Team re-structure while on secondment question

[richatnort]

Hi all,

I'm after some help please. We are shortly going to go through a team structure whereby there are currently 4 of us doing roles but one of those is on secondment in another team / area of the business until December but likely to be extended I expect given the project and their role.

The team will lose two of those people due to the restructure but I am wondering what that means for the person who is seconded in that role? Will they be at risk too and therefore have to apply for their job again?

The reason I ask if that person is at the same level of role I am in however the new structure I think will only require 1 of us aka 1 senior & 1 mid level and i'm wondering if because they are on secondment I might be safe from the lay off / apply for my role again or not.

Thanks for the help

[Jasandjules]

Without knowing the details of the secondment it is hard to say but my gut says you are clear as usually a company will not count a person on secondment as being in the pool as they are not part of the team at risk unless and until that secondment ends. Some offer side contracts for example to secondments, others are less formal...

[ChrisNic]

Unhelpfully my experience is contradictory to the post above.

I was the one seconded out, ‘home’ role was restructured and I was in the pool and put at risk. Secondment carried on, was unsuccessful in securing one of the roles in the home role and had to find a new role before secondment ended.

[Jasandjules]

ChrisNic said:

Unhelpfully my experience is contradictory to the post above.

I was the one seconded out, ‘home’ role was restructured and I was in the pool and put at risk. Secondment carried on, was unsuccessful in securing one of the roles in the home role and had to find a new role before secondment ended.

Were you given a side contract or was it a less formal secondment?

[C5_Steve]

Jasandjules said:

ChrisNic said:

Unhelpfully my experience is contradictory to the post above.

I was the one seconded out, ‘home’ role was restructured and I was in the pool and put at risk. Secondment carried on, was unsuccessful in securing one of the roles in the home role and had to find a new role before secondment ended.

Were you given a side contract or was it a less formal secondment?

I can add and agree with the above, in my previous company I've had many examples of restructuring teams over many years. Anyone who belongs to the the team that is being restructured but on a secondment is included in the assessment as once the secondment ends they would need to go back to their original role.

This was a large corporate entity so might work differently in differently scaled businesses but I'm not sure as if it involves the person's role becoming redundant they have to be considered as in that role.

[Collectingbrass]

C5_Steve said:

Jasandjules said:

ChrisNic said:

Unhelpfully my experience is contradictory to the post above.

I was the one seconded out, ‘home’ role was restructured and I was in the pool and put at risk. Secondment carried on, was unsuccessful in securing one of the roles in the home role and had to find a new role before secondment ended.

Were you given a side contract or was it a less formal secondment?

I can add and agree with the above, in my previous company I've had many examples of restructuring teams over many years. Anyone who belongs to the the team that is being restructured but on a secondment is included in the assessment as once the secondment ends they would need to go back to their original role.

This was a large corporate entity so might work differently in differently scaled businesses but I'm not sure as if it involves the person's role becoming redundant they have to be considered as in that role.

I'll third this. From an HR best practice point of view the secondee is in the pool. The question for the pool is what is the forward order book and revenue outlook for the secondee, for the other person in the pool and why are the business going through this.

If the outlook for the business is so bad they are contemplating a 50% reduction in headcount (to emphasise the point) I would look to be in the pool and volunteer for redundancy as soon as that step is available. That said I would wager my left nut that they're doing this with a target outcome in mind to avoid a messy dismissal & risk of a tribunal and the OP is either the target or not. If you don't know you probably are...

Good luck...

[Sy1441]

ChrisNic said:

Unhelpfully my experience is contradictory to the post above.

I was the one seconded out, ‘home’ role was restructured and I was in the pool and put at risk. Secondment carried on, was unsuccessful in securing one of the roles in the home role and had to find a new role before secondment ended.

This is indeed the correct way of doing things from an HR perspective.