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Original poster

Job Sharing. Is this fair? How does it work at your place of work?

20 replies

bluepapermonkey · 13/02/2011 13:44

I am part time and have seen a job i'd like to go for in my company. it's a full time job so i went for a chat with the manager in charge of the post and he said it wouldn't be possible for me to do the job part time (fair enough) and it would be down to me to find a job share partner. he wasn't clear on the details so i asked HR what the policy was and they replied there is no policy but yes, i'd be expected to find a partner and we'd both be interviewed for the job (separately).

Part of me thinks this is fine, but part of me thinks 'how can i find someone else against a deadline etc etc' not easy.

Esp as when i went part time they made my job a job share and appointed a partner without any reference to me at all. didn't even meet her for weeks after she started working.

so how does it work elsewhere? how should it work? i'd like to suggest a policy so all of us would know where we stand.

OP posts:

crystalglasses · 13/02/2011 13:47

When I job shared the company advertised separately for each partner or matched us up from people working part time within the company. Getting you to find a partner dowsn't make sense. What happens when one of the job share partners wants to leave. Would you have to find another partner or lose your job?

Original poster

bluepapermonkey · 13/02/2011 14:41

good point. i suspect bottom line is they don't want job shares but i think this needs to be tackled. it's just how...

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slartybartfast · 13/02/2011 14:47

i think i heard that they advertise, and many jobs say in small print they welcome responses from job sharers.
then if you are lucky and one of the chosen is willing to job share.
it might go ahead

crystalglasses · 13/02/2011 15:20

If you're working as a jobshare at present, have you asked your partner if he/she would be prepared to apply for this new job with you? Could be the way to go and the advantage in interview would be to say you've job shared before and know how it works/work well together, always assuming you do.

Original poster

bluepapermonkey · 13/02/2011 19:04

no, not job sharing at the mo and my old partner wouldn't do the job i'm interested in - but plenty of others would so there's no incentive for the company to help me as a potential job share.

but is being part time a disadvantage here? and if so, is it something the company should try to even out or is it just part of the package of being part time - you can't do a full time job - and i'll just have to live with it or change the way i work.

i think they should at least have some clarity on how it works and a policy so everyone knows what they're signing up to when they become part time. not having a policy leaves the company free to make it up as they go along - no doubt to their advantage depending on the circs.

OP posts:

crystalglasses · 13/02/2011 20:29

Sorry, I don't know the answer here.

Original poster

bluepapermonkey · 14/02/2011 13:59

bump

keen to get as much info from other companies as i can.... all experiences or knowledge welcome!

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hairylights · 14/02/2011 14:18

I just think that it's the way it is - if they have a full time job available, no-one else applies for job share, then you become unsuitable (or rather, the job is unsuitable for you).

We tried to accommodate a flexible working request for someone at work, we advertised 'job share considered' and we didn't find anyone who wanted the job share, so the person had to stay full time.

Hammy02 · 14/02/2011 14:56

I think your employer is being very generous to be honest. They could have just turned round and said, sorry, it is a full time post.

BranchingOut · 14/02/2011 15:00

I would go for it. Put in an application saying that you are seeking a job share partner however would like it to also be considered as a part time post in the meantime.

Why not change your name and 'advertise' the post on mumsnet or netmums? Put up a flier at a couple of schools. Or you could direct your employers towards one of the organisations such as 'Women like us' who specialise in jobshares?

Then you could show that you have tried to find a partner.

Original poster

bluepapermonkey · 14/02/2011 15:04

it would have to be an internal appointment so although they're goog ideas they wouldn't work in this instance.

hammy02 the more i think about it, it's less about whether they're being reasonable and more about the company being clear about how job sharing and other aspects of flexible working work... there should be published guidelines so everyone knows processes and where they stand.

hence plea for the experience of others.

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BranchingOut · 14/02/2011 15:18

Well, maybe there is someone else out there in the organisation who is interested but has been put off by the fact that they don't think a potential partner exists.

Can you ask them to put in a second advert saying that an applicant is potentially interested in one half of the share and asking for other applicants to come forward?

slartybartfast · 14/02/2011 17:17

i did a job share, but it was worded as part time, i was told, in case one left and then the other might lose her post.

cat64 · 14/02/2011 17:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

flowery · 14/02/2011 19:17

How big is the organisation? Is job share common? Just trying to get a sense of whether its justified expecting them to have a policy about it or not. Often job sharing isn't something that has a policy until it starts happening.

It's not easy for you to find your own job share partner, no. But your employer aren't the ones who particularly want the job share, so there's not a huge incentive for them to help you. If it's the kind of big organisation where there might be a lot of people floating about who are possibilities, then yes ideally they should be coordinating things a bit and putting some effort in, I agree.

Original poster

bluepapermonkey · 15/02/2011 09:43

it's a very large company so they really should have a policy or some guidelines or something. job share isn't very unusual though it's not very common - i can think of three off the top of my head which are in my general area (which is only a small bit of company.

it's very helpful to get everyone's thoughts. yes, no incentive for them to make job share easy but nor should they discriminate against p/t staff - and they are in danger of doing that (though not saying they're doing that in this case). and good point about they could put a bit more effort in to help co-ord. that is something for me to think about.

there is certainly a policy against emailing all staff, i don't think it's even possible unless you are a very very senior management.

i prob could email a group but hmmm not the done thing and not good to advertise myself as going for a job i'm unlikely to get...

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slartybartfast · 15/02/2011 18:42

how about emailing for those itnerested in workign part time in a job share without mentioning the actual job/

BikeRunSki · 15/02/2011 18:47

When I was on mat leave one of the girls at work applied for a promotion, got it and asked if she coudl do it as a jobshare. It was the type of job I had been doing before mat leave, so line manager thought of me and asked me if I wanted to apply. She knew I was coming back p/t anyway and be doing this she would have a "whole" post free to backfill me in my old job with. I (amongst others) applied, and also got job. I realise that I am very lucky to have a pro-family, pro-active line manager, who's own children have only recently left school.

All our jobs are advertised internally first, and job shares considered for all, but you do usually have to find your own partner.

samels001 · 15/02/2011 18:51

My previous employer (massive city bank) expected me to find a job share myself. 1 lovely but totally unsuitable person was proposed to me and I was considered to be unreasonable when I said that it was unlikely to work. IMO it is a way to avoid offering flexible working and to get part-timeers to leave. So sorry OP not real + suggestions to offer.

Original poster

bluepapermonkey · 16/02/2011 13:02

don't apologise, i'm pretty sure the manager i spoke to is pretty anti job share and the general attitude to p/t workers is that they're just marking time at work.

i too am worried about being offered lovely but unsuitable share - and causing offence! easily done when in effect you're sifting potential candidates. potential minefield.

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