Secondment Agreement, Ashbury District Council and Cleargate Water

Secondment agreement template for a council engineer and a host utility

A secondment agreement template sets out how an employee works for another organisation for a fixed period while staying employed by their own. It needs three signatures because three parties carry obligations: the home employer keeps paying, the host directs the work and pays it back, and the secondee keeps their job to return to.

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Ashbury District Council
Civic Centre, 1 Hallam Street, Ashbury · people@ashbury.example
Secondment agreement · Ashbury District Council, Cleargate Water and Tomasz WierzbickiPage 1 of 4
Secondment agreement · Ashbury District Council, Cleargate Water and Tomasz WierzbickiPage 2 of 4
Secondment agreement · Ashbury District Council, Cleargate Water and Tomasz WierzbickiPage 3 of 4
Secondment agreement · Ashbury District Council, Cleargate Water and Tomasz WierzbickiPage 4 of 4
Secondment agreement

This agreement is made on Friday 16 October 2026 between Ashbury District Council, called the Home Employer; Cleargate Water Corporation, called the Host; and Tomasz Wierzbicki, Senior Civil Engineer, called the Secondee. It sets out how the Secondee works for the Host for six months while remaining employed by the Home Employer.

6 months
Term
2 Nov 2026
Starts
$11,229
Host pays a month
3 May 2027
Returns to Council
1. The secondment
1.1
Purpose
The Secondee will lead the design review of the Host’s Eastern Trunk Main renewal, stages 2 and 3, and train two of the Host’s graduate engineers in the Home Employer’s pipe condition assessment method.
1.2
Term
The secondment starts on Monday 2 November 2026 and ends on Friday 30 April 2027, unless it ends earlier under clause 7. It can only be extended by written agreement of all three parties, and never past 31 October 2027.
1.3
Place and hours
The Secondee works at the Host’s Riverside depot, keeps 38 ordinary hours a week, and follows the Host’s site rules and leave booking system.
2. Employment stays with the Home Employer
2.1
Continuous employment and pay
The Secondee remains the Home Employer’s employee with unbroken service, and is not an employee or agent of the Host. The Home Employer keeps paying the Secondee’s salary of $118,200 a year and retirement contributions, and the Secondee keeps every entitlement of their current employment, including any salary review that falls during the term.
2.2
Conduct matters
If a concern arises about the Secondee’s conduct or performance, the Host tells the Home Employer in writing, and only the Home Employer deals with it. The Host may ask that the Secondee not attend its site while a serious concern is looked into.
3. What the Host does
1
Directs the daily work
Through one named manager, Rhiannon Bligh, Network Planning Manager, who sets priorities and approves the Secondee’s timesheets each month.
2
Provides a safe workplace
A site induction on day one, the protective equipment its own engineers use, and the same safety supervision on live water sites.
3
Supplies the tools
A laptop, design software licences and a pool vehicle for site visits, at its own cost.
4
Reports on performance and incidents
Written input to the Home Employer’s reviews at three and six months, and same day notice of any injury or complaint.
4. Who pays
4.1
Cost recovery
The Host reimburses the Home Employer the full cost of the Secondee’s employment for the term, as set out below. Mileage and site expenses are paid by the Host directly under its own policy and are not part of the recharge.
Cost
Basis
A month
Six months
Salary
$118,200 a year
$9,850.00
$59,100.00
Retirement contributions
11% of salary
$1,083.50
$6,501.00
Payroll on costs
3% of salary
$295.50
$1,773.00
Total recharge
$11,229.00
$67,374.00
4.2
Invoicing
The Home Employer invoices monthly and the Host pays within 14 days. A salary change during the term changes the recharge from the same date.
5. Confidentiality and work product
5.1
The Host’s information
The Secondee keeps the Host’s information confidential during and after the term, and does not pass it to the Home Employer unless the Host agrees in writing.
5.2
Who owns the work
Designs, reports and data the Secondee produces for the Host belong to the Host. The Home Employer may keep using its own assessment method, which it brings to the secondment and continues to own.
5.3
Conflicts of interest
While seconded, the Secondee does not work on any Council matter involving the Host, such as a development consent or a road opening permit for its works, and declares any other conflict to both managers.
6. Responsibility and insurance
6.1
Work under the Host’s direction
The Host is responsible for work the Secondee does under its direction as if done by its own engineer, and makes no claim against the Home Employer for it except for wilful misconduct.
6.2
Insurance
The Home Employer keeps its workers insurance for the Secondee. The Host keeps its public liability and professional indemnity cover and notes the Secondee on both.
7. Ending early and returning
7.1
Ending early
Any party may end the secondment on 4 weeks written notice to the other two, or the Home Employer immediately if the Secondee’s safety is at risk. The recharge stops on the last day worked, and the Secondee returns the Host’s laptop, pass and keys that day.
7.2
Right to return
At the end of the secondment, early or not, the Secondee returns to the position of Senior Civil Engineer, Infrastructure Design, or if that position no longer exists, to a position of the same grade and salary that the Secondee is qualified for.

