AIBU to stop covering my job-share partner's time off?

Your manager should be handling this.

I disagree.

You can respond, I agreed to cover for you as I have in the past, even though some of the dates are very inconvenient for me on the basis that we would help each other out.

I did this because you promised to cover for my holiday dates but have now backed out, leaving me in the lurch. So it doesn't feel like a reciprocal or fair arrangement to me.

Perhaps we should both find a different way of organising this.

( also op... you are allowed holiday days.. Can't your manager organise this.. so you don't have the awkwardness landed on you? )

I’d have to go back to her and ask why she waited for you to agree her dates then back out of cover previously agreed for you @JobShareDrama and point out how many times you have covered for her with no reciprocation.

I would possibly then discuss privately with my Manager.

flexible work arrangements such as job-share require people to be professional and have an attitude of ‘give and take’. Hers seems to be ‘take’.

Sure, but it's a bit silly to rely on informal arrangements like this when you're planning holidays abroad, no matter how "adult and professional" both people are.

Your workshare colleague cerainly does not care about keeping a cordial work atmosphere so why should you. Just tell her something came up and you cant cover for her

you don’t have a cordial working relationship and you don’t have to make excuses for why you cannot cover her leave.

simply say: “I have previously covered for you on the basis we had what I believed was a reciprocal arrangement. If you cannot cover for me I am no longer willing to inconvenience myself for you”.

Do the same to her, give it a few days and then tell her, using the exact same wording she used, that you’re no longer able to cover her time off.

I agreed to them all, and on doing so she immediately sent me a return message saying she can no longer cover my holiday, leaving me in the lurch.
So, I’ve covered for her multiple times, and she’s not once returned the favour.
I feel like saying I’m not doing her dates then, but then this will pretty much ring the death bell on a cordial working relationship. TBH I’m sick of being a peacekeeper and mug to people.

Just send a polite message that you are unable to cover the holiday dates she provided, and stop doing it. If she asks why, just say personal reasons.

I work a job share, we don't cover each others days if we're on leave. If one of us is off sick (or our kids are sick) and we've got something urgent, the other would step in if they can, but if they can't it's up to our line manager to sort. That's why my manager gets paid more than me!

We do make sure we don't have book the same week off as leave as we're the co-managers but that's just good practice.

this. I have been in three job shares and while we took on the whole of the job during each other's leave in terms of management responsibility, we never had to work extra time to cover.

Does that mean you’ll have to cancel your holiday? I’m assuming not as you’re entitled to holidays. I’d be having a word with your line manager to say how flexible you’ve been with her needs and she can’t even cover your annual holiday.
i hope you get paid for these extra days otherwise I’d say no

Yes, there are two women who job share at my work and they do exactly this.

However, if one cannot cover the others annual leave, it's really not their problem.

You can be adult and professional but that shouldn't mean stressing out over something that a manager is paid to sort.

is it a job share where you’re both doing the same job, or one where you’re both doing different aspects of what would otherwise be one post?

I line manage job-sharing people of both kinds and all we do is sometimes adjust people’s priorities so that the crucial stuff is still done when someone’s on leave. We don’t get them to actually cover each other’s time off.

Where are management in all this nonsense?

How is she leaving you in the lurch?

Do you own in the company?

If not, I don't see how it's your problem when it comes to who covers your annual leave?

She also has a very sweet deal. But from what I understand sweeter than yours. I assume cover is required to gain extra holiday? If I was you I’d stop doing it and I’d give it a few months and cancel some you’ve agreed to especially the one which causes the most inconvenience

Just tell her that the set up works both ways so if she won’t cover yours, you won’t cover hers. That way the ball is in her court and any future animosity it causes is on her. She’s a sneaky CF getting away with what she can and you can’t let her.

Back out of all your agreed dates. No need to go into too much detail. This is on her, not you and she is banking on you to fold again to avoid any awkwardness. Stop being a doormat.

sometimes when people are adult and professional, they don't need a "manager" and can sort their own dates between themselves, at dates that work for them both. It's much better when you don't work with a CF.

If it was not a job share, and instead just one person doing the whole job, how would your manager cover the annual leave?

Why are you covering for each other? If this was a full-time role, you would take your holidays and either your work would be spread across everyone else in the office or would wait for your return. This is also costing the company money surely as they are now paying one of you on holiday and extra money for the other job-share partner to do additional days.

She agreed to your dates
So just as much as you need to stick to agreeing to hers she needs to stick to agreeing with yours

She’s also had plenty of time

Either that or decline her dates
Theres a reason she sent you her list first. She knew you’d agree as she’s supposed to be covering yours.

just decline hers and tell her youre happy to cover but she needs to reciprocate

Surely it's down to your manager to organise cover when you're on AL?

I agreed to them all, and on doing so she immediately sent me a return message saying she can no longer cover my holiday, leaving me in the lurch.

The cheek

I would by return confirm that I can no longer cover for her either and refuse ALL the cover I've already agreed with.

If she is a CF, why should you be inconvenienced?

If she can cancel after she has agreed, so can you.