Purpose
This policy has been developed to outline the arrangements to be undertaken for the temporary internal secondment of staff members within our company.
Scope
This policy applies to all continuing employees of our company and fixed-term staff who have at least 12 months until the end date of any current contract of employment, and who have completed a minimum of 12 months of continuous service with our company, and who are not within their period of probation. This policy does not extend to external temporary staffing organisations such as temp agencies or labour-hire companies.
Policy Statement
Our company aspires to attract and retain highly skilled and experienced staff. Temporary internal secondments provide employees with a range of potential professional development opportunities. Internal secondments have the potential to enhance skills and experience, and also support the achievement of our company’s strategic goals.
Application of Policy
A request for a temporary internal secondment occurs when an employee is:
- Selected as a preferred candidate for a temporary position in our company through recruitment and selection activities (including through the calling for expressions of interest); or,
- Invited by a nominated supervisor to consider a temporary appointment to a position that is different to her/his current position, in order to gain a particular set of skills and expertise for staff developmental purposes, or
- to utilise the staff member’s specialist skills in another role.
Collaboration
A nominated supervisor who wishes to second a staff member to her/his organisational department is required to discuss potential arrangements with the candidate’s nominated supervisor prior to an offer of secondment being made. The candidate’s nominated supervisor should not unreasonably decline any such request.
- Staff members are expected to discuss with their nominated supervisor if they are considering applying for a temporary internal secondment.
Equity and transparency
Nominated supervisors are required to ensure that opportunities for temporary internal secondments are offered to staff in an equitable, transparent and fair manner.
- Internal secondments including any subsequent extensions will normally only be approved for a temporary period(s) of up to 6 months in total. Thereafter, an employee seconded outside of her/his organisational unit shall be required to vacate her/his position and become unattached.
- Where an internal secondment is to be extended, consultation must occur between the staff member and her/his substantive supervisor and the temporary nominated supervisor. The approval of any new secondment or related arrangements must occur prior to the expiry of the internal secondment period
- Employees undertaking temporary internal secondment(s) of up to 6 months will maintain a right of return to their substantive position upon completion of the secondment period.
- An internal secondment for a period of more than 1 year or any consecutive periods, including any extension which brings the total secondment period to more than 1 year, may be granted subject to the employee agreeing to the following in writing:
- That she/he will become unattached from her/his substantive position at our company
- That she/he will confirm her/his interest in leaving the secondment by providing at least 2 months written notice to the Manager, Human Resources (HR), and
- That at the end of the secondment, her/his future employment will be managed in accordance with provisions of the Management of Staff ‘Unattached’ from Substantive Position Policy.
Procedures
Where an internal secondment arises out of:
- A recruitment and selection process as outlined in section 4. the approved Selection Committee Report will outline the secondment arrangements as follows:
- An invitation from a nominated supervisor to a staff member for her/him to consider a temporary appointment.
- An approved Request for an Internal Secondment, Placement or Transfer form will outline the secondment arrangements.
Appointments
- Internal secondments will normally commence on a date to be negotiated between the nominated supervisors and the employee. The substantive nominated supervisor may reasonably request that the employee take up the secondment, no earlier than 7 days following the date of the approved request.
- A staff member undertaking an internal secondment will receive a variation to her/his contract of employment from the Human Resources Manager (HR) which formalises the arrangements of the temporary internal secondment.
- A staff member undertaking an internal secondment will normally receive salary and entitlements equivalent to the classification of the position to which they have been seconded. This may include payment of a Higher Duties Allowance if the position to which the staff member has been seconded is classified at a higher grade.
- Where practicable, an employee undertaking a secondment will be consulted concerning any significant change in the responsibilities of her/his substantive position. Should the employee participate in such consultation during the secondment, that participation will not cause the substantive work unit to incur any liability for salary payments or other costs.
Approvals
All decisions in relation to the application of this policy must be in accordance with the relevant Company Delegations.
Documentation
- EOI application
- Position description
- Secondment agreement
- Employment contract (where applicable)