What kinds of secondment arrangements are possible to, from or within the APS?
‘Secondment’ is not specifically provided for in the Public Service Act. Yet it is well-recognised that a person who works for one employer can be ‘seconded’ to work for a second employer. Because the word ‘secondment’ is used loosely to describe a variety of possible arrangements, it is useful to begin by looking at what a secondment is, and how it differs from other possible arrangements. In the APS context, a secondment is an arrangement entered into where the employee remains an employee of the ‘home’ APS agency or an outside employer but is ‘lent’ for a period, by: • an APS agency to another APS agency; • an outside employer to an APS agency; or • an APS agency to an outside employer. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as a one-off placement to help the host agency meet a short term need, or as part of an ongoing formal exchange program for personal development purposes. The essence of such an arrangement is that: • in the case of an APS employee, they formally remain an e
