An employee is currently on a permanent contract in one department in the business. The employee has applied for a temporary role (maternity leave cover) in another part of the business. If we decide the employee is suitable for this temporary role, do we have to keep their permanent role open for them, or can we advise the employee that they must resign from their permanent role if they want to take up the temporary role? Assuming that we can do this, would the employee have continuous service if they forfeit their permanent role in favour of the temporary one?

Any internal policies you have in place dealing with this situation should be carefully reviewed. Assuming that there has been an internal recruitment process for the temporary role and that it is an ‘acting up’ position, it is likely that you will be required to keep the permanent role open. In this case, the permanent role would be backfilled and the employee will (if successful in the appointment) take on the temporary role.

It is unlikely that a resignation is required in these circumstances as taking on the new role would instead be treated as a temporary change to the employee’s terms and conditions of employment.

On the basis that the employee will remain employed by the same