Employment conditions and benefits relating to staff positions at ECMWF

Duration of contracts

Contracts are normally fixed-term contracts for up to four years with the possibility of renewal.

Installation Allowance

Staff members whose established residence is more than 100 km from the place of employment at the time that they accept employment and who move their established residence will be entitled to an installation allowance of one month’s basic salary. If a staff member is entitled to household allowance without children or has only one dependent child, an additional second payment of a half month’s basic salary will be paid. If a staff member is entitled to household allowance and has two or more dependent children, an additional one month’s basic salary will be paid.

Remuneration

Remuneration consists of a basic salary in accordance with the staff member’s grade and step. ECMWF follows incremental salary scales within Grades A, L, B & C; the highest grade is A7 and the lowest is C1. In addition to the basic salary, the following allowances are payable subject to qualifying conditions:

• Household allowance: 6% of basic salary
• Dependent child allowance: £214.41 per child
• Expatriation allowance: 14% or 18% of basic salary, depending on family circumstances
• Education allowance
• Rent allowance: only certain grades and subject to certain conditions

Expatriation allowance is always based on the first step in the grade of recruitment or promotion. After ten years of service, it is reduced by 1% per year down to 11% or 15% respectively, and thereafter remains constant.

Income tax

The remuneration received from ECMWF is exempt from national income tax.

Pre-school expenses for nurseries

To assist both expatriate and locally employed staff members facing increasingly high nursery care expenses, ECMWF will contribute a monthly lump sum payment not exceeding the dependent child allowance, currently £214.41 per month. This contribution towards nursery expenses is paid only up to the time when the child starts school.

Supplementary health insurance scheme

All staff members and their dependants are required to contribute to ECMWF's supplementary health insurance scheme for personal medical insurance. The insurance offered by this scheme is supplementary to the coverage available under any national health scheme. Staff members are required to contribute 1/3 of 4.38% of their basic salary, plus related allowances, to this scheme.

Pension scheme

Staff members are affiliated to the ECMWF's funded pension scheme, to which the staff member’s contribution is presently 8.8% of the monthly basic salary. A staff member is entitled to draw a pension normally at the pensionable age of 60 years after having completed ten or more years of service with the organisation. Staff members leaving the organisation with less than ten years' service are entitled to a leaving allowance. In the case of total incapacity, invalidity pensions are payable regardless of the length of service. In the case of death of a staff member, survivors' or orphans' pensions will be paid for eligible survivors or orphans.

Annual leave

Staff members are entitled to paid annual leave at a rate of 2.5 working days for each month of service completed, i.e. 30 working days per year. In addition to annual leave, staff at ECMWF are also entitled to 10.5 days of public holidays.

Home leave

Staff members in receipt of expatriation allowance are entitled to eight working days of home leave once every two years (in addition to annual leave). ECMWF covers the home-leave travel expenses for the staff member and dependent family members.

Maternity leave

The maternity leave entitlement is 20 weeks on full pay.

Sick leave

ECMWF has provision for paid sick leave up to a maximum of nine months on full pay, with provision for a further three months on reduced pay.

Working hours

The working week is from Monday to Friday inclusive and shall total 40 hours.

Location of ECMWF

ECMWF is located in Reading, Berkshire.