Any job sharers here?

[JingleThoseBells]

I work p/t, 2 days per week Mon and Tues. My job share does the other 3.
Although it rarely happens thankfully, my Manager recently made it clear I must be available to cover sick for my job share should she ever call in poorly.
On my days off, I occasionally make plans. Most recently we were on our way to a weekend mini break when my job share called in on a Friday. Obviously I was unable to cover as we had non refundable accommodation booked. My Mgr on my return made it pretty clear she expects me to cover sick.
How does this work though? Surely it's unreasonable to expect me to always be in the local area on my days off? That's like being on call! I explained, 9/10 I can cover, but that sometimes I have things planned and it's not always guaranteed I'll be available at short notice on my days off (she didn't seem happy)
If it was a hair or dental appointment obviously I can alter, but sometimes I'm not in the area to get in on time.
Is this an unreasonable request or do others have to cover sick regardless??

It's certainly not acceptable. If one person was doing the whole job there wouldn't be any cover if they were ill. Does she expect part timers to cover them too? Unbelievable.

I work a job share, my days are my days, her days are her days. If one of us is sick or on leave, management covers the essentials (phone and email) and/or the work gets picked up when one of us is next in, like would happen with a FT role. I'm not paid to be on call - I have a preschooler so I'm with her on my days off, I couldn't just come in to the office.

Your manager is not managing this right.

I worked as part of a jobsharer for almost 5 years doing 3 days a week.

I was never expected to cover my partner sick leave or holidays...it's not how it works.

Get HR involved.

I use to work a job share (20 hours a week) and was never required to cover the other person’s absences.

To be honest over a couple of years as the job developed it almost became two separate part-time roles, with each of us taking responsibility for a particular area. It would have been difficult to cover some aspects of their role as I didn’t have the knowledge or expertise in it.

I worked a long term job share - my partner and had set days. No expectation that we work extra days to cover the others holidays/sickness days though the expectation was that we didn't take leave the same week (nothing in our contract to this effect but was never an issue). I only had childcare for 'my' days so would not have been willing or able to be called in for other days anyway.
There was an occasion when I had to attend court to give evidence and this went over my usual working days - manager offered me the choice of overtime or toil and also reimbursement of additional childcare costs.
Another occasion when my job share partner was off long term sick I was asked if I was willing to increase my hours but no 'requirement' to do this. As my children were at school by then, I did work some extra hours between school drop off/pick up term time only.
I am aware of a friend who worked a jobshare reception role and their contract included the option of paid overtime to cover planned annual leave / long term sickness but again not mandatory.

I am in a jobshare and we have set days. I occasionally get requests to accommodate extra appointments to cover for my partner's absence but nobody is forcing me to do it if I am already at capacity. If I do agree to cover extra appointments, these are shifted to my usual working days.

My Manager is the HR Manager! 😬😬

I worked a job share for 6 years, never expected to cover each other and never did. We were employed part time and paid part time.

Management never even asked us to cover (I’m sure we would have if we could) as they understood our part time contracts.

When I took the job I understood part of the contract was to cover each other's holidays, which is fine with notice. But surely unexpected sick leave isn't a necessity? I would cover sick if I'm available, but as they are my contracted days off, I thought this would be at my discretion. I wish I knew where I stood legally 😕

Have you tried calling ACAS? They can look through your contract and give you some legal pointers. 0300 123 1100

I’m a job share and would never be asked this. Unless there was something crucial needed covering in which case I might be asked, but not expected, to step in.

Your HR manager doesn’t understand her role. If your job share partner took 4 months sick leave would you be expected to go full time then? Obviously not.
Unless your contract says otherwise then your hours and days are set and only variable on MUTUAL agreement.

As everyone has said, you are not obliged to cover for anyone.
You are employed to work on your 2 days.
Now, if it is a job which needs to be covered straightaway (say a teacher), then it is a great help to the employer, if the other person who knows the role, is willing to come in and be paid cover rates to do so, however, there is no obligation to do so.