Secondment for over two years

Beedoo

Hello,

I have been seconded into a role for 3.5 years now.  It was expected to continue at least another year, maybe three, but has suddenly been cut short.

I have been informed I will be returned to my substantive post at a lower grade.  Whilst grateful that I have a job, I am curious as to my rights at the higher grade?  Can they reduce me down to my previous salary or do they have to put me at the top of the lower grade now (I would have progressed to the top of that by now)?  Do they have to give me notice (my notice period is 3 months) or can they reduce my salary immediately?  Can I argue I am permanently at that higher grade now as I thought two years made it permanent?

Thanks

Sue

Grumpy_chap

Beedoo said:

Hello,

I have been seconded into a role for 3.5 years now.  It was expected to continue at least another year, maybe three, but has suddenly been cut short.

I have been informed I will be returned to my substantive post at a lower grade.  Whilst grateful that I have a job, I am curious as to my rights at the higher grade?  Can they reduce me down to my previous salary or do they have to put me at the top of the lower grade now (I would have progressed to the top of that by now)?  Do they have to give me notice (my notice period is 3 months) or can they reduce my salary immediately?  Can I argue I am permanently at that higher grade now as I thought two years made it permanent?

Thanks

Sue

Hi Sue - what have the company told you about what will happen to your salary?
Some companies faced with this type of situation do the transfer back but freeze the individual's salary until the top of the pay band catches up.  Are you at the front of the queue for promotion now that you have proven you can deliver at the more senior role?

Beedoo

Hi @Grumpy_chap!  They have told me I will go back to the lower band, but not specified where on that band.  No priority for me - only a reassurance I can apply for other roles at my current grade, however these are quite rare and given they just cancelled my secondment I think unlikely that one that suited my abilities would arise soon.  It's a good point though as they are discussing setting up a new project at some time in the next year, so I wonder if I should have first dibs on a equivalent role if it arises?

Savvy_Sue

Are you in a union? If not, I'd join now: it could be quite helpful if you decide to appeal against being put back on a lower salary than you would have expected to be on, had you not taken up the secondment. 

Why do you think you might be entitled to first dibs on an equivalent role in the future? Surely the employer will want the best person for that job?

Sandtree

How have your pay rises been handled during this time? My secondment only lasted 9 months and it became my role in the end but when I went through the annual pay rise process my increase was split across by base pay and the secondment allowance and I assumed that if the secondment had come to an end I would just return to my increased base pay.

Thrugelmir

Beedoo said:

I have been seconded into a role for 3.5 years now.  It was expected to continue at least another year, maybe three, but has suddenly been cut short.

Secondment is only ever temporary. You knew that when accepting the role. Moving you back to your old position is standard practice. Did you apply for other roles in the organisation while on secondment? 

Marcon

Beedoo said:

Hello,

I have been seconded into a role for 3.5 years now.  It was expected to continue at least another year, maybe three, but has suddenly been cut short.

I have been informed I will be returned to my substantive post at a lower grade.  Whilst grateful that I have a job, I am curious as to my rights at the higher grade?  Can they reduce me down to my previous salary or do they have to put me at the top of the lower grade now (I would have progressed to the top of that by now)?  Do they have to give me notice (my notice period is 3 months) or can they reduce my salary immediately?  Can I argue I am permanently at that higher grade now as I thought two years made it permanent?

Thanks

Sue

Did you actually anything at the outset of the secondment on what would happen when this situation arouse - even just an elderly e-mail exchange lurking somewhere...?

Beedoo

Marcon said:

Beedoo said:

Hello,

I have been seconded into a role for 3.5 years now.  It was expected to continue at least another year, maybe three, but has suddenly been cut short.

I have been informed I will be returned to my substantive post at a lower grade.  Whilst grateful that I have a job, I am curious as to my rights at the higher grade?  Can they reduce me down to my previous salary or do they have to put me at the top of the lower grade now (I would have progressed to the top of that by now)?  Do they have to give me notice (my notice period is 3 months) or can they reduce my salary immediately?  Can I argue I am permanently at that higher grade now as I thought two years made it permanent?

Thanks

Sue

Did you actually anything at the outset of the secondment on what would happen when this situation arouse - even just an elderly e-mail exchange lurking somewhere...?

Struggling to find any emails older than 2 years old in my email archives to be honest.  I’m pretty sure it was just an email saying I was being seconded, the grade and length

Beedoo

Sandtree said:

How have your pay rises been handled during this time? My secondment only lasted 9 months and it became my role in the end but when I went through the annual pay rise process my increase was split across by base pay and the secondment allowance and I assumed that if the secondment had come to an end I would just return to my increased base pay.

Fully transferred onto the higher grade and continued to move up within that grade

Beedoo

Thrugelmir said:

Beedoo said:

I have been seconded into a role for 3.5 years now.  It was expected to continue at least another year, maybe three, but has suddenly been cut short.

Secondment is only ever temporary. You knew that when accepting the role. Moving you back to your old position is standard practice. Did you apply for other roles in the organisation while on secondment? 

Ahh on that basis I also knew it was due to last another 12 months and it hasn’t.  I believe there is a rule about any position over 2 years, so I am just seeking to understand what that may mean.  I don’t see the relevance of whether I applied for anything else or not. 

Savvy_Sue

Do you have an online HR portal you can log into? I'd say I can see all my changing contract details on our, except I know it was all scanned in from my paper file and I suspect there were a few bits missing because we weren't always as good at that kind of thing as we are now.