Secondment guidance

In our 2035 Strategy vision statement for People and Culture, we outline our ambition to create a vibrant, inclusive and supportive community distinguished by strong collaboration and communication between academic and professional practitioners, between academics from different disciplines and between academics and students. This in turn will foster a place where students, educators, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs can flourish and excel. We are committed to continuously developing and supporting diversity, inclusivity and openness to foster a trust-based culture.

It is therefore vital to ensure our people are skilled and confident and have the resilience and agility to take changing contexts in their stride.  A means of achieving these aims is by providing personal and professional career development for staff, and secondments can play an important role in this process.

A secondment is an arrangement whereby an employee is temporarily assigned to work for a different part of the University, or in a different role or for a separate organisation.  Secondments can offer a number of benefits to both the University and its employees.  Secondments can be an effective way of bringing additional experience into a Department or the University and/or building links with other institutions/external organisations to the benefit of all parties involved.  

Secondments are a development opportunity but they are not a right and are subject to operational requirements as detailed in this policy.

A secondment can be on a full-time or part-time basis and will be paid at the grade for the secondment role.

These guidelines are intended to ensure understanding for all employees of secondment arrangements and provide a consistent framework for managers to effectively plan and manage secondments in the most fair and transparent manner possible.  Whilst encouraged, all secondments need to be considered carefully in the context of individual, faculty/directorate and strategic objectives, plans, resources and commitments.

Employees who have successfully completed their probation period and have been employed for at least 12 months will be eligible to apply for advertised secondments. The secondment is for a fixed period of time agreed in advance: the maximum period for a secondment is usually 2 years.  

Employees on fixed term contracts are eligible to apply for a secondment. If the secondment is longer than the substantive fixed term contract then the secondment would become a fixed term contract. Where appropriate redeployment may be available inline with the Redeployment Process and the Fixed Term Guidance.

Whilst all eligible employees may apply for a secondment, secondments are not a right and employees must seek permission from their line manager before applying and this will not be unreasonably withheld.  

Being released for a secondment will be subject to operational requirements and in particular this will include consideration of:

• the impact on current service if appointed to the ‘secondment’.
• how their role will be covered during the employee’s absence.
• the duration of the ‘secondment’.
• their right to return to either their existing job or to another position of equal value if the original role is no longer available.
• the skills and experience hoped to be gained by the ‘secondee’ which may be helpful when returning to their substantive role or similar position.
• mutually agreed timeframes to keep in touch with the Oxford Brookes line manager. 
• clear indication of a line manager whilst on secondment. 
• duties to be undertaken whilst on secondment.

Please note: All of the points outlined within this section must be discussed, agreed by all parties and documented prior to any ‘secondment’ taking place. If agreement cannot be reached, then the employee has recourse to the Staff Grievance Procedure.  A secondment is not the same as an employee “acting up” to cover a permanent role either whilst the recruitment process is being carried out or whilst the role is temporarily vacant.  

If a secondment is not approved by all parties, and the employee continues with the application, if successful they will be considered to be on a fixed term contract and their substantive post will not be held open for them. For further information please see the fixed-term contracts webpage.

Internal secondments can allow managers to recruit to short or fixed term vacancies, whilst enabling secondees to develop skills and widen their understanding of the work of the University.

Reasons for secondments may include the following:

• temporarily filling a vacancy where the host department lacks the appropriate expertise.
• transfer of expertise to meet a short term need.
• a project assignment.    
• career development opportunities.
• cover of extended leave eg. maternity or adoption leave.

When an employee is undertaking an internal secondment, individual objectives should be set with them aligned to the overall objectives of the department and service plans. These individual objectives should be  agreed at an initial meeting at the beginning of the secondment and then regularly reviewed through the formal Performance and Development Review (PDR) process.

The period of the secondment should be for a period of not less than one month and not more than 2 years.  The ‘secondee’ will normally return to their previous position and salary grade at the end of the secondment with the same incremental progression that would have happened if they had not been seconded.

