UNDT/2021/025, Hilzinger
The interview questions were reasonable and that the panel’s report was comprehensive, well-structured and thorough, and with reference to Sanwidi, the decision not to recommend the Applicant was therefore not “absurd or perverse” It is uncontested that the Applicant passed the written test, which was administered by the technical panel, whose composition he is now challenging. Accordingly, this composition evidently did not result in any concrete negative consequence(s) for the Applicant in the challenged selection process, but as a general matter, the Tribunal cannot exclude that a situation...
UNDT/2021/022, Koduru
Receivability The Applicant’s appointment was extended beyond its expiration date to allow her to exhaust her medical leave entitlements. The Applicant’s entitlements, had her contract been extended, would be calculated on a different scale from that applied during her sick leave. Moreover, should the contested decision be found unlawful, the Applicant could be entitled to receive compensation for the harm caused by the unlawful decision under art. 10.5(b) of the Dispute Tribunal’s Statute regardless of any entitlements she may have benefited from during her sick leave. The application cannot...
UNDT/2021/015, Gonzalez Vasquez
In plain English, the term “net base salary”, does not have any meaning on its own, and no authoritative definition is found in the relevant legal framework or the employment contract. The purpose of post adjustment is to ensure equity in purchasing power of staff members across duty stations. Net base salary represents the minimum, or floor remuneration payable, is defined as gross base salary minus staff assessment, and does not include post adjustment.
UNDT/2021/005, Delsol
The Tribunal found that the rebuttal panel was properly constituted. The Tribunal found that the rebuttal panel’s review of the evidence complied with the applicable norms. The Tribunal found that the Applicant’s medical condition was not an excuse for his reported poor performance. The Tribunal found that because the Applicant’s report of abuse of authority against his supervisor was only filed after the performance appraisal was completed, it had no bearing on the appraisal.
UNDT/2021/006, Silva
Even though the relevant legal framework provides no guidance on the procedure to be followed for a transfer decision, the general principle of good faith and fair dealings dictates that a staff member should typically—and at a minimum—be consulted about such transfer before the final decision is made and priorly be provided with a genuine opportunity to comment thereon --As a matter of good faith and fair dealings, an administrative decision that significantly alters the terms and conditions of a staff member’s employment should be notified to this person in a formal written decision --It is...
UNDT/2021/007, Applicant
The past practice of the Organization in cases involving sexual harassment shows that disciplinary measures have been imposed at the strictest end of the spectrum, namely, separation from service or dismissal in accordance with staff rule 10.2(a), which has been affirmed by the Appeals Tribunal in various judgments
UNDT/2021/001, Coca
The Tribunal found that Administration properly calculated the Applicant’s sick leave entitlements and that the procedure to terminate her appointment for health reasons was properly followed. The Tribunal found that as the Applicant had been “re-employed” on the fixed-term contract, staff rule 4.17 prevented the Applicant from claiming that she had completed more than three years of continuous service based on her previous service under the temporary appointment. Therefore, the Applicant’s sick leave entitlement of three months on full salary and three months on half salary was calculated...
UNDT/2020/210, Aung
The Applicant was placed on special leave with full pay and not separated at the time of the judgment. Therefore, the appeal of the termination decision has not yet produced direct legal consequences to the Applicant’s terms of employment and is therefore note receivable. The Applicant did not submit the implied decision not to find him a suitable post for management evaluation, therefore this implied decision is not receivable. The Administration considered the Applicant for a post he applied for along with other candidates in violation of the obligation to consider his suitability on a...
UNDT/2020/212, Rockcliffe
The challenge to the contested decision is receivable. The cancellation of JO for the Post was not one of a series of preliminary steps leading to the final administrative decision. Rather, the Administration decided to abolish and reclassify the Post and therefore cancelled the JO in question. Therefore, this was a final administrative decision with regard to the Post and therefore can be reviewed by the Tribunal. The Applicant alleges that a restructuring exercise is a pretext for the cancellation of JO and it was a continued retaliatory act against her, but there is no evidence to conclude...
UNDT/2020/213, Dettori
The management evaluation rescinds the 25 September 2019 decision not to investigate the Applicant’s complaint of abuse of authority. Therefore, in application of Crotty, the Applicant’s request for an order directing UNICEF to comply with its obligations with respect to the complaint is not receivable. The Tribunal notes that as the 25 September 2019 decision was rescinded, further actions or inactions taken following the 7 November 2019 decision constitute fresh administrative decisions, actual or implied. Therefore, in application of art. 8.1(c) of the Tribunal’s Statute, the Applicant must...
