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Home Leave

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Duties, Obligations and Privileges
- Standards of Conduct
  - UNDP Legal Framework for Addressing Non-Compliance with UN Standards of Conduct
- Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Abuse of Authority
  - Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Abuse of Authority
Classification of Posts
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  - Relocation Shipment
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Focal Point

Yuichi Kawamoto

Effective Date

01/12/2021

Planned Review Date

05/03/2027

Version

7.0

Latest updates

March 05, 2024 - The Home Leave policy has been updated with minor edits to align with relevant changes in the UN Staff Rules, while updating references and gender-neutralizing the language (no substantive change).

January 09, 2023 - The procedures have been updated to reflect UNDP's transition to its new cloud-based management platform Quantum in January 2023, replacing its previous ATLAS system.

March 18, 2022 - The Home Leave policy procedures were updated in steps 6 and 8 to clarify the staff member’s obligation to inform GSSC/BES o

March 05, 2024 - The Home Leave policy has been updated with minor edits to align with relevant changes in the UN Staff Rules, while updating references and gender-neutralizing the language (no substantive change).

January 09, 2023 - The procedures have been updated to reflect UNDP's transition to its new cloud-based management platform Quantum in January 2023, replacing its previous ATLAS system.

March 18, 2022 - The Home Leave policy procedures were updated in steps 6 and 8 to clarify the staff member’s obligation to inform GSSC/BES of changes to the scheduled home leave travel. In addition, staff who do not certify their home leave travel within 90 days from return, will have their home leave lump-sum recovered.

November 09, 2021 - The home leave policy was updated to permanently increase the ceiling of home leave points from 40 to 48 and to clarify that the 7 day minimum stay in home country include both the arrival and departure dates. Effective 1 December 2021.

April 08, 2020 - The Home Leave policy is now available in Spanish. To access the document, click on the Spanish language tab.

December 09, 2019 - Paragraph 62 in the Home Leave policy and Section 8 in the procedures have been updated to align the requirements for post-travel Home Leave certification and documentation by staff members.

October 05, 2018 - The Home Leave policy is available in French. To access the document, click on the French language tab.

January 01, 2018 - The Home Leave policy has been updated to clarify who is eligible for home leave and to provide additional guidance on how to provide proof of travel. More specifically, an internationally recruited staff member is not eligible for home leave when:
a) He/she is serving and residing in the country recognized as his/her country of nationality for UN purposes, in accordance with Staff Rule 4.3;
b) He/she is serving and residing in the country where he/she is exceptionally authorized to retain his/her permanent resident status, in accordance with Staff Rule 4.5 (d);
staff members are required to upload supporting documents into eServices to provide evidence that they have complied with the required minimum length of stay in their home country. These documents must be retained for two years and failure to produce such evidence when requested to do so may lead to the recovery of the amounts paid on account of the home leave.

July 01, 2016 - The revised policy and procedures are effective July 01, 2016. The revision was made based on UN new compensation package for internationally-recruited staff members.

June 01, 2016 - SOA is no longer applicable.

January 01, 2014 - Reviewed and edited (minor edit without substantive changes).

EXPAND

Relevant Regulations and Rules

Staff regulations and staff rules, including provisional staff rules, of the United Nations

This policy implements UN Staff Regulation 5.3 and Staff Rule 5.2.

Policies

Main Policy

Home Leave

DOCX (83.17 KB)

View Download

Procedures

Main Procedures

1

Steps

Request Home Leave travel

Responsible Party

Staff

Template/Guideline

Request for Home Leave Travel (Paper form)

Download

Off-Line Certification Form

Download

Home Leave Travel Record Card

Download

UNALL

Explanatory Notes

The HL period will be charged to the annual leave balance less allowable travel time. Except in cases where SM is on SLWOP/SLWFP/ML or other.
The HL request should be submitted in advance of travel.
Staff members who:

-have access to UNALL and is taking HL in conjunction with AL must apply for HL from the leave module’ and the supervisor receives a request for approval via email;

-do not have access to the leave module within UNALL must continue to request HL manually using the appropriate forms (see Paper Form).

-Staff members taking HL in conjunction with SLWOP; ML/SLWFP or other must continue to request HL manually using appropriate forms and ensure that SLWOP, ML and SLWFP is granted as per policy frameworks.

