Job sharing

Job share is an arrangement where two employees share all aspects of a job between them. Pay and benefits are also shared on a pro-rata basis. There are a number of patterns of job-sharing:

• Split week - each partner works two and a half (or occasionally some other split) days per week.
• Overlapping week - each partner works three days so there is an overlap of one day. Good for continuity and communications.
• Split day - one partner works every morning and the other every afternoon. Good for continuity but may have implications for travel or child-care costs that make it less attractive to employees.
• Alternate weeks - each partner has full weeks at work then the same amount of time off work. Useful where travel cost is an issue, but makes handover and continuity challenging in some roles.
• Simultaneously for two or three days per week - each partner works the same days at the same time. Provides for good communication, but unlikely to be useful where a customer-facing service need to be provided.

Key points:

• Such arrangements may add to the experience and expertise available within the organisation.
• Two people would know and understand the job instead of one. It might be possible for each partner to provide some level of absence cover for the other.
• Job shares work best when it is possible to build in some overlap period so that a hand-over can take place. Managers must consider how that can be arranged and good communications ensured.
• Additional training, equipment and fixed costs may be required and managers must consider these when assessing the practicality of agreeing to the request.
• Where one job-share partner leaves, managers may ask the remaining partner to cover both parts of the job-share. If, following advertisement, recruitment to the remaining part of the post proves impossible, managers may replace the arrangement with a full-time post and alternative employment will be sought for the remaining job-share partner.

For further information, please refer to the Job share policy

Job splitting describes an arrangement where two or more employees share a role by splitting the tasks rather than each doing the full role for part of the time. This may have implications for skill requirements and may therefore affect the grade of a post. Advice should always be sought from an HR Adviser where job splitting is considered.