Has anyone here been on secondment?

Annsy

I’ve applied for a promotion at work, and was successful however I’ve been offered the role on secondment for 6 months with a plan that if both parties agree the role is mine at the end of the secondment. This is because it is a people management role and I don’t have any experience.

My question is related to pay. Should I expect to be paid more while on secondment? If so, would it be equivalent to what I might expect if I took on the role permanently? Or will I only find out what I might be paid for the role once I finish the secondment?

Luna

In my experience you can negotiate a bit with secondment but usually a bit less than if you were accepting the permanent role.

What you have described sounds very odd. Like you were the best candidate but they are not prepared to offer you an ongoing.

In your shoes, if you are happy with a secondment, I would try and negotiate whatever salary you think you should get if it is permanent.

Annsy

There were 3 identical roles. I was the only internal appointment, but as mentioned lack the experience required, so Ive been offered a secondment to provide me with training and experience, and also to give me an option to go back to my old role if its not for me. Im okay with secondment, but no idea how pay works. Theyve offered me an amount for the 6 months, but seems a lot less than what I expected for the role ongoing, so trying to understand if this is just for secondment or if this will be the pay ongoing.

wannabefree

You are typically paid the appropriate amount of the role, so assuming its an increased grade level and you aren’t top of the band (which can overlap) then you should be paid more.

I think its a great option to get some experience but its not without its risks. For instance, if your old team is restructured and your “home” role is impacted, without being there and knowing you would likely stay on in the seconded role, you probably wont keep your old role. Then if they decide not to permanently give you the seconded role you end up redundant. Depends whats happening at your work, at my work, theres restructures all over the place atm like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Normally I’d say the risk is low.

At my workplace, people management is a “hat”. I was already at the grade of the people management role when I took it on so I didn’t get any extra pay.

Gum-boots

We do this sometimes when it is a big leap. Gives a safe landing space at the end if it doesn’t work out. Generally the secondment allowance would take you to the entry point to the rem band in my organisation.

M-M

Work out what you think you is a fair salary for the role and ask for the difference between that and your current salary to be paid as higher duties for the duration of the secondment. Then once things are confirmed, they convert your higher duties to actual salary.