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Rest and Recuperation (R & R) cycle (formerly ORB)

Definition: R & R cycle is a five-day special leave with full pay granted to eligible staff members required to work for extended periods at designated special missions under hazardous, stressful and difficult conditions. 

Eligibility: All internationally recruited staff members who are appointed under the 100, 200 or 300 series and staff on mission detail who have obtained international status by virtue of their mission assignment shall be eligible for R & R cycle.

Designation of non-familyl missions for R &R purposes: Designation of a non-family mission or specific location within a special mission for R & R cycle purposes shall take into account for the presence of extraordinary conditions impacting the health, safety and well-being of staff members, including hardship, isolation, security considerations and hazardous conditions. A hardship classification of D or E shall normally lead to designation for R &R cycle purposes. The following missions or locations within a special mission, which have been designated for R & R cycle purposes during 2009 are as follows:

• ETHIOPIA - Awasa (Oromia Region), Kebredahar, Jijiga (Somalia Region)

• GUINEA - Conakry, Kissidougou and Nzerekore only

• INDONESIA - Entire Aceh Province

• PAKISTAN - Entire country

• PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Entire country

• RUSSIAN FEDERATION - Nazran and Vladikavkaz only

• SOMALIA - Entire country

• SRI LANKA - Ampara, Batticaloa, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar Island, Mullativu, Trincomalee and Vavuniya only

• UGANDA - Adjumani, Aruba, Gulu, Hoima, Katakwi, Kitgum, Lira, Mbarara, Moroto, Moyo and Pader Soroti only

• BINUB (Brundi)

• BONUCA (Central African Republic)

• MINURCAT (CHAD)

• MINURSO (Western Sahara)

• MINUSTAH (Haiti)

• MONUC (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

• UNOCI (Côte d'Ivoire)

• UNAMA (Afghanistan)

• UNAMI (Iraq)

• UNIFIL (Lebanon)

• UNIPSIL (Sierra Leone)

• UNMEE (Eritrea and border areaas with Ethiopia)

• UNMIK (Kosovo province)

• UNMIL (Liberia)

• UNMIN (Nepal)

• UNMIS and UNAMID (Sudan)

• UNMIT (Timor-Leste)

• UNOGBIS (Guinea-Bissau)

• UNOMIG (Georgia)

• UNRCCA (Turkmenistan)

• UNSCO (Gaza City and Ramallah)

R & R Cycle conditions

• Qualifying service: R &R cycle will be granted after three months of qualifying service, which must be uninterrupted by travel on official business and absence on family visit travel, home leave, family leave or special leave, or annual leave.   

• Duration: R & R cycle is granted for five working days. R & R cycle may be taken in conjunction with weekends, official holidays or annual leave. However, it may not be combined with official travel, home leave, family visit, emergency leave, sick leave, family leave and travel on departure from the mission area at the end of the staff member's appointment or mission assignment.

• Timing: R & R cycle must be taken within one month following completion of the period of qualifying service and will be forfeited if the staff member elects not to take R & R cycle within the prescribed period.

• Location: R & R cycle shall normally be taken outside the mission area.

• Travel costs: Travel costs when travelling on R & R cycle shall be the exclusive responsibility of the staff member. However, in those missions where United nations has means of transport arranged for official purposes, every effort shall be made to facilitate the use of such transport by staff members leaving or returning to the mission area on R & R cycle, at no cost or minimal cost, on a "non-interference space available" basis. In addition, mission subsistence allowance (MSA) will continue to be paid to the staff member while on R & R cycle. 

The above description of R & R cycle is for summary purposes only. For further details on the policies governing R & R cycle, please refer to administrative instruction on R & R (ORB) (ST/AI/2000/21of 22 December 2000 and ST/AI/2004/6 of 22 December 2004). 

? 2006 United Nations Office of Human Resources Management - All rights reserved.