Any extension to the period of secondment will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and only with the combined agreement of the original (releasing) manager, the secondee’s current manager and the secondee. Where a secondment period longer than two years is required or extends a secondment beyond the original 2 years, or where the individual will not be able to return to their previous position at the end of the secondment, the terms relating to their return to work must be agreed with the PVC Dean or Head of Directorate in consultation with the People Manager and confirmed with the individual prior to the secondment commencing.  These terms must be confirmed/signed off in writing.

If, following the completion of the secondment, the secondee is successful in gaining a further different secondment or permanent appointment, they will no longer retain the right to return to their original substantive post and will be required to resign from their substantive post. If a secondment remains the same post but is extended then resignation will not be required form the substantive post.  The secondee will, however, retain their continuous service and all employment rights that have been accrued to date. 

In the event of planned organisational change in the secondee’s original department during the term of the secondment where they may not be able to return to their substantive post, they will be fully consulted about the options available to them and be eligible to join the Redeployment Register in line with the Redundancy and Redeployment Policy.

A secondment will normally be for a fixed period.  All posts must be supported by a job description and person specification.  If the secondment opportunity is a new post, a role evaluation must be completed by the People Directorate to determine the pay grading of the post (see https://www.brookes.ac.uk/human-resources/working-here/pay-and-grading/process-of-grading-review-and-appeal/) and a Staff Request raised in People XD. 

All posts available as secondment opportunities regardless of length must be considered for redeployment first, and if there are no suitable redeployees, either advertised internally across the whole of Oxford Brookes, or where agreed with the People Manager, ring-fenced to the particular faculty/directorate.  The advertisement must include the statement “This post is available as a secondment opportunity” or similar.  

It will be for the manager in consultation with the People Manager to determine whether a fixed-term contract may be advertised on a secondment basis. This would apply in circumstances where it is considered likely that the expertise required to fulfil the role already exists within the University.

Alternatively, an individual may identify an advertised fixed-term opportunity for which they would like to be considered on a secondment basis if they fulfil the required criteria for the role. Employees must seek permission from their line manager before applying for a secondment and this will not be unreasonably withheld  If the secondment request cannot be accommodated, it will be for the individual to apply for the post on the same basis as other applicants and they will relinquish their right to return to their current post if successful.

It should be noted that there may be immigration issues if the individual is a non-British national on a skilled workers or other visa. In this case advice should be taken from the People Directorate before any agreement regarding a secondment is made.

The vacancy will normally be filled by following the University’s Recruitment and Selection Procedures and advertised internally in the first instance.  

The details of the secondment will be confirmed in a letter which will be produced by the People Directorate.

At the end of the secondment the individual will return to their original or agreed post on their original salary, terms and conditions (updated to take into account any incremental rises).

At the start of the secondment the Head of Department and Line Manager should diarise a meeting to take place four months before the end of the secondment period, the Head of Department and the line manager should consult with their Link People Manager and consider, using objective justification, whether the secondment term will end or whether it will be extended. 

The line manager must arrange to meet with the employee as soon as possible when it is 4 months before the end of the secondment, to discuss the secondment and clarify whether the secondment will be:

• extended, 
• not extended 
• whether it is unknown at this time if it will be extended or not.

N.B. This meeting must not be delayed if the line manager is unsure whether the secondment will be extended or not.  Where it is unknown whether the secondment can be extended then the employee should be treated as if it is not being extended.

Where the secondment is to be extended then the line manager must seek financial agreement and authorisation through the normal route in their own Faculty/Directorate and should confirm this in writing to the People Directorate, hrteam-operations@brookes.ac.uk

Where a manager wishes to convert a fixed term appointment to a permanent one, this will be subject to the recruitment approval process in place at the time.  If the post is being covered by a secondment, the Recruiting Manager must consult with the People Manager to assess the potential for the secondee to be slotted into the role on a permanent basis, which can only happen in the very limited circumstance.

An internal secondee can only be slotted into the post on a permanent basis provided they have been recruited through an advertised recruitment process that was open to all the University.  Where the recruitment did not involve an advertised recruitment process open to the university then no matter what the length of the secondment this cannot be made permanent and would need to be externally advertised. 

