Telecommuting arrangements at UN HQ extended till May 31

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced that telecommuting for all staff, diplomats and personnel at the UN headquarters, put in place due to COVID19, has been extended till May 31.

The UN chief said senior management will be working on measures for an eventual phased and gradual return to work in the premises as and when considered safe.

The Secretary-General informed staff Friday evening that the current telecommuting arrangements at UN headquarters will be extended through May 31, a decision taken following consultation with senior staff and UN medical services, spokesperson for the UN Chief Stphane Dujarric said.

The UN chief said telecommuting arrangements will be constantly reviewed as subsequent extensions may be necessary.

In parallel, senior management is also working on measures for an eventual phased, gradual and flexible return to work in the compound whenever it is considered safe for us to do so.

Guterres said any decision to fully re-open the UN headquarters for staff and other personnel will be guided by medical advice, continuous risk assessments, local conditions, including school closures, and criticality of functions for our business continuity.

Telecommuting was implemented in the UN headquarters with effect from March 16 till April 12. All UN staff was required to work from home unless their physical presence in the workplace was needed to carry out essential services.

Following extensive consultations with senior management, including the Medical Director, Guterres had announced telecommuting as part of precautionary measures at UN headquarters to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19.

New York City, home of the UN headquarters, is the epicentre of coronavirus outbreak in the US, with 122,148 confirmed virus cases and more than 7,890 COVID-19 deaths and another 4,309 probable deaths, people who did not have a positive COVID-19 laboratory test, but their death certificate lists as the cause of death "COVID-19" or an equivalent.