Signing. Each party signs to agree to these terms. Signed copies may be exchanged electronically.

For Ashbury District Council, Home Employer: Fiona Keane, Director Infrastructure
Date
:
For Cleargate Water Corporation, Host: Samuel Ortiz, General Manager Networks
Date
:
Tomasz Wierzbicki, Secondee
Date
:

Section by section

What each section is for, so you can keep the ones you need and drop the rest.

Parties and summary
Council, water corporation and engineer, with stats for the 6 month term, start, monthly recharge and return date.
1. The secondment
Purpose on the Eastern Trunk Main design review, the term to 30 April 2027, and place and hours.
2. Employment stays with the Home Employer
Continuous employment and pay, and conduct matters handled only by the council.
3. What the Host does
A numbered list: daily direction through a named manager, safe workplace, tools and vehicle, performance and incident reports.
4. Who pays
Cost recovery, a table of salary, contributions and on costs by month and for six months, and monthly invoicing.
5. Confidentiality and work product
The host's information, ownership of designs and data, and conflicts of interest.
6. Responsibility and insurance
Work under the host's direction and each party's insurance.
7. Ending early and returning
Ending on 4 weeks notice and the right to return to the same or an equivalent position.
Signing
Three signature blocks, one each for the council, the host and the secondee.

How to adapt this document

For an internal secondment between two departments of the same employer, drop the cost recovery section and the host insurance clause, and keep the term, the named manager and the right to return, because those are what the employee needs. For a secondment abroad, add clauses on immigration permission, tax residence, a living allowance and who pays flights home, since those change the cost table substantially. For a part time secondment, add a column to the cost table for the share of time spent at the host and recharge only that share.

What makes this document work

The recharge reconciles to the cent

Salary of $9,850.00 a month, retirement contributions at 11% of $1,083.50 and on costs at 3% of $295.50 make $11,229.00 a month, and $59,100.00, $6,501.00 and $1,773.00 make $67,374.00 for six months. The host's finance team can approve the budget from the table alone.

Each party's job is written down

The council keeps paying and alone handles conduct matters under clause 2.2. The host directs daily work through one named manager, provides induction and equipment and reports at three and six months. The secondee follows the host's site rules. Nobody is left assuming the other side will do it.

Return rights come before anyone asks

Clause 7.2 returns the engineer to Senior Civil Engineer, Infrastructure Design, or a position of the same grade and salary if that one no longer exists, whether the secondment ends early or on 30 April 2027. That promise is what makes a good employee willing to go.

Questions people ask

Who employs the secondee during a secondment?

The home employer, in almost every secondment. The secondee's contract, pay, leave and service continue as before, and the host gets the benefit of their work under the agreement. Clause 2.1 says this directly, and also that the secondee is not an employee or agent of the host, which matters for liability and tax.

Why does the secondee sign a secondment agreement?

Because the secondment changes where and for whom they work, and some terms, such as following the host's site rules, keeping the host's information confidential and avoiding conflicts, apply to them personally. Their signature shows they agreed to the move rather than being directed into it, which protects the home employer if a dispute arises.

What costs should a host repay?

Usually the full cost of employment for the period: salary, employer retirement or pension contributions and payroll on costs such as workers insurance and payroll taxes. Expenses incurred at the host, like mileage, are often paid by the host directly. Some public bodies agree a partial recharge, which should then be stated as a percentage.

Who owns the work a secondee produces?

The agreement decides it. Here designs, reports and data made for the host belong to the host, while the home employer keeps owning the assessment method it brings. Without a clause like 5.2, ownership can default to the employer of the person who created the work, which would surprise most hosts.

Can a secondment be ended early?

Yes, if the agreement allows it. Clause 7.1 lets any party end it on 4 weeks written notice to the other two, and lets the home employer end it at once if the secondee's safety is at risk. The recharge stops on the last day worked, so nobody pays for time after the return.

How are conflicts of interest handled when a council seconds staff to a utility?

By keeping the secondee away from any council decision about the host for the term. Clause 5.3 names the obvious examples, a development consent or a road opening permit for the host's works, and requires any other conflict to be declared to both managers, so the arrangement survives scrutiny.

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