Maternity Leave

Maternity Leave All female UNICEF staff members are entitled to maternity leave in the event that they are expecting a child. Under the UN Staff Rules, maternity leave consists of 16 weeks of paid leave. Pre-delivery leave may commence between 2 and 6 weeks in advance of the staff member’s anticipated date of delivery, as certified by the relevant medical authority. Post-delivery leave will be granted for a minimum of 10 weeks. In addition to the 16 weeks of maternity leave stipulated by the UN Staff Rules, UNICEF grants an additional 8 weeks of special leave with full pay for staff members eligible for maternity leave, in accordance with our organizational recommendation that infants be breastfed exclusively for the first six months. While on maternity leave and special leave with full pay, staff members continue to receive full pay and benefits and continue to accrue service credits such as annual leave, home leave points, if applicable, sick leave, etc. Sick leave is not granted during maternity leave, except when serious complications arise that are certified by the UN Medical Service. Staff members may also choose to combine part-time work with part-time maternity leave, subject to certain provisions. For example, a staff member may not work, even on a part-time basis, during the two weeks prior to her estimated date of delivery. She may not return to work, even on a part-time basis, earlier than 6 weeks after the birth of the child. If a staff member’s fixed-term appointment expires during the period of maternity leave and, for reasons which must be fully unrelated to the maternity leave, the decision is taken not to renew the contract, the contract will be extended to cover the full period of maternity leave and special leave with full pay. Temporary appointments will not be extended to cover the full period of maternity leave and special leave with full pay. However, the staff member will be paid a lump sum equivalent to cover the unused portion of the maternity and special leave, as long as her contract expires less than 6 weeks prior to her anticipated date of delivery. An eligible staff member should request maternity leave as early as possible, but at least three months before the anticipated date of delivery. The request should be accompanied by a certificate from a licensed doctor or midwife indicating the expected delivery date.

Key references: CF/AI/2010-004 Amend. 1 – Family, Adoption, Maternity and Paternity Leave CF/AI/2010-003 Amend. 2 – Special Leave Websites: United Nations International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) website: http://icsc.un.org/rootindex.asp United Nations Salaries, Allowances, Benefits and Job Classification website: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/index.html Disclaimer: This fact sheet is intended for informational purposes only. The UN Staff Rules and official UNICEF policy documents are the authoritative documents on this topic.