For many companies, posting employees to work within the European Union offers an opportunity for development, new contracts and greater competitiveness. However, for secondment to be legal, safe and cost-effective, it’s necessary to prepare the documentation properly – especially the international secondment addendum which constitutes the basis for changing the place of work.
In practice, this document protects the company against sanctions, inspections by foreign authorities and the risk of disputes with employees. Therefore, its preparation shouldn’t be a coincidence.
1. Why is the international secondment addendum so important?
An international secondment addendum is an agreement between the employer and the employee that:
- confirms a temporary change of workplace outside Poland,
- specifies remuneration conditions in accordance with the law of the country of posting (minimum wage, allowances, equivalents),
- indicates the period of secondment,
- protects the company in the event of an inspection (e.g. PIP – National Labour Inspectorate in Poland, foreign services, insurance institutions).
An appropriate international secondment addendum isn’t just a formality – it’s the key to the safe provision of services within the European Union.
2. In which language should the document be prepared?
As a rule, the document should be prepared:
- in Polish and
- in the language of the country to which the worker is posted.
If an employee doesn’t speak these languages, a version in a language he/she understands shall also be provided – this is an obligation that many companies are unaware, but which is crucial in the event of a dispute.
3. Posting doesn’t apply exclusively to employment contracts
An international secondment addendum will also be required for:
- a contract of mandate
- a B2B contract (in certain cases)
The document must be matched to the specific type of contract, because formal errors may invalidate the secondment or expose the company to high penalties.
5. Information on posting conditions – this is what employers most often forget about
For secondment exceeding 4 weeks, the employer is obliged to provide the worker with information about posting conditions.
This is a statuory obligation and failure to comply with it may constitute the basis of the employee’s claims.
❗ The most common mistakes we see in companies posting employees abroad:
- copying templates from the internet or previous projects,
- failing to take into account the current provisions of the country of posting,
- failing to calculate supplements and benefits in accordance with local law,
- lack of required language versions,
- combining regulations concerning workers and contractors in a single document,
- using a ″universal″ annex that protects neither the company nor the employee.
Do you need an international secondment addendum that truly protects your company?
As a tax and law office specialising in providing services to companies posting employees to work in the European Union, we have prepared:
✔️ a professional, multilingual international secondment addendum,
prepared in accordance with the laws of EU countries (including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria)
✔️ a checklist for posting workers abroad,
to ensure that the posting is compliant, safe and auditable
✔️ legal consultation,
during which we will analyse your situation and select the appropriate solutions
We provide the document and consultation in exchange for payment – because it isn’t just another free ″template from the internet″, but a tool protecting the employer’s interests.
