinue such deduction, by notice to the Secretary-General;

         (vi)   Facilities and service fees applied for use of United Nations premises or services.

Rule 3.17

Recruitment incentive

         An incentive payment for the recruitment of experts in highly specialized fields in instances in which the Organization was unable to attract suitably qualified personnel may be made under conditions to be prescribed by the Secretary-General. The amount of the recruitment incentive shall not exceed 25 per cent of the annual net base salary for each year of the agreed appointment.