How do you prevent the risk of the secondee permanently transferring or becoming an employee of the host (secondment employer)?

Just make sure it is being provided for in the secondment agreement. Both parties should make it clear that such occurence will not be allowed and tolerated. This means that the secondment employer should promise not to make any offer whatsoever for the secondee to stay with them permanently.

Both parties should also ensure that the secondee doesn't directly owe any duties to the secondment employer or host, but only to his primary employer. And ensure that the secondment employer does not owe any duties to the secondee, but only to the seconder or primary employer.

You, as the seconder, should make sure that all parties understand that it is you who retain day-to-day control of the employee (secondee).

In addition, to make sure that the secondee does not become integrated into the host employer's organisation, you should carry out any appraisal and disciplinary/grievance procedures involving your employee.

Our organization is actually open to the idea of having an employee absorbed by the other organisation. In the same manner that we often absorb an employee that is seconded to us.

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Off to the Boondocks I go!

Hi CesWayt:

I thought that this was the aim of secondment for the employee to get a taste of other positions or industries? If he can't make the jump, then why put him through secondment at all?

That will be the burden of the employee. If he likes the new job so much, he must resign from his employer and apply at the secondment company. Just as long as the secondment company does not offer him anything.

Hi Boondocks, we offered a secondment programme to our employees months before we started lay-off procedures. This was with a purpose of exposing the to other functions that they might like. We made sure that we communicated that to them, and told them they were free to go if they found their new jobs good. We placed around 13 employees at different affiliates and secondment companies before we started the layoffs.

The point is, you should put everything in the letter and your agreements.

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LIMA!

I really think that a lot of the risks and other conditions are readily addressed by the agreement. This contract, therefore, should really be well-prepared and planned for.