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I've had it with my job-share

4 replies

EyeballsintheSky · 24/04/2009 18:15

History: I have been in my job for 9 years. In Jan I went back after mat leave having asked for 2.5 days per week. The person we found to do other half of week could only do two days so I agreed to do three. She already does a job share the other half of the week IYSWIM. So, I have the experience in my job, she has the experience in job sharing. Making sense? Because we work whole days there is no handover as there would be if the Weds was a half day each so we send handover emails.

The last couple of emails she's been sending me have been really arsey, almost accusing me of doing nothing the first half of the week, moaning about how difficult it is to only have two days (her choice) and moaning that she's had to do things from scratch because she doesn't know which folder things are in (they are always in the same place and have been since the start).

I'm getting to the stage where I am really pissed off with it. Every Friday now there is some whinge and veiled criticism. I know that I shouldn't log into work email and read them on Fridays, I should wait till Monday and deal with it then but I feel like I have no comeback as she won't get any emails till Wednesday.

I'm not expecting advice or anything but has anyone else had issues with a job share? I'm getting to the point where I'm hoping she'll leave and I can just do the job in three days which is what I feel like I'm doing anyway.

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flowerybeanbag · 24/04/2009 19:25

If it's only been the last couple of emails, was it previously working ok, since your return in Jan? What do you think has changed, if it was working before? If nothing has changed as far as you are concerned, things are still in the same place, something has changed for her, and it isn't necessarily anything to do with you. She may be having a rough time more generally, either at work or outside work, and is taking it out on you. She doesn't know the job either and may be finding it more difficult than she thought she would, I don't know.

Job shares rely hugely on good communication, and keeping this up in a situation where it's a literal job share, ie no crossover time at all, is a challenge at the best of times.

My advice would be you need to sit down with her and talk things through. You can't resolve this with emails I don't think. If you can sit down and have a conversation you may get a feel for whether there are wider issues, you can talk through any specific problems and work out together how to resolve them. Doing that will obviously mean one of you coming in early, or staying late, or coming into work at a time you don't usually work, but in my view it would be 100% worth it to try and make this work. Doing it over lunch might be an idea.

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TheProvincialLady · 24/04/2009 19:33

If it was your job, has she had any say in how things are organised/systems etc?

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choufleur · 24/04/2009 19:38

you have my complete sympathy. my nightmare of a job share has just ended after she handed in her resignation recently .

can you work with your joint manager to improve communications?

is it just with you that she's being funny with or other colleagues?

is her other job in the same organisation? If it is could she meet you for a hand over/chat when you are both in work, albeit actually doing different jobs that day.

i would also start keeping a diary of the criticisms she is making about you and note teh circmstances of events.

hope it works out

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EyeballsintheSky · 24/04/2009 21:43

Thanks guys. I think what seems to have been happening is that on my days I'm coming in and doing the run of the mill donkey work, of which there is a lot. Fine, I don't mind that. A few emergencies have happened on her half of the week, nothing to do with anything I've done but then she has to sort them out and it feels like she resents this. I came in on a Friday a few weeks back to have a review meeting with her and our boss and we ironed out a lot of stuff including procedures as, like I said, she has more experience of what works in job sharing. But since then it has got 10 times worse.

She's getting a couple of people's backs up but generally I really liked her. I've made an effort to change the way I do things and make sure she is consulted in everything - I was actually pulled up on that by a friendly colleague this week as she said I was making things harder for myself by consulting S about everything but I felt it was important to involve her in everything.

I just don't really know where it's going wrong. She works elsewhere the other half of the week, maybe she doesn't like it here, although the work is interesting and everyone is lovely.

I think we do have to have a meeting though. Is it worth me talking to our manager do you think or is that going behind her back. I would just ask if there are any issues that I need to know about, not asking her to tell tales IYSWIM.

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