secondment
Secondment (noun) means a temporary transfer of an employee to another department, organisation or location, after which they return to their original job. Example: “She spent a six-month secondment at the Treasury before returning to the department.”
How to Use Secondment
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA temporary move to another job, with your old one kept open for you.
Neutral in British workplace and public sector English; may need glossing for American readers.
The verb is stressed differently from the number: se-COND someone to another team, but SEC-ond place.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She spent a six-month _____ at the Treasury before returning to the department.
Etymology
From the verb second, 'to transfer someone temporarily to other duties', which came into military and civil service use from French en second 'in a secondary capacity'.
Synonyms
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a secondment and a transfer?
A secondment is temporary and you keep your substantive job to return to; a transfer is permanent and your old post is filled by someone else. On secondment your original employer usually still holds your contract.
Do you get paid on secondment?
Yes. In most arrangements your home employer continues to pay you and may recharge the cost to the host organisation, though the host sometimes pays a supplement. The terms should be set out in a written secondment agreement before you start.
Is secondment used in American English?
Rarely. Americans more often say a temporary assignment, detail, rotation or loan; secondment is standard in Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and much of the Commonwealth, and in international organisations.