Everyone may face a difficult situation at some point in their lives. The aim of the Mutual Aid Fund for members of the personnel of CERN is to provide financial assistance to people facing unforeseeable financial difficulties.

Who can the Fund help?

The Mutual Aid Fund can support:

• Members of the personnel and their dependent family members,
• Beneficiaries of the Pension Fund and their dependent family members,
• Former members of the personnel and their dependent family members, if the request is made within 12 months of the end of the contract of employment or of association with the Organization.

How does it work?

The Mutual Aid Fund is managed autonomously by a Board. The Board comprises nine members, eight of whom are elected from among the members of the personnel. The ninth member of the Board, and their deputy, are appointed by the "Groupement des Anciens du CERN et de l'ESO" (GAC-EPA).

To apply for support, you can contact one of the members of the Board, or the Social Affairs Service of the Human Resources Department[1]. In the latter case, the Social Affairs Service will provide advice on the various possibilities for financial assistance, and, where appropriate will contact the Mutual Aid Fund Board to present the case.

The current composition of the Mutual Aid Fund Board is[2]:

The Board has the discretionary power to decide on the action to be taken in each case (donation, loan, advice, postponement, or rejection). The Board is not obliged to justify its decisions.

Resources?

The Fund's resources consist of contributions from the Management of CERN and the Staff Association. The Board may also receive other contributions and donations.

Each year, the Board presents to the Standing Concertation Committee (SCC) an annual report, a financial statement approved by the auditors of the Staff Association, and a provisional budget.

Confidentiality?

Confidentiality is of course essential. All enquiries or offers of help are treated as confidential. This obligation also applies to third parties consulted in the process.

For more details, you can find the Mutual Aid Fund regulations in French and in full at Fonds_d'Entraide_01.09.2022_final.pdf (cern.ch).

Currently, the Mutual Aid Fund is undergoing a review of its regulations that mainly focus on:

• Its governance.
• The election of Board members.
• Data protection.

We will certainly be keeping you informed of any changes made to the Fund's regulations.