secondment
noun

- to send an employee to work somewhere else temporarily, either to increase the number of workers or to replace other workers, or to exchange experience or skills

Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

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ORIGIN

The verb “second” from the 1580s had the meaning “to support or represent in a duel, fight, etc.”, from French seconder, from Latin secundare “to assist, make favourable”.

The workplace meaning in today’s OWAD (second + -ment) is evidenced from 1897.

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SECONDMENT ADVANTAGES

In a secondment, an employee temporarily changes job roles within the same company or transfers to another organisation for an agreed period of time.

Secondments can be to organisations within the private or public sector, or to a non-profit making organisation. They usually last 3 to 24 months.

For employees, secondments are an excellent way to explore different career possibilities without leaving the current job. They offer professional development and career opportunities, especially within flat organisational structures where promotion may be limited.

Employers benefit from secondments in many ways. Employees that have taken a secondment acquire transferable skills and knowledge that they can put into practice once they return to their original position. These skills can then be communicated across the team and other departments within the organisation to improve and enhance the skill set of other staff.

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SYNONYMS
Temporary secondment to an organization:

allocation, appointment, assignment, attachment, commission, engagement, placement, relocation, reassignment, SECONDMENT, tour of duty, transfer

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“When promotion opportunities are limited, a SECONDMENT can help gain additional experience.”

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THANKS to Antje for suggesting today’s OWAD.

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and,

Paul Smith, IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40