Division 3 Requirements for working hours, leave allowance and working space

Appropriate working hours shall be agreed between the sending and hosting organisation on the basis of the latter's policies and then discussed and agreed with the EU Aid Volunteer.

The agreed working hours shall leave room for the EU Aid Volunteer's development time as established in their task assignment and performance objectives.

Regular working hours shall not exceed 40 hours per week on average, calculated over a four-month period.

Overtime and emergency work hours shall be negotiated with the EU Aid Volunteer, taking account of their psychological and physical well-being.

Overtime and emergency working hours and rest shall comply with minimum requirements provided for in Directive 2003/88/EC^f1 and relevant national law.

Appropriate leave allowance shall be agreed between the sending and hosting organisation on the basis of the latter's policies and then discussed and agreed with the EU Aid Volunteer.

If leave allowances vary between role categories, the leave allowance shall match that for local staff in the same or similar roles.

The leave allowance shall include:

• Monthly leave allowance;

• Sick leave;

• Home leave, if the deployment period exceeds 18 months;

• Parental leave, including maternity and paternity leave. At the request of an EU Aid Volunteer whose deployment period exceeds six months, the parental leave may also include days off work to go back to the country of residence of (a) dependent child(ren) under the age of 12;

• Special leave in the event of the funeral or medically certified serious illness of an ascending or descending direct relative, spouse or registered partner, or sibling.

Where local provision is very low, the sending organisation shall ensure that International Staff provision is used as a minimum benchmark to determine the EU Aid Volunteer's leave allowance.

In any case, the monthly leave allowance shall consist of two days per month, which the EU Aid Volunteer shall take in the course of his/her deployment.

Annual monthly leave shall be discouraged at the beginning or end of the placement.

Home leave may be used at the request of the EU Aid Volunteer nine months after the beginning of the placement and sufficiently in advance of its end.

The hosting organisation shall provide a dedicated working space for the EU Aid Volunteer in accordance with their task assignment and the agreed secure, safe and healthy working conditions based on the indicators set out in point 7 of Annex I.