GSA End of the Year Letter

GLOBAL STAFF ASSOCIATION

27 December 2018







Dear colleagues,



It is the time of year when we take a break to spend time with family and friends and to ring in the new year. It is also a time for reflection.



We ushered in the year with a change of guard at the top. Ms. Henrietta H. Fore took office as the UNICEF Executive Director on 1st January 2018. As the year is over, the ED is due for a performance assessment! In the course of the year, the ED has travelled extensively and interacted with many staff. Based on these interactions, I am happy to report that the feedback from colleagues has been very positive. Some of the words used to describe ED Fore are kind, caring, sincere, trustworthy, genuine, humble, motherly, soft-spoken but firm, visionary, approachable, good listener. And the list goes on. To sum it up, her performance has been outstanding!



In my time as GSA Chairperson, 2018 has had the most number of challenges, but it has also had the most achievements for staff. And in this spirt, let us reflect on the journey of staff wellbeing in UNICEF over the year through the lens of the Global Staff Association.











ACHIEVEMENTS












Staff Contracts



Adoption of “Associates” in the title for staff in the general service category boosted staff morale
Extension of separation notice period from 3 months to 6 months gives staff more time to find alternative jobs.
Indemnity payment for staff on abolished posts has been extended to cover staff on Fixed Term positions whose contracts expire at the same time as their post abolishment date.
2nd year of implementation of continuing appointments went through seamlessly and this has improved job security for staff.
Issuance of longer Fixed Term contracts of up to 5 years gaining momentum after the release of Manager’s Guidance Note has also increased job security.







Staff Safety and Security



UNICEF is leading the Task Force on Duty of Care that is reviewing the working and living conditions of staff in emergency duty stations and has implemented many recommendations including minimum working and living conditions.
Discussions are ongoing to address safety and security of non-staff personnel (consultants, interns, volunteers, third-party contractors, etc.)
Malicious Acts Insurance Plan (MAIP) to include interns and volunteers from 1st January 2019.
Special Emergency Compressed Time Off (SECTO) is being implemented, well enabling national staff in L3 emergency duty stations to take breaks every 8 weeks.
Revised policy for residential security for national staff is expected to take effect on 1st January 2019.
Security training for women is now available on AGORA.







Medical Insurance Plan



Effective 1st January 2019, bills for outpatient medical services in CIGNA-contracted hospitals are to be paid in full and staff contribution (20% co-pay) to be recovered from payroll.
Establishment of a Global MIP Committee to review systemic issues with CIGNA medical insurance for improvements and quality assurance.
CIGNA client satisfaction survey was carried out by GSA and is being analyzed. Results of survey will suggest improvements in service delivery.
Coming up…
Tele-medicine to be introduced which will allow quality medical services to reach staff and families located in hardship locations with little or no medical facilities.
Revised policy on medical evacuation of national staff will simplify medical evacuation procedures.







Mental Health



All regions have staff counsellors, enabling easy reach to staff in the event of emergency.
UNICEF is committed to the UN-wide Mental Health strategy.
Tele-counselling has been introduced which enables psychosocial support to staff through the telephone/internet.
Annual commemoration event was held on 18 December to remember colleagues who lost their lives in the line of duty; their families; and survivors living with physical and psychological scars.







Work-Life Balance



There is increased use of Flexible Work Arrangements in 2018.
Guidance Note on Transnational Tele-commuting was issued.
Paternity leave was extended to include parents with adopted children.
Families of International Professional staff serving in non-family duty stations will have the option of being settled in the countries where the Regional Offices are located (i.e. Senegal, Kenya, Thailand, Nepal, Jordan, Panama and Switzerland).







Recruitment



Decentralized recruitment has enhanced the recruitment process.
Statistics show that internal candidates took up to 75% of vacant positions advertised.
Lateral move of International Staff within regions has facilitated improved mobility.
Coming up – under discussion
Lateral movement of National Professional staff directly into equivalent International Professional positions.
Nationals of countries hosting Regional Offices to be able to hold International Professional positions in their own countries.
Spousal recruitment – inter-agency consultations are ongoing.











CHALLENGES



Zero tolerance against all forms of harassment and abuse of authority is an ongoing fight that requires all our efforts.
Pulse survey conducted in 2018 shows that more concerted efforts have to be made to improve the work environment.
High workload across the organization — we need to learn to work smart to avoid stress and burn-out.







OPPORTUNITIES



Bring in a culture change in the workplace with the values of care, respect, integrity, trust and accountability.
The VOICE initiative is reaching out to staff to enhance the speak-up culture in their workplaces.
Next Global Staff Survey is in 2019, and we are hopeful of seeing a positive difference.




Let’s continue the journey in 2019. Happy New Year!





Scholastica Madowo

Chairperson, Global Staff Association (GSA)

UNICEF, New York

Tel: +1 212 824 6135

Mobile: 917 916 6100

Email: smadowo@unicef.org

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