If you are on Special Leave without Pay or are planning to take SLWOP, you have two options regarding your participation in Fund:

1. To pay contributions to the Fund during the period of SLWOP: In this case the period of SLWOP would be considered contributory service. You would have to arrange this with the payroll office of your employing organization (not with the UNJSPF) BEFORE starting the period of SLWOP, and would be required to pay both your own as well as the organizational share of contributions payable to the UNJSPF. The contributions must be paid monthly and concurrently with such leave and arrangements for the remittance of these contributions must be made between you and the employing organization ahead of starting such periods of SLWOP. You cannot elect retroactively to pay contributions to the Fund for a period of SLWOP, and no retroactive arrangements can be made to contribute for a period of SLWOP when such period has already started or been completed. If contributions are indeed paid concurrently with a period of SLWOP, UNJSPF participation simply continues and you continue to accrue future pension rights for such period of contributory service. However, should you then separate from service and the Fund in the future and elect to receive a Withdrawal Settlement you would not recover the money you paid to the Fund on behalf of the organization.
   
   
2. To not pay contributions to the Fund during the period of SLWOP: In this case you would continue to be considered a participant in the Fund (continuous participation), but would NOT accrue pension rights for this period of non-contributory service. You will be deemed to have separated from the UNJSPF after having completed a period of 36 months of SLWOP without concurrent contributions having been paid to the Fund. Furthermore, spouses married and/or children born during such period of SLWOP without concurrent contribution payments to the Fund, would not be covered for potential survivor’s benefits until you again become a contributing member of the UNJSPF.