While MSF’s responsibility ends with employment, MSF considers it important to maintain its employees’ connection to their home society and prepare their reintegration in order to help retain staff longer in the field.
To this effect, MSF aims to provide employees with solid home benefits. And as national social systems are often the best way to provide long term benefits and facilitate reintegration, MSF makes use of (and contributes to) existing social systems when possible, in the provision of these home benefits.
In addition, for a set of core benefits, additional private insurance is provided in order to reach the standard level of benefits MSF intends to provide.
Common international coverage (regardless of the contracting section)
International staff members are covered by common international insurances (for the first five points with Allianz and administered by MSH) covering the following areas:
Healthcare Coverage
Short and Long Term Disability
Life Insurance (All Causes)
Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
Note: Two contracting sections use different providers for all or part of the coverage:
- MSF USA for medical coverage (through Cigna)
- MSF Switzerland: the provider depends on the contract start date and whether the expat is a Swiss resident or not. Check with the HR Admin unit at OCG for details.
Lost and Stolen Luggage/Items Insurance
Medical Evacuation/Repatriation: MSF contracts the services of a specialized provider used by all OCs under one global arrangement.
Medical malpractice
Core components of the benefits package
Paid Leave: International staff are granted 25 working days of vacation per year (based on a 5 day working week).
Luggage Allowance: MSF provides the normal luggage of 20kg allowed by most airlines. Any additional luggage allowance included by the airlines may be used by MSF for accompanied project shipments from the operational center onwards. This luggage allowance should therefore be adhered to strictly when preparing to leave on an assignment.
Additional benefits included in specific packages for longer commitments
Home Child Allowance: as part of specific packages, MSF provides financial support for dependent children remaining in their country of domicile.
Extra Paid Leave: Specific packages (for longer commitments) also include extra paid leave. This allows staff to sustain field work for a prolonged period.
To know more details about these benefits and when they are granted, please refer to the specific packages page.
Social benefits organised by the contracting section
In addition to this set of core benefits, the contracting sections organise the social coverage customarily provided to employees, through contributions to social systems (and if and where applicable to private schemes). As social systems vary greatly, it is not possible to set an international standard. However, as a responsible employer and a medical organisation, MSF distinguishes particularly:
Retirement: Depending on the contracting section, it is provided in the form of a contribution to national retirement systems, to private pension schemes, or exceptionally a cash payment.
Maternity Leave: Minimum of 14 weeks of fully paid leave (or more if required by law or customs within the contracting section country).
Please contact the HR administrator at your contracting section for specific details on your retirement benefits or maternity leave policy.