Is WHO’s restructuring process fair? Some staff aren’t so sure

As the World Health Organization undergoes a sweeping restructuring prompted by donor funding cuts, some staffers are raising concerns that the agency is prioritizing long-serving employees over merit. The agency’s restructuring is expected to result in significant job losses. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus slashed his leadership team by almost half in May. Reductions in WHO directors are anticipated in the coming days, to be followed by staffing decisions at unit and team levels. According to a human resources document seen by Devex, the process includes a “mapping” and “matching” exercise where staff on continuing or fixed-term appointments will be considered for positions in the new organizational structure. An Ad Hoc Review Committee will be put in place to review proposals made under the exercise and ensure staffing proposals uphold “WHO’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.” But the committee will prioritize longer-term staff who are eligible for reassignment under WHO’s staff rules. In addition, if a staff member not eligible for reassignment under WHO’s staff rules is matched to a position in the new organizational structure, the committee “will submit the proposed match to the relevant Reassignment Committee (Global or Local) to assess whether one or more staff members in the reassignment process could be a suitable match for the concerned position.” WHO told Devex it needs to comply with staffing rules, but maintained that the restructuring decisions are not driven by contracts. Under WHO’s staff rules, “reasonable efforts shall be made to reassign staff members whose posts have been abolished or have come to an end”. This includes staff members with a continuing appointment and those holding a fixed-term appointment who’ve worked for the organization for at least 10 years. The rules add that these “staff members shall be given due preference for vacancies during the reassignment period.” One staff member told Devex this prioritization goes beyond the existing ‘right to reassignment’ by staff covered by the WHO staff rules, “to the point where they are being systematically prioritised.” “Simply put, length of service trumps competence or need, despite what the leadership have said externally,” said the staff member, who requested to remain anonymous. Some staffers fear WHO is prioritizing longer-serving staff to avoid paying higher indemnities, and question whether this would result in the kind of WHO the world needs. In response to Devex, WHO said that once the structure is finalized, staffing decisions “will be made in accordance with WHO’s binding legal framework, as laid out in the Staff Regulations and Staff Rules” which “require that contract type and length of service be considered at specific points in the HR process—particularly during the Mapping and Matching exercise—to ensure full compliance.” But it also said the ongoing restructuring “is driven by a strong commitment to transparency, fairness, and organizational efficiency,” and that the organizational structure “is shaped by the results of the WHO prioritization process, rather than by contractual arrangements.” The agency added that it is using its program support costs — part of WHO’s corporate reserves — to “ensure that separation costs are not driving the Mapping & Matching proposals at department level.” The 78th World Health Assembly agreed to let WHO dip into its corporate reserves to pay for staff salaries and severance pay. WHO said that without these funds, the agency would be forced to make staffing decisions based on contract type. To give staff equal and fair opportunities, WHO said it is establishing a “Talent Pool” to “give those who are not matched or mapped access to future advertised roles.” It expects the restructuring process to be finalized by the end of August.