Job Share

[Lydiaz]

Not sure it's really an AIBU but more of a dilemma.

I've returned to work two days a week after maternity leave. My job is a FT job. It's not a job that can be done PT. So together with my manager, we arranged a job share. I recommend someone for the share. They do 3 days. I do 2. Though my manager wants me to do 3 and my colleague to do 2.

Now, my colleague has decided to hand their notice in for various reasons. So, I assume now more than ever my manager will want me to do a third day.

I don't know whether to do this or not.

Even if I do, we still have an issue the other two days of the week. Ideally, he would want me to do FT but I can't and she knows this.

I don't know whether she would employ someone else to do the other 2/3 days.

I wouldn't mind doing 4/5 days a week but less hours a day but again this doesn't work for the job.

Not sure what to do or what the answer is or even whether to agree to the third day. I'd rather not have a job share and find a way for just me to do it but that doesn't seem possible. Not sure what I'm asking really...

Wow! For once my paragraphs actually worked.

Anyone?

I could do with a job share after maternity - you anywhere near Yorkshire Haha?

If you've got contract that says you work part time in job share then they'll have to replace your colleague surely? Maybe offer the 3rd day to be flexible while they recruit?
But ultimately if you cant do it, you cant do it!

Doesn't it matter who you will be job sharing with? Maybe they won't want < 3 days week.

Where I work LA, if a job was a job share and person A left, the person B would be offered the job as a full time job. If this was declined, the LA would advertise the job to find a job share replacement. If this was not possible, the job would be re-offered as a full time job to person B. If they declined the job again, they would be redundant and the job re-advertised as a full time job.

@WoogleCone Unfortunately no where near Yorkshire, sorry! Haha.

I enjoy the job and could do the 3rd day but would feel get mum guilt, for sure!

I don't know exactly how it is stipulated in the contracts in regards to the job share but both of us are on a probation period still. My colleague because they are new to the company and I believe my new hours now PT rather than FT are subject to a probation.

@Chottie ohhh! That's not comforting!

@Lydiaz - I would check your contract asap, the info in my post above was laid down in my contract.

When I worked in a job share (well I was told I did, 9 months in they hadn't recruited anyone and expected me to do it all in 2.5 days so I left) the situation was the same as @chottie I think that's a standard thing. My employers were obv shit though.
If this can't work you will just have to find another job.

Chottie from what I understand everyone has a right to jobshare. Particularly in the public sector.
OP the worry I have with job share or cutting back hours is that the work still needs to be done. By someone. Do you have a working from home arrangement at all?
Take advice. Best wishes

Thanks for the replies. It's a customer facing role so can't be done as WFH. Someone needs to be at the office doing the job five days a week, hence a job share was arranged. Obviously, I'll speak to my employer after the weekend and see where we go from here. I've been trying to rack my brains for a solution to pitch that doesn't involve me losing my job or having to return FT but besides employing another person there obviously isn't an answer to this.

Suggest a 5 day fortnight? This is was my favourite arrangement when I had little kids.

I used to work Mon, Tues and every second Wed but would use daycare/after school care every Wed.

This meant I had a day to get all of the house stuff/running around/lunching etc done.

If the job needs doing full time and you can't do it full time you will just have to suck up a job share (or leave and let them hire someone full time).

if they need someone 5 days they'll either have to make you redundant or find a job share, 3 days are more popular, I guess they might ask you to do more while they're recruiting.

Um, why does it have to be job share rather than two part time posts?

For instance, where I work we have lots of people on various part time patterns, but we recruit based on business needs until teams have enough people once combined to do everything needed. We don't have job shares, we just cooperate and collaborate within teams/depts.

No job instability or insecurity. Happier, loyal staff.

I would have thought you doing 2 days would work better as people are more likely to apply for a 3 day role.

I have seen a situation where a colleague came back after mat leave part time, it was meant to be a job share except they never hired a second person. That's out of your control though.