The University reserves the right to terminate any secondment before completion and will normally provide one month’s notice, which can be extended depending on the circumstances and with agreement between all parties, unless there are exceptional or urgent business circumstances which require an immediate termination of the arrangement.  Where an employee wishes to terminate the secondment they would  also be required to provide one month’s notice which can be extended depending on the circumstances and with agreement between all parties.

An outgoing external secondment is one where a member of Oxford Brookes’ staff is based with and funded by another organisation for a defined period of time, whilst remaining an employee of Oxford Brookes University.  In these circumstances, the employee retains all Oxford Brookes’ terms and conditions of employment including continuous service rights and existing salary and pension arrangements. Any increments and pay awards will be made as usual.

At the end of the secondment the secondee will return to their substantive post with Oxford Brookes.

Outgoing external secondments are usually arranged for a defined period of up to a maximum of 2 years in the first instance. 

External secondments must be agreed by the Head of Department in consultation with the PVC Dean or Head of Directorate before being confirmed with the host organisation. The HoD will notify the People Manager of any proposed secondment arrangements.  They must also consult with the Head of Finance (or delegated others) for the  Faculty or Directorate Finance Manager regarding financial / funding arrangements where these may have significant relevance to Terms and Conditions.

Before discussions regarding the secondment are progressed, it is essential to check that the arrangement is not covered by another agreement such as a collaborative agreement; if it is a research post then liaison with the Research Manager/RBDO will be necessary.

It should be noted that there may be immigration issues if the individual is a non-British national on a skilled workers or other visa. Advice must be obtained from the People Directorate before any agreement with the host organisation is progressed.

Once the details of the external secondment are agreed in principle, an external  secondment agreement should be prepared based on the template, setting out the obligations, expectations and accountabilities of each party. This should be provided by the host employer but where this is not possible, the seconded agreement will be provided by the People Directorate.

The secondment agreement will usually cover the following broad issues:

• parties to the agreement: the signatories must be authorised to act on behalf of the employer.
• details of the secondment: length, whether part-time or full-time and what services will be provided (a job description should be attached as Schedule1).
• confirmation that the original contract remains in force and what the employee will do for the original employer if the secondment is part-time.
• intellectual property, data protection and confidentiality.
• costs and invoicing arrangements.
• performance, grievance and discipline.
• annual leave.
• termination of the agreement.
• insurance liability.
• performance, capability, conduct and grievance.

The external secondment agreement is a tripartite legal document and must be signed by the Registrar/Chief Operating Officer (or delegated other)  on behalf of the University, plus the secondee and the appropriate signatory for the Secondment (host) organisation.   

The draft agreement must then be sent to Legal Services for checking and arrange for signature using the Instruction for Work Form.

The University will continue to pay the secondee for the duration of their secondment and the appropriate Finance team will invoice the host employer in order to recover the employment costs (including on-costs).

Throughout the period of the secondment, the secondee's manager (in Oxford Brookes) should maintain regular contact with the secondee to ensure they are kept up to date with organisational and operational  changes and to see how they are getting on.

As the secondee's employer, Oxford Brookes will be alerted by the host organisation of any performance, capability, conduct or grievance issues that may arise  during the period of the secondment relating to the secondee. The host organisation and the University will work together to determine the most appropriate means of resolving such issues. 

Arrangements to fill the vacated post should be made in accordance with the normal recruitment process.  It will be for the Recruiting Manager in consultation with the People Directorate to determine whether a fixed-term contract may be advertised as a secondment opportunity. This would apply in circumstances where it is considered likely that the expertise required to fulfil the role already exists within the University.

Where the external secondment ends earlier than planned, the backfill may also be brought to an earlier end.

Prior to the end of the period of secondment, a meeting should be arranged between the secondee and their substantive line manager to discuss the return to their substantive post.  The meeting should cover the following points:

• updating the secondee on any developments within the department.
• ensuring that all the secondee's work is handed back smoothly.
• de-briefing to understand what has been achieved from the secondment.
• ensuring that the contribution of the secondee is recognised.