2

Steps

Request Home Leave travel in conjunction with Reassignment

Responsible Party

Staff

Template/Guideline

Request for Home Leave Travel (Paper form)

Download

Off-Line Certification Form

Download

Home Leave Travel Record Card

Download

UNALL

Explanatory Notes

The First leg of travel considered HL period will be charged to the annual leave balance less allowable travel time.
The HL request should be submitted in advance of travel.
Second Leg of travel will be considered under Monetized travel.

For calculating the costs of the tickets for a Home Leave travel in conjunction with reassignment, the first leg of the travel will be processed in accordance with Home Leave travel procedures but at 100 percent of the cost of the unrestricted economy fare by the least costly scheduled air carrier and by the most direct route.

The second leg of the travel will be processed in accordance with the procedures for monetization of reassignment travel.

The travel entitlement from the Home Leave destination to the newly assigned duty station is to be based on the travel time from the current duty station, to the new duty station. When the travel time between the current duty station and the new duty station is less than 9 hours, the entitlement for the travel from the HL city to the new duty station is in economy class without regard to the actual travel time between the two cities.

For purposes of calculating the cost, the "prime travel" is the less costly and unrestricted economy class air fare for travel between the current duty station and the place of reassignment.

The “additional cost for HL” is the fare difference between the “prime travel” and the unrestricted economy class air fare to travel from the current duty station to the place of HL.

3

Steps

Approve staff member’s absence from the office

Responsible Party

Supervisor

Template/Guideline

eServices

Explanatory Notes

Absence should be approved in accordance with the office’s leave plan
After approving the request for HL, the supervisor sends it to the HR focal point via:

-for staff using the leave module in UNALL an automated message will go to the respective HR focal point (HQ based staff, HR focal point is BES in GSSC; CO based staff HR Focal point is HR in Country office); or
-a manual form for staff or scenarios not covered by eServices.

4

Steps

Approval by HR focal point after verifying eligibility and calculating credit points accrued

Responsible Party

BES/GSSC

Template/Guideline

Explanatory Notes

The HR Focal point checks staff member and eligible family eligibility for HL Travel.
The HR focal point refer to the HL Checklist for review of eligibility
The HR Focal point approves the HL request in UNALL or form as applicable and insert/adjust for the allowable Travel time
Staff member is notified of the approval of eligibility
The staff member must hold international appointment: PA, FTA or TA (only international TA holders who serve at a 12-month HL cycle duty station and who areexceptionally extended beyond the first 364 days may be eligible). He/she should be residing in a country other than his/her UN-recognized nationality or place of Home Leave. Note: If the staff member is a permanent resident in the country of the duty station, he/she is not entitled to HL while serving in the duty station.
The staff member must have the required HL points prior to the date of travel (i.e. minimum 24 points for regular HL or at least 12 points for advance HL). Staff members eligible for HL accrue service credit towards it from the date of appointment:

-in a duty station with a 24-month HL cycle: one point per month (i.e. 24 credit points in two years of service); or
-in duty station with a 12-month HL cycle: two points per month (i.e. 24 credit points in one year of service);
-arrival 1st to 15th of the month: accrual at new duty station's points rate; and
arrival between 16th and end of month: accrual at previous duty station's points rate.
-When an entitlement becomes effective between the 16th and the end of the month, the counting of HL points starts from the following month.

There should be six months of service remaining after the staff member returns to his/her duty station from HL travel, or three months if serving in a duty station with a 12-month HL cycle
For staff members serving at a duty station with a 24-month HL cycle, at least 12 months should elapse between one HL and the next. For staff members serving at a 12-month duty station, at least six months should elapse.
Security clearance is required for all official travel including HL travel through the UNDSS Travel Request Information Process (TRIP) system.
Advance HL may be authorized when the staff member has accrued 12 points. A negative point balance will be recorded in the HL card. The balance cannot exceed 12 negative points. To become eligible for the next HL, the staff member must overcome the negative points balance and then accrue 24 points, as the granting of advance HL does not bring forward the date of entitlement to subsequent HL.
If the staff member defers HL, he/she may accrue a maximum of 48 points. If the staff member does not take HL when he/she reaches 48 points, he/she stops accruing points until he/she exercises the entitlement.
The entitlement may be advanced or deferred when compatible with the needs of the Organization or staff member’s concerns. Requests must specify the reasons for seeking advance or deferred entitlement.
If the appointment of a staff member is extended, and, as a result, he/she becomes entitled to HL, his/her service credit towards HL will begin to accrue from the date of initial appointment.
A staff member in permanent residence status who takes up non-immigrant status in the country of his/her duty station is granted entitlement to HL and accrues service credit for such leave from the date on which non-immigrant status is acquired, provided that eligibility has otherwise been established.
When a staff member is transferred or seconded from an international organization participating in the common system, any entitlement to HL is determined as though all his/her previous service had been with UNDP.
When a staff member is loaned, any HL entitlement is determined by the releasing organization as though the staff member were still serving with that organization at the duty station to which he/she is assigned.

