Entitlement to payment of removal costs (household and personal effects) on taking up appointment and on termination of contract is defined in articles R V 1.19 and R V 1.20 of the Staff Rules and Regulations as well as in Administrative Circular No. 30.
1. Beneficiaries and criteria
1.1 On taking up appointment
| Beneficiaries | Criteria |
|---|---|
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Staff members |
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Pursuant to article R II 4.35 of the Staff Regulations, staff members entitled to have their removal paid by CERN on taking up appointment are also entitled to special paid leave of one working day.
1.2 On termination of contract
| Beneficiaries | Criteria |
|---|---|
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Paid Associates appointed before 01.07.2006 Fellows appointed before 01.07.2006 Staff recruited before 01.01.2007 (except former "local staff") |
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Staff members appointed on or after 01.01.2007 (including former "local staff") |
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Home stations are defined according to Article R II 1.25 of the Staff Regulations and determined when the contract is drawn up.
The new place of residence shall be deemed to be the address to which the member of the personnel has actually moved.
The former place of residence shall be deemed to be the address communicated to the authorities of the Host States by the Organization.
N.B.
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In the event of resignation during the first year of service, the member of the personnel shall not be entitled to payment of removal expenses on termination of contract.
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Successive contracts
On the termination of a contract that grants entitlement to payment of removal expenses, if the member of the personnel remains at CERN under a new contract of association with the Organization, the latter will pay removal expenses only once in accordance with the following procedure:-
the entitlement to removal expenses shall be deferred until he no longer holds a contract with a working week in excess of 20 hours; the removal must be undertaken within two years of that date;
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if the working week is less than or equal to 20 hours, the removal must take place within two years following termination of the contract entitling the member of the personnel to the payment.
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Staff members who are married to each other or in a registered partnership
A family is entitled to only one payment of removal expenses. Consequently, if a staff member claims entitlement to removal expenses within the two years following the end of contract, no removal expenses will be paid on termination of his spouse’s/partner's staff member contract. However, if the first of the two staff member spouses or partners to leave CERN does not claim entitlement to removal expenses, the entitlement will automatically be bestowed on the other spouse/partner on departure from the Organization provided that the latter spouse/partner fulfils the relevant statutory provisions. -
Provided the conditions are met, staff members on long-term leave before the end of their contract (for example, as part of a pre-retirement program) may qualify for payment of removal expenses, provided that their removal takes place after their last day of work.
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To calculate the distances as indicated above, the functionality Calculation of the distance in a straight line may be used.
2. Benefits
On taking up appointment, the member of the personnel is entitled to payment of removal expenses either from his home station or from his former place of residence.
On termination of the contract, the removal expenses will be paid to the new place of residence but may not exceed the cost of a removal to the home station.
On taking up appointment and on termination of contract, the member of the personnel is entitled to payment of removal expenses for household, personal effects and the cost of storing furniture within the limits indicated in Administrative Circular No. 30.
N.B. Are not considered to be part of household or personal effects: motor vehicles, boats, caravans, aeroplanes and equivalent modes of transport, animals, works of art, jewellery and grand or upright pianos or other musical instruments.
The HR Department will lay down the criteria for the duration of the contract and for the distance granting entitlement to payment of removal expenses when the contract is drawn up.
The Installation service will verify the distance criteria and the applicable conditions when the new place of residence is established.
The member of the personnel must arrange all the practical details of the removal with the company, such as the date, the time, and the locations of the loading and unloading points.
Annexes of Administrative Circular No. 30 specify the removal procedure and the applicable limits.
1. Application for payment of removal expenses
The member of the personnel must submit the removal quotations via the CERN Service Portal six weeks before the scheduled date of the removal at the latest.
Two options are possible:
1.1 Single quotation procedure
Prior to organising the removal and at least six weeks before the planned date of the event, members of the personnel may submit one quotation from a removal company of their choice by email to Installation.Service@cern.ch for the removal of furniture and personal effects, including storage, provided that the total cost of the removal, including storage, remains within the amounts set out below.
The quotation must include the home station of the member of the personnel and the volume.
If this option is not applicable to the member of the personnel, the second option can be followed.
1.2 Three quotations procedure
Members of the personnel who cannot obtain a quotation within the respective amounts specified above shall submit three quotations from three different removal companies mentioning their home station. These quotations, which shall be drawn up using the special forms provided for this purpose, must include:
- the cost of groupage transport of the furniture and personal effects, in the volumes defined below;
- the cost of insuring the furniture and personal effects (up to a ceiling of 20% of the cost of the removal);
- the cost of storage for a maximum period of 6 months upon taking appointment and 12 months upon termination of contract.
The Organization selects the company that has submitted the lowest quotation taking into account both the cost of the removal and the cost of insurance for the goods. The Installation Service sends a letter of confirmation to the selected company, requesting that the invoice be sent directly to CERN.
N.B.
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Where the destination differs from the home station, members of the personnel must provide three quotations mentioning their home station and one quotation mentioning their final destination.
In such cases, the Organization will pay removal expenses on the basis of the cheaper quotation. -
Where the volume of household items and personal effects exceeds the limits specified in Administrative Circular No. 30, each company must provide two estimates: one for the actual volume and one for the specified maximum volume, the price difference being borne by the member of personnel.
The Installation Service will select the best bid, taking account of the quotation for the removal itself and the amount of insurance payable. It will then send the selected company a letter of confirmation, indicating that the invoice must be sent directly to CERN. -
Members of personnel may organise their own removal by hiring a utility vehicle. In order to be entitled to payment of removal costs by the Organization, they must supply:
- three estimates for the hire of a utility vehicle for a maximum period of four days depending on the distance, and
- an estimate from a removal company.
In this case, on receipt of corresponding proofs of payment, the Organization will reimburse only the cost of hiring the vehicle, the fuel and the motorway charges (motorway sticker and tolls).
If none of the quotations is considered to be reasonable (i.e. quotations higher than the usual commercial rates for removals), the Organization may invite other removal companies to submit quotations or request the member of the personnel to submit new quotations from other removal companies.
Any disputes resulting from damage or concerning insurance matters must be settled by the member of the personnel with the removal and/or insurance company directly.
2. Handling of the application for payment of removal costs
The removal firm must submit the invoice directly to the Installation service. The Installation service will check that the invoice matches the estimate and then creates a request for payment to a third-party in EDH for settlement of the invoice within 60 days by the FAP Department.
| No revision | Modifications | Approved on |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Information added concerning the payment of removal expenses when staff members are married to each other: a family is entitled to only one payment of removal expenses. | 19.10.2010 |
| 2 | Information added concerning the payment of removal expenses after the last day of work. | 25.05.2011 |
| 3 | Removal quotations must be submitted via the CERN Service Portal six weeks before the scheduled date of the removal at the latest | 23.11.2020 |
| 4 | Procedure revised by the service in charge following the publication of the new version of the Administrative Circular No. 30. | 03.03.2025 |