If, during the term of the secondment, organisational change results in the original post being substantially altered or is at risk of redundancy, the individual will be fully consulted on any changes in line with the University's Redundancy and Redeployment Policies.

At the end of the secondment the individual will revert to their substantive grade if their pay was enhanced during the secondment (benefitting from any increments they would have received had the secondment not taken place).

An incoming external secondment is where a member of staff from another employer (the seconding organisation) comes to work for Oxford Brookes (the host) for a defined period of time whilst maintaining their contract of employment with the seconding organisation (their substantive employer).

The individual remains employed by the seconding organisation, and is not employed by Oxford Brookes, so therefore is not eligible for the terms and conditions of Oxford Brookes University.

Incoming external secondments may be used in a number of ways, for instance:

• as an advertised opportunity for specific knowledge exchange or transfer from partner organisations, such as with Lecturer-Practitioner appointments with the NHS, or 

• to bring in specialist professional skills that would be otherwise unavailable to the University as an alternative appointment arrangement following the advertisement of a fixed-term post unless a specific person is named on the funding agreement.

All incoming secondment posts must be supported by a job description and person specification.  If the secondment opportunity is a new post, a role evaluation must be completed by the People Directorate to determine the pay grading of the post.

Vacancies are not normally available unless they are specifically to meet the needs for knowledge exchange/transfer, or to bring current professional skills into the organisation on a short to medium term basis. An advertisement for a fixed-term post may include a statement that applications for secondments are also welcome. 

If considering offering a secondment to a named individual (other than one named on a research grant) the HoD should consult with the People Manager and agreement sought by the PVC Dean or Head of Directorate. It should be noted that there may be issues relating to immigration if the individual is a non-British national on a skilled workers or other visa. Such considerations should be fully explored with the host organisation before any agreement is reached in principle.

Secondments are usually arranged for a defined period of up to 2 years in the first instance. Secondments should be agreed by the Head of Department in consultation with the PVC Dean or Head of Directorate.  The substantive employer continues to pay the secondee's salary and invoices the host University.  

Following financial approval, the HoD should confirm the arrangements to the People manager who will arrange for a secondment agreement which sets out the obligations, expectations and accountabilities of each party and the performance objectives or outcomes expected of the secondment to be prepared. 

The secondment agreement should cover the following broad issues:

• parties to the agreement: the signatories must be authorised to act on behalf of the employer.
• details of the secondment: length, whether part-time or full-time and what services will be provided (a job description should be attached as Schedule1).
• confirmation that the original contract remains in force and what the employee will do for the original employer if the secondment is part-time.
• intellectual property, data protection and confidentiality.
• costs and invoicing arrangements.
• performance, grievance and discipline.
• annual leave.
• termination of the agreement.
• insurance liability.
• performance, capability, conduct and grievance.

The external secondment agreement is a tripartite legal document and will need to be signed by the Registrar/Chief Operating Officer (or delegated other) on behalf of the University,  the secondee, and the appropriate signatory from the substantive employer (the seconding organisation).  The draft agreement must therefore be sent by the Head of Department to Legal Services for them to check and arrange the signature using the Instruction for Work Form. 

Secondees normally work under the terms and conditions set out in their substantive contract unless otherwise agreed in a separate secondment contract. The University would need to put arrangements in place to record any annual leave taken and any periods of sickness absence and inform the substantive employer of these. The University may request a copy of the secondee's contract of employment including the main terms and conditions (including relevant policies)from the seconding organisation.

The secondee will need to be set up on People XD as an unpaid affiliate in order to access Brookes’ IT systems.

At the end of the secondment the individual returns to their substantive employer. It is good practice to consult with the secondee at least four months before the secondment ends to ensure that arrangements for them to return to their substantive employer are in hand.

The University reserves the right to terminate any secondment before completion and will normally provide notice as per the secondment agreement unless there are exceptional or urgent business circumstances which require an immediate termination of the arrangement.  The University (the line manager) will consult with the seconding employer prior to taking any action to terminate the secondment.

Where an employee wishes to terminate the secondment early they are also required to provide two months’ notice.

If you have any queries or for further information, please contact your link People Manager.