UNDT/2020/214, Gomez Fernandez
The Applicant remains on special leave with full pay at the time of the judgment. The decision to terminate his appointment remains suspended and has no impact on his terms of appointment, the application is therefore not receivable ratione materiae.
UNDT/2020/203, Brierley
Since the Applicant remains on special leave with full pay pending management evaluation at the time of the judgment, the termination decision remains suspended and has not yielded effects on the Applicant’s terms of appointment. The application is therefore not receivable. The action or inaction of the Administration to find an alternative post for the Applicant after he was first placed on special leave with full pay is not receivable because the Applicant did not include this ground in his request for management evaluation.
UNDT/2020/197, Postica
The Administration’s decision to redeploy the Applicant to Nairobi was subject to the condition that he be medically cleared. This condition has not been met to date, and consequently, the decision has not been implemented. Therefore, none of the challenged administrative decisions have yielded any direct legal consequences in the Applicant’s terms of appointment, which remain unchanged. The applications are therefore non-receivable ratione materiae. The Applicant appealed this administrative decision before the Tribunal before MEU’s deadline to respond to his request for management evaluation...
UNDT/2020/190, Andrysek
The Applicant, a UNHCR staff member in between assignments (“SIBA”), was placed on SLWOP after having exhausted a nine-month period on Special Leave With Full Pay (“SLWFP”). The Tribunal reviewed the legality of the contested decision in light of the arguments put forward by the Applicant. Is the contested decision consistent with staff rule 5.3? The Tribunal found that the circumstances for the placement of SIBAs on SLWOP are per se exceptional and, consequently, the text of para. 139 of the RAAI is consistent with staff rule 5.3. Staff rule 5.3(f) sets the general principle that a staff...
UNDT/2020/191, Fayek-Rezk
The email identified by the Applicant as the contested administrative decision does not constitute a fresh decision but a mere restatement of a previous email. It therefore cannot be considered to produce consequences on the legal order and is therefore not a challengeable administrative decision. The Applicant failed to contest the assignment of her current functions when notified to her. Therefore, the Applicant would be barred from contesting at this point that such assignment was in non-compliance with her contractual rights or conditions of employment.
UNDT/2020/193, Malhotra
The Applicant’s appeal against the decision to place her on administrative leave is not receivable since she failed to file a request for management evaluation as required. The Tribunal found that on the preponderance of the evidence, the Administration failed to demonstrate that the Applicant shouted at two staff members as charged. It was only established that the Applicant “expressed irritation” toward one staff member and she “lost her cool” and “spoke sharply” to another staff member. The Tribunal found that these behavior did not amount to harassment or abuse of authority and thus did...
UNDT/2020/194, Russo-Got
In the absence of any evidence of ongoing mediation efforts or request for suspension of deadline to file an application, the Tribunal is satisfied that the Applicant, having filed his application outside of the statutory deadline. In any event, given that the contested administrative decision was notified to the Applicant on 3 April 2019, the request for management evaluation of 8 September 2019 would have missed the 60-day deadline set in staff rule 11.2 (c) to request management evaluation. Given that settlement discussions are confidential in nature, it is the parties’ responsibility to...
UNDT/2020/188, Karkara
1)Whether the facts on which the disciplinary measure was based have been established: Transmission of pornographic images: Regardless of the Applicant’s intent, the Tribunal found that it is established by clear and convincing evidence that he transmitted pornographic images (images of male genitalia) to and from his UN Women email account. Incidents involving Mr. SL: Considering the entire evidence, the Tribunal found Mr. SL’s accounts credible which were corroborated by other evidence. It was established by clear and convincing evidence that the Applicant inappropriately touched Mr. SL and...
UNDT/2020/176, Pedreyra
The job description for the position under review contained the same requirements as those agreed for the other services. There was therefore no evidence of ulterior motive in the design of the job description. The position was among those newly created following the reorganization of the concerned Division. While the Applicant disagreed with the way the restructuring was conducted, he was unable to show that the Administration exceeded its discretion. The Applicant failed the test which was eliminatory, therefore, his score at the interview was not taken into consideration. The written...
UNDT/2020/177, Sohier
No evidence showed a link between the Applicant having expressed divergent views on a work-related matter and the decision not to renew her fixed-term appointment. The decision not to extend the fixed-term appointment was based on operational requirements and followed the Security Council’s decision to withdraw MINUJUSTH. The Applicant had no expectation of renewal of her fixed-term appointment. No evidence showed that MINJUSTH made a written promise to extend the Applicant’s fixed-term appointment. There is no legal provision directing the Administration to find placement for staff members at...