Job share issues

[Leviathan]

I have an exciting developmental role where I work 3 days a week and my job share does 3 (1 day overlapping). My colleague is nearing retirement age although I am much more experienced and confident at the role. We have been working together for 3 ish years as she did my maternity cover and was kept on when i returned.

I take on all the initiatives for the role and lead on the developmental stuff. My colleague acts more like my assistant (though we are paid the same) Our manager is aware of the disparity and really, I should leave it for management to deal with, however, i am feeling more and more resentful at my colleague that all the responsible stuff falls to me and doesn't happen if I don't do it.

The role is coming up for review with new senior management and I am certain my job is safe, but not so much my colleague (who is also on a temporary contract). They are trying to encourage her to take on more responsibility, but I'm not sure she has the confidence and experience.

I am concerned
-partly that she will lose the job (she is also a friend and this will be very hard on her)

• but also I would like some release of my work load (this is a good project but has loads of scope for further developments)
• I don't know what to say to her as I have tried to warn her that we need to be showing our 'worth' with the coming changes and she says she's too old to be 'dynamic'.(but I know plenty of dynamic older people!)

Any tips? Do I leave it to management and just do what I can in the time I have? I hate to be resentful of someone (is this actually my problem?) without trying to sort it out. Or should I be harsh and say it like it is?

One friend commented "at least you know she won't steal your job" which is true.

Anyone else been in a similar situation?

Hmm, it's one for your line manager to resolve really. I am assuming that you and your job-share colleague are working to the same shared job description? Perhaps it would be useful to have a meeting with both of you together and your line manager, to review and refresh the job description. You describe the role as developing and dynamic, so it might be useful anyway.

The meeting may create a more natural environment to also review the division of responsibility and workload, without that sense of complaining/resentment. (I do not think your post comes across as resentful at all but if this situation isn't addressed eventually you have indicated that these feelings may come, and that then makes everything harder.)

If she's coming up to retirement I'd leave it tbh
Are you hoping to take on the role full time if her temporary contract gets terminated?
She might be happy to be asked to take early retirement

cheers for responses,

Lilac lily, she's only 57 so could go on for another 10 years! tho says she wants to retire at 60. I can do as many days as I want but dropped down to 3 as both me and DS struggled w 4, I would happily do full-time if I wasn't a mum too! They won't give her early retirement as she's on a temporary contract!

Thanks polkadot, we don't have a job description! tho soon to have one sorted. But one of the main things is to work with groups of kids and my colleague doesn't do any, apart from 'shadowing ' me or if asked, tho most people ask me as I am a lot more confident / capable but I also put myself out there to make sure I do that.

Had chat with line manager today outlining my concerns and we have a team meeting tomorrow. LM said that she will try and do more motivating/ chivvying and is aware of colleague's mental health problems but also of pressure that if we are not performing, we could lose our job. She said that a number of other colleagues had commented on my job share's faffing about and while it is none of their business, we are on a better hourly rate than lots of staff who do a lot more than she does.

I am going to suggest that we divide up specific jobs, so it is clearer who does what (or doesn't) as the new planning list in our office is clearly making no difference!

so we had a meeting, briefly, where our manager outlined changes with the new management structure and gently stated that our jobs could be at risk if we are not seen to deliver. I left the meeting and our manager then suggested that certain of my job share's tasks could be done in a more 'timely' fashion - she takes ages. Anyway JS (jobshare) has got the hump and said to me on the way home 'that she doesn't have to do those tasks' - totally missed the picture that she isn't doing any where near what I do... and blamed it on the current political situation!

again, this is for management to deal with and I think they are being sensitive (but maybe should have sorted this a lot sooner!) but when JS complains to me about the work, should I just blow my top and say basically "since dropping a day of work, I am still doing the same amount but in less time".

A colleague said today that she goes and stands in people's offices and just stands there until coming out with something random and is totally oblivious that they are up to their eyeballs in it. Is this a sign of an impending breakdown? Or is she just totally clueless and (i wonder) a bit passive aggressive... I can't bring myself to socialise out of work with her (little time to anyway) as I am so fed up with how she is at work. (lovely character as someone to hang out with just hard impossible to work with)