5

Steps

Process entitlements/HL Payment

Responsible Party

BES/GSSC

Template/Guideline

Explanatory Notes

Obtain quotation for the requested travel itinerary.
Confirm destination of payment with SM.
The staff member receives payment in accordance with the Lump Sum determination. Refer to the HL Guidelines for details. The staff member may choose Organization-assisted HL travel when this is the best option to support his/her ability to use the entitlement. The HR Specialist or HR Analyst in GSSC/BES must be notified before proceeding with the Organization-assisted HL travel for advice and guidance.

6

Steps

Exercise Home Leave travel

Responsible Party

Staff

Template/Guideline

UNDSS Travel Request Information Process TRIP

Explanatory Notes

Ensure to obtain Travel Security/Travel notification in advance of travelling.
The absence is charged to the staff member's annual leave balance less the allowable travel time.
The absence is recorded elsewhere in absence module either SLWOP, ML, SLWFP or other.
The staff member must inform BES/JPOSC if the travel is postponed, cancelled or if one or more of the travellers are not travelling as this will lead to an adjustment of the lump sum.

7

Steps

Update/adjust absence/allowable travel time in the system

Responsible Party

Focal Point

Template/Guideline

Explanatory Notes

If HL is requested through UNALL, adjust HL period for allowable travel time if needed.
If HL is requested manually:

-enter HL taken;

-enter periods of allowable travel time (if applicable); and

-Deduct 24 points.

For travel on both the outward and the return journey on HL or family visit, staff members who opt for the lump sum payment for their HL or family visit travel shall be granted a fixed amount of travel time not chargeable to annual leave determined on the basis of the most direct flight available as follows:

-One day for each journey of less than 10 hours;

-Two days for each journey of 10 hours or longer but less than 16 hours; and

-Three days for each journey of 16 hours or more.

The travel time is approved in accordance with UNDP travel policy and shall include any authorized rest period or stopover made by the staff member to or from the place of HL within the home country.

When the staff member opts for the travel lump sum, travel time shall be applied to working days regardless of when the travel actually took place.
When travel is arranged by the Organization, no compensation in terms of travel time applies for travel undertaken on a weekend or official holiday.

8

Steps

Verification/ submission of supporting documents after completion of HL

Responsible Party

Staff

Template/Guideline

Explanatory Notes

• The staff member must certify that travel has taken place as authorized and must upload scanned copies of supporting documents within 30 days of returning from HL in UNALL.
Supporting documents may include but not limited to: used airline tickets and boarding passes, in hard copy or electronic form, or national passport containing the dates of arrival and departure from the country to which a particular home leave travel was authorized. If for some reason, such documents are not available, copy of credit card/bank statement together with invoice should be submitted instead. If travelling by car, proof of travel will be any evidence showing that travel took place, such as stamped passports and receipts of payments for road tolls, fuel etc.
If the staff member has not certified home leave travel and provided supporting documents within 90 days of return from home leave travel, the lump sum will be recovered.
GSSC will conduct spot checks for the compliance on the requirement to certify and to upload proof of travel upon completed HL Travel on a regular basis.
Office of Audit and Investigations (OAI) and/or UN Board of External Auditors may spot check the compliance as part of their audits as well.
A Home Leave payment cannot be issued unless the previous Home Leave has been certified.

9

Steps

Verifying HL points balance/HL record card

Responsible Party

Focal Point,

Staff member

Template/Guideline

Explanatory Notes

- Upon Reassignment or relocation from duty station staff member sign off on the Absence record card (if manual card is used) including verification of the accurate HL points balance in Quantum.
If HL points balance is inaccurate, the focal point will make necessary adjustment prior to SM departure

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