Employment Advice - Temporary Secondment

Golfusr

Hi All

Looking for some advice. I'm being asked to work on a project within my company and being asked to sign a letter reflecting my secondment. I want to work on the project and am not happy what I'm doing currently but want to make sure I'm not tripping myself up by signing the below. Names & titles blanked out for anonymity


Further to your recent discussions with us, I write to confirm the following:
You have been offered a secondment to the role of Project Manager for Project X. This role will report to xxxx xxxx, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and is effective from 30 April 2012. The position will be based in Dublin, Ireland.
The secondment will be formally reviewed at the end of May 2012:-
i. If the Project is not recommended for further development / implementation, you will return to your current position of xxxxxx, reporting to xxxxxxxxx
ii. If the Project is recommended for further development / implementation, you will transfer on permanent assignment to the role of Project Manager for Project xxxxxx
The assignment is expected to be for a period of 9 to 12 months and will represent a permanent change to your current position, that is, following the completion of the assignment, you will not have the option to return to your current role of xxxxxxx.
As the assignment is drawing to a close, the Company will work with you to explore any suitable opportunities that exist across the Group, with the objective being for you to secure a role that is mutually acceptable to both yourself and the Company going forward.
There are no other changes to your terms and conditions of employment.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you well in the secondment.
Yours sincerely,
Xxxx xxxxx

I have read and understood the terms and conditions as contained in this letter and I accept the position as outlined.
Signed ………………………………………………………………. Date …………………………………………….

Millypenny

I think you should make very sure of your options before you sign the secondment letter and get some proper legal advice beforehand.

"you will not have the option to return to your current role of xxxxxxx.
As the assignment is drawing to a close, the Company will work with you to explore any suitable opportunities that exist across the Group, with the objective being for you to secure a role that is mutually acceptable to both yourself and the Company going" forward.
This section is slightly ominous, basiscally it's saying that your old job won't exist when the secondment is over.

What happens if there is no position that is mutally acceptable to both you and the company after the secondment?? - then you might end up with no job or a position that you might not be happy with.

I'd try to get the company to clarify what exactly is going to happen after the secondment, a one-liner from that letter is not sufficient.