Sick Leave - Time Management for Time Administrators and Time Senior Administrators

3.3.3.1. Submit a request for Paternity Leave

Staff members who are unable to perform their duties by reason of illness or injury or whose attendance at work is prevented by public health requirements will be granted sick leave. All sick leave must be approved on behalf of, and under conditions established by, the Secretary-General.

When unable to report to work, staff members must inform their immediate supervisor and their office Time Administrator/Time Senior Administrator, including the expected date of their return to work.

Uncertified Sick Leave is limited to 7 days per leave cycle and does not require supporting documentation.

Certified sick leave is limited and requires a certificate from a licensed medical practitioner indicating the date or dates of absence from duty by reason of illness, injury, or incapacitation to be submitted to the appropriate office/person.

When a staff member is on extended sick leave and it is anticipated that entitlements to sick leave at full pay may be exhausted, the case should be reviewed for action.

A staff member holding a fixed-term appointment who has completed less than three years of continuous service shall be granted 3 months (65 working days) of sick leave with full pay and 3 months (65 working days) of sick leave with half pay in any period of 12 consecutive months. A Staff member holding a permanent, continuing, or indefinite appointment, or a fixed-term appointment for three years or who has completed three years or more of continuous service, shall be granted up to 9 months (195 working days) of sick leave with full pay, and up to 9 months (195 working days) of sick leave at half pay in any period of four consecutive years.

The 12-month and 48-month (four-year) consecutive periods are counted as running periods from the month in which sick leave is taken, including the preceding 11 or 47 months, as applicable. The periods are determined based on of calendar months, not calendar years (and does not necessarily commence with the date of the staff member’s appointment).
Computation of sick leave begins in the month that the sick leave starts. The number of days of sick leave taken in the preceding 11 or 47 months is counted and added to the sick leave taken in the current month to arrive at the amount of sick leave taken in the 12-month or 4-year consecutive period. The 12-month or 4- year consecutive period moves each month that further sick leave is taken, as 12-month or 4-year period counts backward from the month in which the sick leave is taken.

To keep the staff member in full-pay status when on sick leave with half pay, a half-day annual leave may be combined with a full day of sick leave with half pay. As combining a half-day annual leave with a full day of sick leave with half pay has the effect of reducing a staff member’s annual leave balance, the staff member’s written agreement to the arrangement must be obtained.

Annual leave is not accrued during periods of sick leave with half pay.

Sick leave with half pay cannot be combined with a half- day annual leave when an appointment has been extended solely for the purpose of allowing a staff member to utilize his/ her entitlement to sick leave.

Once a staff member exhausts their entitlement to sick leave at full pay and sick leave at half pay, any further absence may be charged to annual leave. Once sick leave and annual leave have been exhausted, the staff member is placed on special leave without pay. When a staff member is under consideration for a disability benefit under article 33 (a) of the Regulations of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund and the staff member has exhausted all sick and annual leave entitlements, the staff member is placed on special leave with half pay, which must be approved by OHRM, until the date of such decision.

The regulations, rules, policies, and standard operating procedures (SOP) governing sick leave have developed over time. The official documents are easily accessible within the UN intranet.

Staff Regulations of the United Nations – ST/SGB/2023/1
Article VI, Regulation 6.2 Social Security
Rule 6.2 – Sick leave
Rule 6.3 © Maternity leave ( c )
Rule 9.6 (i) – Termination for health reasons
Rule 9.11: Restitution of advance annual and sick leave

Appendix D ST/SGB/2023/1 – Rules governing compensation in the event of death, injury or illness attributable to the performance of official duties on behalf of the United Nations
Article 3.1 – Injury or illness expenses, sick leve
Article 3.2 – Total disability
Article 3.9 – Relation to other benefits under the Staff Rules

Sick Leave – ST/AI/2005/3 and ST/AI/2005/3/Amend.1
Section 1 – General (ST/AI/2005/3)
Section 2 – Certification of sick leave (ST/AI/2005/3)
Section 3 – Relationship of sick leave to other entitlements (ST/AI/2005/3)

Sections 3.1 – 3.2 – Exhaustion of sick leave entitlement
Sections 3.3 – 3.5 – Combination of sick leave on half pay with annual leave or half-time duty
Section 3.6 – Accrual of annual leave during sick leave
Section 3.7 – Effect of sick leave on entitlements other than annual leave
Section 3.8 – Sick leave within a period of annual leave
Sections 3.9 and 3.10 – Extension of fixed-term appointments for utilization of sick leave entitlement

Family leave, maternity leave and paternity – ST/AI/2005/2 and ST/AI/2005/2/Amend.2
Section 2 – Family leave under the uncertified sick leave entitlement (ST/AI/2005/2)
Section 8 – Relationship of maternity leave to other entitlements (ST/AI/2005/2)