Secondment Agreement Template for the UK

Use a secondment agreement when you temporarily place a skilled employee with another organisation while keeping their original employment intact. This comes up often in professional services, for example an accountant spending six months at a client site, or a tech specialist supporting a partner company through a systems rollout.

Put the agreement in place before any staff move across company boundaries in the UK. It defines who handles payroll, benefits, supervision and the day-to-day reporting line, and it names a point of contact at each organisation for questions during the secondment period. Record the registered name and address of both the home and host organisations so the parties are unambiguous. That matters most in regulated industries, where you need to document compliance with employment law and keep reporting lines and professional liability clearly defined.

• Employee Secondment Agreement: The standard form covers essential elements like duration, role details, and supervision arrangements. It can be adapted for different scenarios: intra-group transfers between related companies (keeping terms simple), cross-border secondments (adding international compliance elements), client-based arrangements (focusing on service delivery and confidentiality), or knowledge-transfer secondments (emphasizing training and skill development objectives).

• Home Organization (Employer): Initiates the Secondment Agreement, remains the primary employer, and maintains core employment responsibilities like salary and benefits
• Host Organization: Receives the seconded employee, provides day-to-day direction, and takes on specific obligations around workplace safety and supervision
• Seconded Employee: The professional being transferred, who must follow both organizations' policies while maintaining their original employment status
• HR Teams: Handle the practical aspects of the agreement, including coordination between organizations and ensuring compliance with UK employment laws
• Finance Teams: Set up and reconcile the secondment charge, handling invoicing, PAYE and the cost recharge between the two organisations

• Employment Details: Gather the secondee's current role, salary, and benefits package to ensure continuity
• Duration Planning: Define the exact start and end dates, including any extension options
• Role Specifics: Document the new position's duties, reporting lines, and performance measures at the host organization
• Cost Allocation: Agree which organization pays for salary, expenses, and benefits during the secondment
• Compliance Check: Review relevant UK employment laws and industry regulations affecting the arrangement
• Draft Generation: Use our platform to create a customized agreement that includes all required elements and protects both organizations

• Parties and Roles: Clear identification of home employer, host organization, and seconded employee, including each organisation's registered name and address
• Duration Terms: Specific start and end dates, plus any extension or early termination provisions
• Employment Status: Confirmation that original employment continues with clear reporting lines
• Duties and Location: Detailed description of role, responsibilities, and work location
• Payment Terms: Salary arrangements, expenses, benefits, and which organization covers what costs, including how the secondment charge is invoiced and financed
• Confidentiality: Protection of both organizations' sensitive information
• Dispute Resolution: How the parties handle any disagreement over charges, conduct or early termination during the secondment
• Governing Law: Explicit statement that the law of England and Wales applies to the agreement
• Intellectual Property: Clear ownership rules for work created during secondment

A secondment agreement and an agency agreement both involve one party working for another, but they serve different purposes and sit under different areas of law. The table below sets out how they compare.