The John Lewis Partnership has been in the news recently, offering charities the chance to recruit up to fifty of its employees to work as volunteers for up to six months.

This isn’t the first time the Partnership have made this kind of offer. Since the foundation of their Golden Jubilee Trust in 2000, more than 330 John Lewis and Waitrose staff have clocked up almost 140,000 volunteer hours helping various charities and good causes – all without giving up their “normal” job - or their regular pay packet.

It might be rare to hear of an employer actively marketing their staff’s time in this way, but secondment – where an employee is enabled to devote their usual work time to a different range of duties or to another organsiation in agreement with their employer – is not a new idea.

Employers who are already converts to the merits of secondments will speak positively about their value in motivating, developing and ultimately retaining staff. Standard Life for example acknowledge on their website that “we benefit overall from increased staff motivation and retention” through their secondment scheme, which allows staff to spend up to three months with a charity or community group. Marks and Spencer is another supporter, allowing secondments for their staff up to 100 days in any one year.

Ultimately, employees that have taken a secondment acquire transferrable skills and knowledge that they can then put into practice once they return to their original position, as well as an increased sense of confidence.

So if you're planning a large fundraising activity that will need more attention than you are able to spare at the minute or hoping to work with your charity on a scheme that will take up more hours than there are in your day - don't give up! A secondment might provide a workable solution that benefits everybody - yourself, your cause and even your employer!

Interested? Our know-how section "More help and more time" tells you how to prepare.