When advertising a temporary post, you should consider whether you might consider applicants on a secondment basis and if so, this should be clear in the advert. The recruitment & selection policy must be followed throughout the whole process, including pre-employment checks where applicable.

Further information can be found in How to manage and advertise a vacancy, and How to carry out recruitment checks.

Secondments are at the discretion of the applicant's manager in consultation with their Head of Service/Chief Officer, and not an automatic entitlement, therefore any request can be declined. The applicant should therefore seek agreement prior to applying for any post. If the application is approved the employee should apply for the secondment in the normal manner, with confirmation that their application has been approved and that it is on the basis of a secondment.

During the secondment, the employee will report to the 'host’ manager (receiving manager) rather than their ‘original’ manager.

If you are the ‘original’ manager of the employee and you have agreed to release the employee, you are also responsible for ensuring that you keep in contact with them, including keeping them updated on any changes within their team. This would include any review or restructuring which could potentially affect the secondee’s post, and they should be included in any consultation exercise.

If you cannot accommodate a secondment request, you must confirm this to the employee explaining your decision. If the employee opts to accept the offer, you require to explain that effectively they will require to resign from their post. They will be taking up a temporary appointment and have no right to return to their post.

The 'host' manager, i.e. the manager receiving the secondee, is responsible for ensuring all relevant paperwork is in place. You should notify Payroll via HR forms online of the secondment in order that a letter is issued by Staffing and Recruitment confirming the arrangements.

The contractual documentation should be issued in advance and should be clear on the period, end date and also the reason for the secondment. For instance, if it is to cover an absence, it should be clear that it is until xx date or until the return of the substantive postholder whichever is earlier.

If you require to end the secondment before the end date, the appropriate notice or a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice will be required to be given by the host manager and both the secondee and original manager should be contacted in relation to this. The notice period should be specified in the contractual documentation.

A secondment will be for an agreed period and the secondee will return to their substantive post or equivalent at the end of that period. Extensions should therefore be the exception rather than the norm. It should be made clear at the outset of the secondment that there is no commitment or guarantee that an extension will be considered or approved. Any request for an extension must be made a minimum of 3 months prior to the date of expiry of the secondment agreement or, in the case of a short duration secondment, as soon as this is practicable.

The substantive Head of Service/Chief Officer will consider any potential impact both on other staff within the section and on service delivery. An extension must be agreed by the original Head of Service/Chief Officer in consultation with Human Resources and confirmed in writing. The conditions of the secondment must also be reviewed to ensure they continue to be relevant.

Where a manager has received a request for an extension to a secondment, and they are unable to accommodate this, advice should be sought from Human Resources.

If the secondee wishes to end the secondment before the end date, then you should try and accommodate this, however, you are not obliged to agree. If this can be accommodated, the appropriate notice, or a minimum of four weeks' notice, must be given.

If the host manager requires to end the secondment before the end date, the appropriate notice, or a minimum of four weeks’ notice, must be given.

The employee will be entitled to return to their substantive post or equivalent.

If it is not possible for them to return to their substantive post or equivalent you should discuss this with HR in the first instance, as redeployment may be considered.

It is recognised that an employee may find any return difficult, therefore a few weeks prior to the end of the secondment you should meet with your employee to make arrangements for their re-introduction to their own or alternate- post. It is, however, also good practice to keep in touch with your employee whilst they are on secondment. On an employee's return to their substantive post or equivalent, you should ensure that they are included in any consultation process should there be any re-structuring within your team.

Depending on the length of the secondment, qualification and registration checks as well as re-training and/or induction may be required.